Corporate travel is evolving rapidly. With global operations, remote teams, and complex travel policies, choosing the right corporate travel software is no longer optional — it’s a strategic business decision. But with so many options available in 2025, how do you pick the best OBT software for your organization?
Here’s a comprehensive, easy-to-follow checklist to guide your decision.
Corporate travel is evolving rapidly. With global operations, remote teams, and complex travel policies, choosing the right corporate travel software is no longer optional — it’s a strategic business decision. But with so many options available in 2025, how do you pick the best OBT software for your organization?
Here’s a comprehensive, easy-to-follow checklist to guide your decision.
1. Understand Your Business Needs
1. Understand Your Business Needs
Before evaluating software, ask yourself:
How many employees travel regularly?
Are your travelers domestic, international, or both?
Do you need multi-currency or multi-language support?
What is your current pain point — cost, compliance, reporting, or booking complexity?
A clear understanding of your business needs ensures you select a platform that truly fits, rather than overpaying for unnecessary features.
Before evaluating software, ask yourself:
How many employees travel regularly?
Are your travelers domestic, international, or both?
Do you need multi-currency or multi-language support?
What is your current pain point — cost, compliance, reporting, or booking complexity?
A clear understanding of your business needs ensures you select a platform that truly fits, rather than overpaying for unnecessary features.
2. Check Integration Capabilities
2. Check Integration Capabilities
Modern corporate travel platforms should seamlessly integrate with your existing business systems:
Expense Management: Quick reconciliation with tools like Concur or Expensify.
HR & Payroll Systems: Automate approvals, manage traveler profiles.
Accounting Software: Ensure travel expenses feed into your financial system.
Tip: Ask for a demo showing real integrations — not just promises.
Modern corporate travel platforms should seamlessly integrate with your existing business systems:
Expense Management: Quick reconciliation with tools like Concur or Expensify.
HR & Payroll Systems: Automate approvals, manage traveler profiles.
Accounting Software: Ensure travel expenses feed into your financial system.
Tip: Ask for a demo showing real integrations — not just promises.
3. Evaluate Compliance & Policy Management Features
3. Evaluate Compliance & Policy Management Features
Travel policy compliance is critical in 2025. Your platform should:
Enforce travel policies automatically (class of travel, hotel preferences, spending limits).
Provide real-time alerts for policy violations.
Offer duty of care features to track traveler safety and emergency protocols.
Pro insight: A platform that handles compliance reduces risk and saves managerial hours.
Travel policy compliance is critical in 2025. Your platform should:
Enforce travel policies automatically (class of travel, hotel preferences, spending limits).
Provide real-time alerts for policy violations.
Offer duty of care features to track traveler safety and emergency protocols.
Pro insight: A platform that handles compliance reduces risk and saves managerial hours.
4. Review Analytics & Reporting Capabilities
4. Review Analytics & Reporting Capabilities
Data drives smarter travel decisions. Look for:
Real-time dashboards: View bookings, expenses, and travel patterns at a glance.
Custom reports: Export reports by department, trip type, or traveler.
Predictive analytics: AI-based recommendations for cost savings and optimized travel routes.
A platform with strong analytics ensures you can measure ROI and make informed strategic choices.
Data drives smarter travel decisions. Look for:
Real-time dashboards: View bookings, expenses, and travel patterns at a glance.
Custom reports: Export reports by department, trip type, or traveler.
Predictive analytics: AI-based recommendations for cost savings and optimized travel routes.
A platform with strong analytics ensures you can measure ROI and make informed strategic choices.
5. Assess Scalability and Flexibility
5. Assess Scalability and Flexibility
Your corporate travel platform should grow with your business:
Handle increasing numbers of employees and destinations.
Support multiple offices and regions with ease.
Offer modular features — you can add advanced functionality as needed.
Checklist tip: Choose software that adapts to your business evolution, not one that limits future expansion.
Your corporate travel platform should grow with your business:
Handle increasing numbers of employees and destinations.
Support multiple offices and regions with ease.
Offer modular features — you can add advanced functionality as needed.
Checklist tip: Choose software that adapts to your business evolution, not one that limits future expansion.
6. Consider User Experience and Support
6. Consider User Experience and Support
A complex system is only useful if your team actually uses it. Look for:
Intuitive interface: Easy for employees to book flights, hotels, and ground transport.
Mobile access: Travelers need a mobile-friendly app or platform.
24/7 support: Ensure real-time help is available for emergencies.
A smooth user experience encourages adoption and minimizes errors.
A complex system is only useful if your team actually uses it. Look for:
Intuitive interface: Easy for employees to book flights, hotels, and ground transport.
Mobile access: Travelers need a mobile-friendly app or platform.
24/7 support: Ensure real-time help is available for emergencies.
A smooth user experience encourages adoption and minimizes errors.
7. Check Security & Compliance Standards
7. Check Security & Compliance Standards
Travel data is sensitive. Ensure the platform meets industry security standards:
- PCI DSS for payment handling.
- GDPR compliance for traveler data (if applicable).
- Encryption for booking and personal information.
Security breaches not only risk data but also your company’s reputation.
Travel data is sensitive. Ensure the platform meets industry security standards:
- PCI DSS for payment handling.
- GDPR compliance for traveler data (if applicable).
- Encryption for booking and personal information.
Security breaches not only risk data but also your company’s reputation.
Quick Checklist Summary
Quick Checklist Summary
Feature Area | Key Question |
Business Needs | Does this platform meet our scale, travel volume, and regional requirements? |
Integrations | Can it connect with HR, accounting, and expense tools? |
Policy Compliance | Does it enforce travel rules automatically and track duty of care? |
Analytics | Can it provide real-time insights and predictive recommendations? |
Scalability | Will it grow with our company without added complexity? |
User Experience | Is it intuitive, mobile-friendly, and supported 24/7? |
Security | Does it meet PCI DSS, GDPR, and encryption standards? |
Feature Area | Key Question |
Business Needs | Does this platform meet our scale, travel volume, and regional requirements? |
Integrations | Can it connect with HR, accounting, and expense tools? |
Policy Compliance | Does it enforce travel rules automatically and track duty of care? |
Analytics | Can it provide real-time insights and predictive recommendations? |
Scalability | Will it grow with our company without added complexity? |
User Experience | Is it intuitive, mobile-friendly, and supported 24/7? |
Security | Does it meet PCI DSS, GDPR, and encryption standards? |
Choosing the Best OBT Software in 2025
Choosing the Best OBT Software in 2025
Selecting a corporate travel management platform is more than picking a booking tool — it’s choosing a strategic partner for your business travel program.
Prioritize integration, compliance, analytics, scalability, user experience, and security. When evaluated correctly, the right platform not only simplifies bookings but also reduces costs, enforces policies, and improves traveler satisfaction.
Ready to streamline your corporate travel in 2025? Book a demo of OBT7’s Corporate Travel Management Platform and see how it fits your company’s needs.
Selecting a corporate travel management platform is more than picking a booking tool — it’s choosing a strategic partner for your business travel program.
Prioritize integration, compliance, analytics, scalability, user experience, and security. When evaluated correctly, the right platform not only simplifies bookings but also reduces costs, enforces policies, and improves traveler satisfaction.
Ready to streamline your corporate travel in 2025?
Book a demo of OBT7’s Corporate Travel Management Platform and see how it fits your company’s needs.
FAQ
Start by assessing your business needs — number of travelers, domestic vs international travel, required features (multi-currency, multi-language), and your biggest pain points (cost, compliance, reporting, booking complexity). This ensures you don’t overpay for unnecessary functions.
The platform should automatically enforce travel rules (e.g. hotel class, spending limits), provide real-time alerts for violations, and incorporate duty of care / traveler safety features — all reducing manual oversight and ensuring corporate policy adherence.
Analytics turn raw booking and spend data into strategic insights. A strong platform should offer real-time dashboards, custom report exports, and even predictive AI recommendations to help you spot cost-saving opportunities and justify ROI.
Yes — scalability and flexibility are key buying criteria. The ideal platform should support more users, regions, and modular add-on features as your organization expands, without becoming cumbersome or rigid.
Even the most feature-rich tool fails if adoption is low. Look for intuitive UI, mobile access, and 24/7 support. On the security side, ensure compliance with PCI DSS, GDPR (where relevant), and strong encryption to protect sensitive travel and personal data.
