If you are planning your corporate travel, be ready for changes in how the process works. More and more, software programs are being installed to monitor the travel plans and catching deviations from the corporate policies before the trip occurs. This in some ways is good for the business traveler, as it takes the battles away when expense reports are submitted.

Pre-trip audits are beginning to catch on in corporate America. Unlike post-trip auditing tools, they can save companies money by spotting unauthorized spending before the employee hits the road. A system like Visa’s can save a company a few percentage points of its annual travel and entertainment budget, which is typically the second-largest controllable expense behind payroll.

“I was told that I couldn’t stay at the Waldorf and that my best option was to get a room in New Jersey,” Mr. Chu recalled. “But that didn’t make sense.” Instead of a short walk from the Waldorf to the industry conference he planned to attend at the nearby Grand Hyatt, it meant a commute across the Hudson. In the end, he stayed with a college friend in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan and rode a cab to the conference.

Programs that snare business travelers who reserve a plane ticket in business class instead of economy class, or a room in a five-star resort instead of the no-tell motel, are controversial for all the obvious reasons - and a few that aren’t. Travelers often resent the added scrutiny and see the system as an example of bean counters running amok. via NY Times

This will be worth following up in the future.