For organizations to remain strong as we move through the stages of the coronavirus pandemic, they need to ensure that they are not only reacting in real time to the situation as it unfolds, but are also taking appropriate actions to prepare for the future.
Even while organizations are still aligning business operations for a work from home environment, and may need to pivot their existing strategies in order to best cope with the current situation, they still need to look to the future to ensure that they’re ready to return to a “normal” (whatever that may be) operating cadence once the situation stabilizes.
One of the major challenges moving forward will be determining when to consider reverting back to business travel, both domestically and internationally. The level of risk posed by coronavirus exposure varies significantly in countries around the world, and sometimes even cities within each country. We’ve already seen some countries, such as Denmark and Austria, begin to consider adjusting restrictions based on infection levels. Conversely, countries such as Singapore, which had previously seen very low levels of infections, are now experiencing a second wave of infections.
Given the pace of change and also the possibility of restrictions easing and then returning, it’s critical that organizations have access to the latest coronavirus data when determining if travel is safe for their employees. We’ve teamed up with WorldAware to offer this insight as part of our expense pre-approval capabilities. Organizations that use the Pre-Approval Risk Ratings module within Chrome River EXPENSE can benefit from WorldAware’s up-to-the-minute insight, simply by entering the city name. Pre-Approval Risk Ratings will then provide a real-time, 1-5 risk rating based on a variety of natural and man-made risks.
Pre-Approval Risk Ratings help organizations build in compliance rules and approval routing rules. This helps to ensure that employees going to locations with higher risk ratings are made aware of risk levels, and that approvals can be escalated to more senior staff to determine whether to approve a trip.
WorldAware’s team of security experts and analysts are in close contact with health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and Center for Disease Control (CDC), European Center for Disease Control (ECDC), Civil Aviation Authorities, and other health, government, central and local authorities, to ensure that data is timely and accurate.
Even after coronavirus has passed, organizations can still benefit from WorldAware’s insight, to ensure that their travelers are minimizing their exposure to risk while traveling.
To learn more about WorldAware, you can click here. Chrome River customers should contact their customer success manager for more information.