Paul McCorkell is AVP global strategic sales EMEA at Enterprise Mobility

¡®Value¡¯ has been a consistent metric in business travel tenders, especially for car rental and ground transportation. Key questions focused on the daily rate, how the supplier planned to keep vehicle damage costs low, and whether the business or TMC was getting the best deal and the most return on investment.

We are now seeing the definition of value evolving as the scope of mobility services continue to expand. Suppliers and partners are being asked for advice and solutions that help travel buyers navigate a rapidly changing workplace and workforce, with different mobility requirements to those of 20, 10 or even five years ago.

So as procurement and travel teams are taking a step back to look at the broader business need and how employee travel must adapt to meet it, there are also more holistic commercial, social, and wellbeing objectives at play that need to be reflected in how buyers evaluate value in their contracts.

Elevating wellbeing through mobility

As well as looking at how to get people from A to B cheaper and faster, there are now other factors to consider when it comes to value ¨C and these can change from one sector and organisation to the next.

Employee wellbeing is increasingly becoming a central focus on the corporate agenda, and business travel can play a role in adding value.

For example, a company with the objective of attracting and retaining the best talent might overlook the positive impact of mobility. Our own research found that more than half of European employees who drive their own car for business say they would consider switching jobs to a company that offered a better alternative to that of ¡®grey fleet¡¯ travel.

By considering wider business objectives, companies can unlock even greater value through better mobility provisions. For example, how can partners deliver more effortless, convenient solutions that create a better driver experience? That could mean technology to help bypass the airport rental counter for regular business travellers, or it could mean face-to-face services that helps to ¡®hold the hands¡¯ of employees who only travel every so often.

Equally, there is value in solutions that help employees working remotely. Is there a rental branch or car club vehicle near their home? What¡¯s the most convenient option for them? Every need is different, but mobility has a crucial role to play.

Beyond cost to social impact

Social value is another increasingly important consideration. Can business travel suppliers help businesses meet their own objectives related to local community impact? While this has long been a core part of commercial relationships with public sector organisations, it¡¯s becoming a significant part of the private sector conversation as businesses seek to collaborate with suppliers to meet their own social value targets.

An organisation might aim to provide better mobility solutions for a particular demographic, like younger employees. Since they increasingly don¡¯t own a car, they¡¯ll need access to other forms of mobility. Not to mention that 65 per cent of business travellers are now millennials and Gen Z, and these younger employees have new, ¡®greener¡¯ expectations of the travel experience.

Aligning mobility with wider business goals

Businesses wanting to discourage employees commuting by car, because of limited parking space or a desire to reduce traffic congestion and emissions, can also set these as metrics. Those wanting to encourage team members towards active travel or public transport ¨C which means they don¡¯t have access to their own car at work ¨C may want to evaluate how providing on-site mobility solutions such as car sharing and car clubs can help with that switch.

Some organisations are already wanting to combine cars, trains, taxis, walking, cycling and every other transport mode to create a more sustainable business travel ecosystem. This approach is also becoming part of the value conversation. Whatever the business objective, mobility experts will have the answer to provide value beyond moving employees from A to B.

Embracing holistic value

Measuring costs and rates is reasonably straightforward. However, determining value from broader goals and harder-to-measure factors such as wellbeing requires travel buyers to access relevant datasets and feedback to assess their success. This needs to be a part of the discussion that accompanies every supplier RFP, as well as the onboarding and implementation process.

Alongside factors such as vehicle emissions or business mileage, there might be a requirement to show how the supplier supports broader sustainability, or how it invests in the communities in which it operates.

It may involve measuring employee behaviour changes, to show the rate of change behaviour and adoption, when new travel policies are introduced. Employee satisfaction metrics may be even more important than cost and financial KPIs, to show that the driver experience is paramount.

This evolution in business mobility applies equally to small businesses and global brands, as both are looking for new forms of value that meet their wider corporate objectives. They are eager to collaborate with suppliers and partners who can strategically guide them in adopting new forward-thinking approaches.