ISO 31030:2021 and business travel
A new global standard for travel risk management was released in late 2021 that is gaining increased attention with the business travel community.
ISO 31030:2021 is a new global benchmark, created to help organisations prepare, monitor and respond to critical incidents impacting their travelling workforce.
Discover more about the travel risk standard below, including:
- What is ISO 31030:2021?
- Where can I get the ISO 31030:2021 framework?
- What are the key components of ISO 31030:2021?
- How can organisations benchmark their travel risk management strategy with ISO 31030:2021?
- What tools FCM has that comply with the requirements
People: Depending on the size and scope of the organisation, a basic travel risk management strategy could involve and require buy-in from key stakeholders in legal, HR, travel, and communications departments. More robust strategies could also tap into resources from corporate security, IT, and other key risk management branches within the business.
Products: Travel management companies offer basic tools to help organisations conform to ISO 31030 standards. The most common are traveller tracking platforms, approval applications, travel alerts, and benchmarking tools. While these products are free for FCM customers, other - more robust - platforms offered by 3rd party companies may come at a cost.
Partnerships: Not all companies are going to be equipped with an in-house security team or expensive array of response tools and resources. There are organisations that provide access to teams and reports including 3rd party insurance or travel risk management firms, private-public partnerships like the Overseas Security Advisory Council, or organisations like ASIS, Pulse or TRIP.
Companies wishing to benchmark their programmes can also take advantage of ISO 31030:2021 assessment and auditing programmes through trusted and reputable third party providers.
If you’d like to read an example of an audit, you can read how PwC benchmarked their travel risk programme with ISO 31030:2021.
What could some of the recommendations look like?
Every company is different. Where the standard will help is to bring clarity to grey areas in travel and to streamline your processes. Some actions your organisation may decide to explore after undertaking the benchmark include:
- Evaluating your traveller tracking tools and ensuring they are fit for purpose.
- Establishing pre-travel authorisations including who approves and which system/process should be used.
- Conducting a travel risk assessment to identify, analyse and evaluate threats and hazards on work trips.
- Assessing the level of risk of your accommodation and transportation providers.
- Refining communication and advice for travellers ahead of their trips.
- Performing medical and mental health checks on travellers before and after travel.
What tools does FCM have to comply with ISO 31030's framework?
Safety & risk reporting: Easily gather information on all of your traveller’s whereabouts, schedules, departures, and any other metric you need to ensure traveller safety.
Travel alerts: Things can change in an instant. We notify you of all evolving safety risks by email and through FCM Platform on desktop and mobile, giving you seamless tech to help you make on-the-go travel changes.
Safe booking: FCM’s Browser Extension allows travel managers to create custom safety and risk messaging for travellers during the booking process, ensuring end-to-end compliance.
24/7 Support: We have your traveller’s back, no matter what happens on the journey. Our travel experts are on call at all hours of the day, ready to lend a hand.
Expert knowledge: With years’ of experience, our team have developed crisis communication frameworks, travel risk management policy guidelines, business continuity guides and more resources to help our customers develop their travel risk strategy.
Access to 3rd party risk providers: FCM has a network of 3rd party risk management suppliers, private-public partnerships, insurance, sustainability, and other valuable relationships to support end-to-end travel needs and duty of care requirements.