Benchmark Data On Travel & Entertainment Expenses

T&E are probably the second biggest corporate cost after payroll and an area where we have to focus to manage costs. Having industry benchmarks are one thing but the need to T&E can be dynamic and variable depending on a company's state of development, product campaigns etc. We address our management efforts in the following areas and are not intimidated by bench marks, in fact we are not afraid to spend if we spend efficiently, and achieve our budgeted objectives.
1)Trip budgets are approved in advance with stated objectives, and expense reimbursement claims are reconciled back to the trip budget, and the outcome reconciled to the objective before reimbursement.
2)Our T&E reporting software provides analysis and comparison so that "unusual and expensive items are highlighted and call out for explanation.
3) Managers are travelers themselves and know all the dodges.

As a discussion group exercise I would like to invite members to write in with the expense "fiddles" that have most impressed, or nearly beaten, them. I think this would be helpful to us as TE expense reviewers. There never seems to be an end to traveler creativity!

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Saty, I don't mean to sound like the typical consultant but you are basically asking people how long a string should be. You need to tell us more. What business are you in? Do you have satellite locations or customers where you direct this travel? Where are they located? What specifically is the problem you are trying to address?

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