From Policy to Empowerment: How Traveler-Centric Design Is Reshaping Business Travel

How can travel managers move from enforcing rules to driving strategy?

In this episode of SAP Concur Conversations, host and Global VP of Customer Advisory at Concur, Jeanne Dion, chats with Chloe Carver, Head of Corporate Travel Consulting at Acquis Consulting Group, about how to build a traveler-centric travel program that empowers employees, simplifies compliance, and drives business value.

Join the conversation to learn how to design policies that guide behavior (not police it), turn implementation into transformation, and measure success beyond savings. Whether you’re modernizing your travel program or proving its value to leadership, this episode is packed with practical steps and inspiring ideas for creating a smarter, more human-centered travel experience.

You can listen to this episode on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite place to find podcasts.

Policies Should Guide Behavior, Not Control It

Chloe has seen many policies become overfilled, confusing documents that unintentionally frustrate travelers and burden travel managers. “Policies end up being just pages and pages and pages of rules that are maybe difficult to follow, increasingly hard to enforce, somewhat esoteric” she explains. Instead of writing rules around every possible situation, Chloe recommends focusing on the heart of what a policy is supposed to do: support decision-making. “Knowing that the policy can't account for every scenario, making sure you're building something that gets at the heart of what you want those guiding principles to be.”

Jeanne echoed this challenge, adding that organizations often undermine their own values by over-regulating their employees’ choices: “We want people to feel empowered… we trust our employees and then we send out a thousand rules that say the exact opposite.” Both emphasize that the goal is not to restrict travelers, but to enable them. Policies crafted around clarity, culture, and trust not only create a better experience but also encourage the natural compliance organizations are striving for.

By focusing on the principles that truly matter, safety, cost responsibility, and organizational integrity, companies create policies that inform rather than police. The result is a more respectful relationship between employer and employee, where travelers understand expectations and feel confident navigating their options.

Implementation Is Where Transformation Actually Happens

Chloe believes one of the biggest missed opportunities in travel management is implementation, which many companies treat as a simple system rollout. In reality, it is one of the most transformative stages of the entire travel program. “Implementation can really be a turning point for the entire program, not just the tool,” she notes. It’s a chance to reassess policies, streamline workflows, realign with business objectives, and build stakeholder alignment from the very beginning.

Jeanne points out that failing to secure alignment early can quickly derail success: “If you don't have that stakeholder alignment from pretty much the onset of the implementation, if not even before, right? That could slow down the process or break some things that you really need to get in place.” Chloe adds that organizations often “lift and shift” outdated policies into new technology, missing the opportunity to rebuild processes that reflect how the business actually runs today.

Approaching implementation as transformation ensures that the changes travel managers put in place are meaningful, sustainable, and fully adopted. When done well, it becomes a launch point for better compliance, smoother operations, and a travel experience employees trust and appreciate.

Traveler Experience Is the Foundation of Compliance

One of Chloe’s central messages is that most travelers genuinely want to make the right choices. They just need systems and policies that respect their time and acknowledge their reality. “Most travelers want to do the right thing. They want to be compliant. They don't want to go outside of policy,” she shares. When policies are unclear, controls feel punitive, or workflows seem disconnected from actual travel experiences, employees struggle, not because they are unwilling, but because the environment makes compliance harder.

Jeanne underscores the need to consider the employee point of view: “Just because it works for the back of the house doesn't mean it works for the front of the house, right?” When the system feels burdensome, travelers naturally seek alternative paths. But when organizations design policies and tools that align with how travel really works, fluctuating prices, unexpected changes, and the fast pace of being on the road, compliance becomes seamless.

For Chloe, the ultimate goal is simple and foundational: “The goal should be to create a program that travelers want to use, not that they have to use.” When travelers feel trusted, supported, and understood, they are far more likely to follow guidelines, act responsibly, and stay within policy. And when the travel program becomes easier to navigate, organizations gain better visibility, reduced risk, and a stronger sense of partnership with their employees.

The Takeaway

Chloe’s insights demonstrate that travel programs thrive when rooted in empathy, clarity, and trust. By designing policies that empower employees, treating implementation as a moment for true transformation, and prioritizing traveler experience as the core of compliance, organizations can unlock a more strategic, human-centered travel program that benefits everyone involved. For travel managers aiming to modernize their programs and prove their value to leadership, Chloe’s approach provides a clear path forward, one that elevates both the employee journey and the organization’s goals.

🎧 Listen to Chloe’s full conversation on SAP Concur Conversations to explore how these ideas can reshape your own travel program.