What travel management features should I prioritize when evaluating platforms?

Prioritize four capabilities: project code assignment at booking, mobile-first design for field teams, group booking for crew deployment, and direct accounting integration. For project-based businesses managing crews across multiple job sites, these features eliminate the administrative chaos of unallocated expenses, scattered receipts, and manual reconciliation.

Is ease of booking or reporting more important?

Start with whichever problem costs you more time and money.

If your finance team spends hours each month manually categorizing travel expenses because 30 crew members across 15 active projects submit unallocated receipts, reporting is your priority. Look for platforms that assign expenses to project codes at booking time, not during post-trip expense reports when allocations get forgotten or miscoded.

If coordinating accommodations for multiple crews eats up your operations team's week, booking efficiency comes first. Group and block booking capabilities let you deploy 5-15 person crews in minutes rather than hours.

The most effective platforms deliver both. Engine's consolidated invoicing lets you book multiple rooms quickly while capturing expense allocation and delivering one invoice with project codes attached.

Should I prioritize mobile app functionality?

Field operations require genuine mobile-first design for supervisors booking group accommodations from job sites, not desktop platforms with companion apps.

When crews need accommodations and the closest computer is 50 miles away, booking must happen from smartphones. Look for platforms where group booking capabilities and roster management work entirely on mobile devices, not just itinerary viewing.

For companies with significant field operations, mobile functionality directly impacts how quickly you can respond to project changes and crew deployment needs.

Do I need 24/7 support?

For project-based businesses managing field crews, yes. Unpredictable scheduling, remote locations, and mission-critical operations require immediate assistance for urgent travel changes.

Last-minute changes happen constantly: project delays, weather events, workforce availability shifts. These situations don't wait for business hours. When an unexpected inspection failure requires immediate crew redeployment, delays in support response create costly project delays.

Weather extends crew stays beyond original budgets. Equipment breakdowns require urgent technician deployment. These scenarios happen at 6 PM on Friday or during weekend shifts. 24/7 dedicated support that understands field operations pays for itself through avoided project delays.

Should accounting system integration be a priority?

Direct accounting integration eliminates month-end reconciliation nightmares. Automatic expense syncing removes double-entry of transaction data, and project codes assigned at booking flow directly into your accounting system.

Choose platforms that sync with major accounting systems like QuickBooks and NetSuite to push properly coded expenses as complete entries. The key requirement: expense allocation that happens during booking, not during post-trip reporting. This eliminates manual reconciliation and gives you immediate visibility into travel costs against project budgets.

Take K&K Electric, for example. They were spending 2+ hours every Monday booking rooms, sending credit card authorization forms, and reconciling charges. With Engine's consolidated invoicing, they save 30 hours per month on booking and reconciliation.

That's 30 hours your finance team gets back every month. Sign up free and book your first crew trip in under two minutes.

‍