Increasingly, as companies work to optimise their travel policy and compliance, they are also evaluating the reasons why business trips are taken and the return on investment, as well as the impact on the environment and travellers’ work-life balance.

As they integrate demand management into their travel programme, some companies are introducing alternatives to travel, such as videoconferencing, in their travel policy.

As the technology has improved, and the cost for the equipment has decreased, businesses are finding that utilising videoconferencing equipment is a much more viable and cost effective alternative to traveling.

Until recently, video conferencing could only take place in a stationary location. But now, it has become affordable enough that companies can install the software on individuals’ computers, allowing employees to participate in meetings without having to leave their desks.

Going mobile has been a trend that has continued to increase, and shows no sign of slowing down.

High-definition mobile videoconferencing allows businesses and their employees to use the mobile devices that they already own as conferencing access points. This makes setting up videoconferences with employees easy since there is no expensive, additional hardware that needs to be purchased.

As more businesses make the switch to holding their business meetings via videoconference, it is important that they provide their employees with a number of ways to participate.

A corporate I worked with recently, for example, now provides iPads to management to encourage the increase in utilisation of mobile videoconferencing.

Travel policies should include the direction to reduce non-essential travel – especially between internal offices – by encouraging employees to make better use of videoconferencing and other collaboration tools.