What You Should Expect from Your Travel Risk Management Provider

An executive at your company is traveling in Europe when a terrorist attack occurs near her location. You know where she is, based on a GPS-enabled smartphone app and her predetermined itinerary. She has hit the panic button and says she needs help immediately. Now what happens?

Duty of care and travel risk management programs have moved to the forefront of the corporate security conversation. These topics are not new, but they have received more attention due to the increasing number and frequency of high-profile security events around the world. Advancements in technology have enabled companies to track their employees through itinerary management tools, GPS-enabled tracking beacons and smartphone apps. Security and travel managers can quickly locate and communicate with employees in real time during an emergency or security incident. Employees can access country briefs, receive real-time alerts and get registered on a communication platform before they travel.

Tracking and communication technologies, while valuable, can only go so far in managing a crisis. The real "so what" is the ability to reach those individuals quickly and precisely when they need help. A travel or security manager may know where an employee is located and that he or she is in need of assistance, but how will a firm respond to this in the moment of crisis?

A capable travel risk management provider must be able to respond to two types of emergencies: macro-level events like natural disasters and terrorist events and small emergencies, such as traffic accidents, carjackings, and routine injuries. Statistically, the smaller emergencies are more likely to impact business travelers, but many travel risk management companies do not have the infrastructure or readily available capabilities to respond in an economic or timely manner.

In a moment of crisis, it's no longer acceptable for a travel risk management provider to find local vendors and negotiate contracts and pricing during an emergency. Employees in duress should not have to wait hours and days for help while a travel risk management company scrambles to identify local assets and coordinate a response. Nor is reliance on a single fixer, the "guy who knows a guy," an acceptable means for managing travel emergencies.

The cutting edge of travel risk management involves a single button that delivers immediate and closely coordinated responsiveness anywhere in the world: Local security teams are available for rapid deployment, speak both English and the local language and can help employees navigate the local cultural nuances of whatever security, medical or administrative issues they are facing. These security professionals can assist with all incidents across the spectrum, ranging from a small event to a crisis situation. Tracking, communication and response capabilities are intimately intertwined and are backed up by a single operations and monitoring center with a direct line to local boots on the ground.

When reviewing your company's duty-of-care-program, ask if your travel risk management provider really has the capability to deliver services immediately to employees in an emergency wherever in the world they might be. Many companies say they can do this, but have you challenged that assertion? Ask for specifics and recognize that answers like "It depends on the situation" or "We can't disclose exact details" are no longer good enough.

Today's world moves too fast to rely on an opaque and unconfirmed network when an immediate response is required. Travel risk management means that tracking technologies, communication networks and local response providers all work together for corporate travelers. When your executive calls during a crisis, you should feel confident that your travel risk management program can deliver on all three of these essential security pillars.

Will Herter is a vice president at Global Guardian, a global travel risk management and duty of care solutions provider. Mr. Herter has advised Fortune 500 firms, public sector entities and international NGOs operating around the world.