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How to resolve AdBlock issue? Using AI for more effective travel and expense management
ARTIFICIAL intelligence (AI) is steadily transforming how small, medium, and large-sized businesses manage travel and expense (T&E) processes.
The rise of AI-powered applications is less about futuristic concepts and more about practical tools that reduce administrative burdens, improve visibility, and support better financial decisions for organisations where every dollar matters, according to SAP Concur.
SAP Concur Australia managing director for small and medium business Fabian Calle said, “Managing T&E is a source of frustration for many business leaders. Clunky systems, manual receipt entry, and delayed reimbursements drain resources that could otherwise be directed towards growth. 
“AI addresses these pain points directly with features such as automated receipt capture, intelligent categorisation, and real-time policy checks. This lets employees submit expenses with minimal effort, while finance personnel retain control without adding complexity.”
AI accepted ‘as an assistant’
Business leaders may remain wary of AI systems that operate as black boxes where they lack control. However, the emerging generation of T&E tools position AI as a supportive assistant rather than a replacement for human oversight.
Expenses are still approved against company-defined rules, though AI accelerates the process by flagging exceptions, suggesting corrective actions, and pre-populating reports with accurate data. This balance provides confidence that control stays firmly with the organisation.
Travel management is also evolving alongside expenses. Small teams can’t afford the disruption caused by cancelled flights or policy breaches.
AI now acts as a virtual travel assistant, monitoring itineraries, proactively suggesting rebooking options, and delivering alerts before issues escalate. The result is less downtime, reduced stress, and smoother travel experiences for staff members juggling multiple responsibilities.
“Generative AI is democratising capabilities once limited to large enterprises,” Mr Calle said. “Automated audits, predictive spend analysis, and proactive compliance alerts previously required significant investment. However, today’s small businesses can access these same features through cloud-based T&E platforms, levelling the playing field and letting them negotiate better rates, optimise policies, and prevent wasteful spending.”
Recent research reinforces this trend. The latest IDC MarketScape reports confirm that the most successful providers across small business, midmarket, enterprise, and corporate travel booking are embedding AI in ways that enhance visibility and user experience rather than complicating workflows1. AI is being deployed to scale expense auditing, add contextual intelligence to policy enforcement, and generate insights that support strategic vendor negotiations for midmarket firms.
Enterprise settings use AI strategically
AI plays an even more strategic role in enterprise settings. Large companies rely on AI to uncover patterns across global subsidiaries, identify fraud risks, and forecast spending trends with accuracy that manual review cannot match.
The technology shifts T&E management from a back-office necessity to a strategic function supporting risk management and operational efficiency.
“SAP Concur has been identified as a leader across all four IDC MarketScape assessments, covering small business, midmarket, enterprise, and corporate travel booking,” Mr Calle said1. “The organisation’s integrated platform connects travel, expense, and invoice processes into a single ecosystem, underpinned by AI-driven tools such as receipt itemisation, transaction matching, and policy enforcement.
“These capabilities are particularly valuable for small businesses that need enterprise-grade functionality without the overhead of maintaining complex systems.
“Configuration and integration are essential for long-term value, and implementation support is available for businesses of all sizes to deploy a system that meets their unique needs. The reassurance for small businesses especially is that many of these processes can be managed on their behalf, delivering usability without sacrificing depth of capability.”
When AI is of ‘tangible value’
The overarching message for small business buyers is to focus on tangible value. AI shouldn’t overwhelm with jargon or force unnecessary features. Instead, it should cut processing costs, reduce the time employees spend on low-value tasks, and provide actionable insights to strengthen financial decision-making.
Solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing accounting and payroll systems deliver the greatest productivity gains.
Business leaders should look for platforms that prioritise transparency, configurability, and user experience as T&E technology continues to mature. AI in this context isn’t about handing over control; it’s about giving companies the tools to streamline compliance, manage travel disruptions, and make more informed spending choices.
This shift is unlocking new efficiency without diminishing oversight for small businesses especially.
“AI-driven T&E management has evolved from automation to orchestration, and from reactive processes to proactive intelligence,” Mr Calle said.
“Small, medium, and large-sized businesses that embrace these tools stand to gain efficiency and a strategic advantage in how they manage resources and support their workforce, whether operating in a small office or across global markets.”
REFERENCES
- Worldwide AI-Enabled Travel and Expense Applications for Midmarket 2025 Vendor Assessment
- Worldwide AI-Enabled Travel and Expense Applications for Enterprise 2025 Vendor Assessment
- Worldwide AI-Enabled Travel and Expense Applications for Small Business 2025 Vendor Assessment
- Worldwide AI-Enabled Corporate Travel Booking Applications 2025 Vendor Assessment.
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