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Concur is one of the leading providers of integrated travel and expense management solutions. The company recently requested EKOS Research Associates Inc. to carry out a survey in Canada that focused on Canadian business travelers and their mobile habits.

In a release, Scott Newell, senior director for Concur said that, “Given that more than 80 per cent of business travelers agree that face-to-face interaction is important, we know that travel will continue to be a crucial component of doing business. The more we know about the business traveler of today, the better we can help them manage their travel, address their concerns and make their lives a little easier.”

The survey confirms that business travelers across Canada do not make the best use of mobile applications which have the ability streamline the travel experience and maximize productivity when away from the office. More than 45 per cent of business travelers in Canada use smartphones on an hourly basis and this means that if they fully optimize their smartphones and mobile applications, they will not only have the ability to create, review and approve travel itineraries and expense reports bit will also be in a position to manage their itineraries while on the road.

Concur offers business travelers in Canada a number of mobile applications that will give them immediate access which will allow them to view travel itineraries and flight status updates, get dining reservations and taxis, get step-by-step directions back to their hotel from wherever they are, book rental cars, hotels, capture expense receipt images with their camera phone and enter expenses on-the-spot and also create and submit expense reports in real time.

Microsemi (News - Alert) Corporation, a CMPG Divisioni has been using Concur solutions since 2006. By migrating to an online system, the company’s employees have been able to save time by submitting expenses in real time which means the account managers are also able to reimburse them quickly, increasing overall satisfaction. This gives employees more time to focus on non-administrative activities associated with business travel.

Allison Stoneham, division controller for Microsemi Corporation - CMPG Divisioni said that, “By moving to an online paperless system, we have achieved tremendous savings and increased business productivity. Perhaps the greatest overall benefit has been in the area of employee satisfaction. Our people can save time, simplify their travel-lives, and have more confidence in the timeliness with which they will be reimbursed for business travel expenses.”