Business travel is coming under closer scrutiny: In Germany alone, companies spend
approximately 50 billion euros on business travel every year.
To partially offset this expense, many companies are replacing business trips with online
meetings. With this technology, customers and partners are able to communicate with images and audio over the Internet, while special presentation functions reinforce the personal aspects of a meeting. Software licenses, Webcams, and headsets are worth the investments. Companies that use Web meetings discover new methods of collaboration and reduce their own output of greenhouse gases.
1. Taking a new look at business travel......................................................................3
2. The online meeting alternative ...............................................................................4
3. Comparing online meetings and business travel ....................................................4
3.1. Immediate cost benefits and faster ROI........................................................................4
3.2. More efficient work processes ......................................................................................5
3.3. Score points for motivation, work/life balance, and security............................................6
3.4. More effective transfer of knowledge and information ....................................................6
3.5. Sustainably "greener"..................................................................................................6
4. Conclusion: Lower costs and greater efficiency......................................................7
4.1. The golden rules of sustainability and motivation...........................................................7
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Executive Summary
Business travel is coming under closer scrutiny: In Germany alone, companies spend approximately 50 billion euros on business travel every year.
To partially offset this expense, many companies are replacing business trips with online meetings. With this technology, customers and partners are able to communicate with images and audio over the Internet, while special presentation functions reinforce the personal aspects of a meeting. Software licenses, Webcams, and headsets are worth the investments. Companies that use Web meetings discover new methods of collaboration and reduce their own output of greenhouse gases.
1. Taking a new look at business travel
In the globalized economy, travel is becoming an ever-larger cost factor. Common reasons for 90% of companies in Germany business travel include customer presentations, believe they can reduce the ex-employee training, project meetings, and technical pense of business travel. support. The results of the 2008 business travel Half of the companies even think they can achieve cost savings of analysis by the Association of German Travel more than 10%. Management (VDR) revealed that German companies spend approximately 50 billion euros for (Survey conducted by the Association of 170 million business trips every year. German Travel Management among travel managers at German corporations Until recently, no distance was too far to meet face- in spring of 2009.) to-face with customers and project partners. But the gloomy economic outlook has induced nearly half of German companies to significantly tighten their travel guidelines.
This is due to elevated costs and lower revenues: Since the beginning of 2009, the cost for one liter of premium fuel has increased by nearly 10%. Rental car prices have gone up, and net airfare is becoming more expensive as airlines reduce their capacities. Since the total number of hotel guests has gone down, hotels are increasingly raising the prices they charge companies for long-term agreements.
At the same time, the public is becoming more aware of the importance of sustainability. Both customers and investors expect socially responsible business practices, which is one reason why many companies are committed to climate protection. Of course, simply talking about good intentions is not enough. Measurable results are what really count. So every business trip must
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now be evaluated in terms of its ecological impact. How much CO2, energy, and noise from automobiles and airplanes can we really justify these days?
For these reasons, many companies are actively seeking new, more efficient, and more sustainable ways to maintain personal contact with their customers and partners. Online meetings are one way to do this.
2. The online meeting alternative <... [download for more]
