Why is it important to have a good risk/crisis management strategy?
The unpredictability of geopolitical landscapes, unexpected crises and safety risks necessitates thorough preparation for action. For business travellers, SilverDoor’s high standards of health and safety from our partners – as well as the familiarity of long-term accommodation, can help to ease anxiety in complex risk situations when travelling.
Just this year we’ve seen the effects of natural disasters, geopolitical incidents, and conflicts on global business travel and mobility. The last few months alone have required quick responses to incidents like the Heathrow airport fire, India-Pakistan conflict, and Iran-Israel tensions.
During an Institute of Travel Management webinar, Kelly Cleeton explained that “30% of buyers now have additional responsibilities related to travel risk management” and from this research “what stood out were the challenges organisations are facing when trying to implement or improve their risk management policies. Unsurprisingly, one of the major pain points remains compliance”. Overall, she concluded that “visibility over where travellers are is essential not just day-to-day, but especially during crises.”
Travel Policy
The guidelines set internally within companies ensure the right accommodation is booked, and that business travel is compliant within a company’s policy. By encouraging travel within these parameters, the risk of unpredictable traveller behaviour is minimised. A robust travel policy is especially effective in tertiary or high-risk locations and allows for travel managers or companies to have better visibility over their assignee’s travel. Approval workflows improve compliance and encourage collaboration. The clear accountability of approval workflows improves efficiency, transparency, and flexibility.
Katie Garrahy, Global Travel Manager at Wood Plc, agreed and laid out the importance of risk management: “With the world the way it is now—particularly given recent events in the Middle East—it really highlights just how important it is to have a managed travel programme in place. Because we can’t always predict what will happen. Things move quickly, and we need to be able to locate our travellers instantly.”
How SilverDoor technology helps businesses anticipate and mitigate risks to traveller safety
SilverDoor’s 24-hour international service and strong network of over 2600 property partners enable travellers to be safely accommodated globally at short notice. SilverDoor’s online booking tool technology facilitates global bookings for both short and long stays and tracks live bookings with integrated third-party traveller tracking technologies Everbridge, and International SOS. With all reservations being in one place, and easily updated, travel managers can easily see all assignees on a map and calendar view. This quick access to oversights allows companies to immediately act if needed.
How do serviced apartments enhance security and feelings of safety?
Serviced apartments innately have enhanced health and safety measures, with their fully equipped kitchens, and self-contained rooms. During the pandemic, this set them apart from hotels for business travel as it allowed isolation and minimal contact. If there was a disorder, a serviced apartment is a comfortable place for a longer stay and is more self-sustainable. For example, you can cook for yourself if local amenities are out of order, or inaccessible due to poor weather. SilverDoor verified is a process which regulates the quality of our serviced apartments worldwide. We are committed to promoting the best serviced apartments and to visit accommodations and produce quality inspection reports.
“Serviced apartments are typically more suited to longer stays and typically will have neighbours who are there for a longer stay. This breeds a familiarity and sense of community which can have an impact on the overall feeling of security and safety. People aren't just as transient as they usually are in hotels.”
- Ryan Jackson, Quality Assurance & Compliance Manager
How SilverDoor communicates in a crisis
Global Events
SilverDoor lead global events such as Partner Engagement Day and have a strong presence globally. With panels, talks, webinars, SilverDoor is at the forefront of transparently communicating insights to not just our clients, but the entire sector. Across our 16 offices in 9 countries, following our exciting merger with Synergy Global Housing, our breadth across the industry is widening and collating more data every day.
For our partners, they receive valuable insights into client demands and client experiences. In turn, clients get improved quality travel and specific changes. By SilverDoor opening these channels of communication, partners and clients can learn from each other and stay up to date with the industry. Partner Engagement Day is also a brilliant networking opportunity for our partner relationships team and our partners.
Our internal intel channel is an effective way to allow international team members to share relevant regional insights. Information from industry events, news feeds, client meetings, research reports, and market experience anecdotes are all useful to be transparently communicated within a team. These insights can be collated and shared with experience-based commentary for staff and clients. This helps to manage any issues that may be indicated by our booking data and mitigate the impact of market shifts.
Industry Level Insights
Our quarterly market updates keep the industry on the pulse with booking data. Using more than 127,000 data points from an average of 593,000 enquired room nights each quarter, SilverDoor’s data is the most extensive in the industry. Our insights reflect on wider economy shifts and advice on coming trends of rates, supply and demand.
SilverDoor as a thought leader shares not just data insights, but conversation points of sociocultural movements that directly affect the industry. By transparently tackling big questions, SilverDoor’s understanding of the industry itself is constantly elevating. Sharing the knowledge, ideas, and advice for corporates betters’ industry understanding overall.
Client Level Insights
Market shifts and events are keenly monitored by our team so we can support our clients to be agile amidst rapid change. SilverDoor’s well-informed personal intel of our market ensures clients can be in a flexible troubleshooting position.
We nurture open, honest relationships with our suppliers and clients to get transparent information available to all parties. That way, SilverDoor keeps both suppliers and clients on the same page. Using internal news bulletins to host our insights keeps travellers and stakeholders informed of changing situations.
We've also received encouraging feedback from our clients on the initiative, and in some cases it's prompted conversations in their travel teams and assessment of their own risk and crisis management approach to ensure its fit for purpose.
How SilverDoor responds to crises
Our International Response Team anticipate crises and minimise their impact. By monitoring major global events, they can provide tailored support for clients in affected locations, or where they frequently travel. In the event of a crisis, such as a natural disaster or conflict, a crisis action team is mobilised based specifically on the client or affected location. Leading this team is a Crisis Manager, alongside leads from all our departments who will activate a response plan. The immediate response is to report on who of our in-house guests are at risk, then build a unique plan dependant on the level of support required for the incident.
"An unpredictable world, instant and unlimited access to 24-hour news and information, has led to heightened awareness of developing situations across the globe and can make international travel an anxiety-inducing experience, for both the guest and the travel team. In most cases a communication highlighting any in house guests in affected locations is sufficient to reassure travel teams and guests that, should anyone need urgent alternative accommodation or evacuation, we are on hand and ready to respond rapidly. Where a situation does escalate, we work in hand in hand with our clients as well as with TMCs and RMCs where appropriate to support a co-ordinated round-the clock response."
- Victoria Jackson, Head of Communications
The importance of travel policies with global mobility cannot be understated. They are, if anything, an enriching part of business, allowing for long-lasting connections, valuable collaborations and exponential growth. To really feel the benefits of your travel policy, contact us today.
