Sourcing for a new travel management company (TMC) may seem like a routine procedure, but it usually plays a big part in maintaining the company's operations. These days, businesses aren't constrained to their geographical locations, and this has allowed them to ignore borders and entire seas. And for these international connections to flourish, firms have to send representatives, and travel management companies play a big part in making sure these trips go smoothly.

Heck, there are at least 400 million individual business trips each year in the U.S., with companies spending $111.7 billion to shuttle their employees. Keeping your wits about you as you source for TMCs may be the key to keeping travel expenses as low as possible while simultaneously maintaining employee satisfaction. Here are 4 criteria to help you make the best choice.

Easy booking experience. Organizing business trips isn't a stress-free activity, especially if you do it often and for groups. Passing this burden onto your employees would make matters worse, most likely affecting their productivity on their trips. A good travel management company, such as CrewFacilities.com, would prize speed and simplicity, especially for booking transportation and accommodation.

24/7 support. Duty of care dictates that employers are responsible for the safety of traveling employees. But when an employee is on the other side of the world, this becomes difficult. Travel management companies like CrewFacilities that offer support will be able to aid an employee in case any situation arises. It could be to issue instructions on what to do or where to go, or a warning to stay clear of certain areas. With support, keeping employees safe is a little easier, and you'll be able to avoid any future lawsuits.

Technology. Business travel has become a lot easier with advances in technology. A common issue that travel managers face is travel policy compliance, and an effective travel management company should have ways to alleviate that. Most often, this is done by plugging the travel policy right into the booking platform or tool like the CrewFacts app. The tool will only highlight transportation and accommodation options that are within policy. This will help maintain near-perfect travel policy compliance, and it will also allow employees to maintain their booking autonomy. And if they get to pick their flights and accommodation, they're likely to be more content during their trips.

Travel Spend Reporting. Who wants to pour through spreadsheets and receipts at the end of every quarter? It's not only time and resource-consuming, but humans are prone to error. A TMC with a centralized platform that reports spending in real-time would be a great asset, especially with financial reporting and budgeting.

These are just some of the few criteria you should have in mind when looking for a travel management company. Have any questions? CrewFacilities has been in the game for years, and we'd be glad to answer any queries you may have. Contact us here.