Tech Tools for Business Travellers: 5 we couldn’t live without
Our phones have become integral to everything we do, a limb that some of us could not live without. When we leave the house, we check for it the same way we do our keys and bank cards. Therefore, it is not surprising that it has become one of many integral Tech Tools for Business Travellers. Phones have become the easiest way to stay in contact with co-workers, managers and family while away.
Coincidentally, a way to maximise the perks of travel and enjoying ‘bleisure’ is utilising our phones, and more specifically the apps available on them. This blog will look at 5 tech tools that Ortharize believes have become too important to avoid.
It should be noted that the most important utility is either a battery pack or a plug adapter. Not all hotels will have a USB port and electric socket types can differ in the UK, Europe and the US.
The Tech Tools Business Travellers must have:
1. Expensify
Expensify is a great app for keeping control of receipts and charges on business travels. Depending on your profession, costs during business travel can build up. They often come from many different sources, which makes it difficult to organise them without accurate invoices.
Expensify allows employees to take photos, and send their receipts on the app; making them viewable by managers and maintaining accounts up to date in real-time.
They offer a free version which is popular for basic accounts, however for more seamless accessibility, the in-app purchases allow integration to other apps such as Uber, UberEats, Lyft and more.
2. Google Drive (Including Docs, Calendar and Meets)
While your organisation may use varied software packages, we at Ortharize find that Google’s workspace is an underrated tech tool for business travellers. All of the apps will be familiar to you if you haven’t used them already. And most are compatible with similar products. It makes collaboration so easy too, you can share your work with others easily, and work on them together at the same time from different devices. It’s affordable and utilises cloud storage which can be upgraded at a low cost too. Having a cloud of all your work documents means that when you’re on trains, planes or in taxis, you can catch up on notes and work. All of the apps within the Google suite have been developed to be user-friendly on mobile, and documents can be downloaded for offline access should you find yourself without any internet connection.
Not only that but the suite directly links your calendar with its video conferencing tool. It’s incredibly easy to schedule and add a meeting to your calendar with the option to host a video conference. And if that’s not enough, the Google Suite has an instant messaging tool. Your team can stay connected, work together, meet, and collaborate all in one place.
3. Duolingo/Google Translate – Language learning tools
We would consider two main options for this. The choice of the two depends on how long you have before you travel. If you don’t have much time, stick to Google Translate. It provides immediate manageable translations that are more than often close enough to communicate with someone if there’s a language barrier.
However, if you visit the same places quite often Duolingo is a brilliant option if you want to start learning the language of your destination. It doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner or if you’re already an intermediate speaker. Duolingo assesses your ability and creates a language course that fits your needs. Being able to speak, read, or even understand the language of the people you meet can go a long way. Even if it is only “Quiero dos Cheeseburger por favor”, the effort towards adaptation shows that you’re working to be a part of the culture and will help you build better, lasting relationships.
4. A good map, no, not a paper one
The phrase “when in Rome” stems from experiencing life living like a local, which frequently entails being open to new experiences. For example, cycling around Amsterdam can be an idyllic way to spend a lunch hour. Google Maps can provide a round route to see some tourist hotspots along the way and still get you back in time for that 2 o’clock meeting. Apple maps can work similarly to this too. It’s connected to TripAdvisor and it can highlight cafes, shops, and attractions to go to when you have some free time. We all know how important managing your time is when travelling. Using smart maps like the ones we’ve mentioned gives you a great handle on travel times. They can accurately tell you how long a journey will take and most will also provide live data on things like traffic or how busy somewhere is.
5. Croissant
Contrary to what the name might imply, this app has absolutely nothing to do with food. Croissant is an app which connects business professionals with workplaces and spots for productivity, something that can be hard to find when you’re new to a city.
The app works in numerous countries and requires no paperwork to use. If you find that the 4 walls of your hotel room aren’t making you the most productive, why not try somewhere new? It may just become a new habit.
Business travel can be full of ups and downs, which makes it the adventure that it is, croissant might add a few more ups to tip those scales in your favour.
Business travel tech can be your friend.
Apps should make life more convenient and too often we find ourselves juggling our day across too many apps that could be combined to make life that extra bit more convenient. Imagine a travel app that could let you find train tickets, book a flight, and rent a car. What if that same app could manage your invoicing and help reduce your carbon footprint too? Surely this is too good to be true? Well, what if we told you it; ‘s not?
The Ortharize platform lets you do just this, and our mobile app is very nearly ready to be released. We’ve built an app that will let you manage your business travel in one place, on one screen, and in one app.
To stay up to date with the app launch as well as other business travel news follow our social pages here.
If you want to find out more about how Ortharize will make your business travel better, book a demo here. Our team will show you exactly how we can put you back in control of your business travel life.
