Win Buy-in For Expenses Management Systems

You've done the research, you've checked out the costs and you’re convinced a move to an expenses management system will benefit your company. But what if those above are not yet sold on the idea?

It’s natural for there to be some resistance to change. When it comes to expenses, there’s often a reluctance to move away from traditional ways of handling employee expenses - via manual and paper-based processes.

It means that winning support from a finance director, along with whoever’s backing is required, can be a challenge. It’s something which has been explored by Employee Benefits.

They approach the challenge of switching to a flexible benefits system but the advice they provide is just as relevant when looking at moving to expenses management software.

To build a convincing case, they recommend a combined approach, mixing ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ benefits. The ‘hard’ benefits being the basic ROI (Return on Investment), while the ‘soft’ represent are less obvious gains.

The soft benefits can often be the ‘clincher’ when it comes to a proposal being given the go-ahead, especially when they are linked to a company’s broader business objectives.

With expenses management systems the ROI comes from the significant time and money savings from using an automated processes. Processing time will typically be reduced by 25% with a 10% cut in expenses costs.

But there are also a multitude of ‘soft’ benefits that may not be immediately obvious. These include the boost a system can provide to employee morale, retention and recruitment.

Webexpenses recently commissioned a study to look at the ways smartphones are now used in the work environment. It found that employees were 21% more content with their work when allowed the use of business apps.

The survey of 2,000 UK workers helped to highlight how a new ‘mobile’ generation is now entering the workforce. Companies who offer more mobile and flexible ways of working will increasingly find themselves at an advantage.