Tracking Business Travelers

"It really all started after Sept. 11," recalls Terri Campbell-Teal, travel buyer for San Francisco-based apparel maker Levi Strauss & Co. On that infamous day, Levi Strauss had about 16 employees in Manhattan at various hotels. Campbell-Teal, along with thousands of other corporate travel managers

Fortunately, by the end of the day, Campbell-Teal was able to verify that all of the Levi Strauss employees in Manhattan were safe. But the events led the company, and many others, to start looking for a better way to track business travelers.

Today's technology is meeting that need. Web-based travel-tracking systems now allow employers to identify, monitor and contact business travelers in a few keystrokes--at surprisingly low cost.

Heightened Travel Risks

Experts agree that this niche market developed in response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Since then, many factors have contributed to its expansion. The London bombings and recent hurricanes reinforced the dangers of terrorism and natural disasters, even in areas traditionally considered low-risk. And globalization has led to an increase in business travel to volatile countries. "There's always been risk in travel," says David Cheese, marketing manager for Traveler Security and Data Suite, a travel-tracking tool by Sabre Systems, based in Southlake, Texas. But "the frequency and severity of these types of events has increased."

Corporate leaders have become more aware of legal and ethical responsibilities for business travelers. And, legally, companies could be held liable for failing to provide adequate information and support. These capabilities are like insurance, says Cheese. "You have them so you can protect your employees and meet those duty-of-care responsibilities."

Since 2003, Levi Strauss has met that responsibility for its 300-odd daily business travelers using the Travel Locator Service provided by International SOS, a global medical and security assistance provider with U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia. Soon after implementation, the system was put to the test by the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) scare. As a precaution, Levi Strauss issued a policy asking employees to work from home for a 10-day incubation period after returning from a SARS-affected area. Within minutes, Levi Strauss travel staff identified 17 employees affected by the policy, without having to rely on third parties or make time-consuming telephone calls. "It took less than 10 minutes to identify and notify travelers by e-mail of the 10-day stay-at-home requirement," says Campbell-Teal.