Unlocking the Value of SAP Concur

Does your current SAP Concur configuration live up to its full potential?  If your answer is no, or you are not sure, then you might need an SAP Concur Site Review (CSR). A system review for SAP Concur might help open your understanding to whether your SAP Concur system is aligned with organizational needs, optimized for performance, and compliant with relevant policies or regulations. As with any technology solution, periodic reviews are essential to ensure the system is meeting evolving business needs and delivering optimal value.  

Phoenix Business Consulting is an SAP Concur Certified Implementation Partner (CIP) that specializes in implementing SAP Concur Expense (Standard and Professional) and SAP Concur Invoice (Standard and Professional). Our expert SAP Concur reviewers, with over 20+ years of experience implementing SAP Concur, can conduct a thorough evaluation of your current Concur configuration, identify areas for improvement and implement strategic enhancements to help you achieve peak performance.   

With our tailored optimization-check who knows what you will unlock in terms of productivity and cost savings.  Here are the top eight (8) areas that we help uncover after conducting an SAP Concur Site Review.

1. Maximizing Efficiency and Optimizing User Experience 

One of the primary benefits of an SAP Concur site review is the ability to assess and optimize user experience. SAP Concur solutions are often configured during implementation to meet the organization’s needs at that time. However, as businesses evolve, so do their requirements. Reviewing your SAP Concur setup ensures that the solution is still configured in a way that maximizes efficiency for end-users and administrators alike. 

During a site review, our SAP Concur Consultants can evaluate whether current workflows, approval processes, and policies are still relevant and efficient. For instance, are there bottlenecks in the approval chain? Are users experiencing frustrations or frequent issues when submitting expenses or booking travel? Identifying and addressing these issues can significantly improve the user experience, saving employees time and reducing administrative workload. 

2. Aligning with Compliance and Policy Changes 

Compliance is a crucial factor in T&E management. Policies surrounding travel, expenses, and supplier invoices often change due to new regulations, corporate restructuring, or market demands. An SAP Concur site review offers the opportunity to audit your system’s policies and configurations, ensuring they align with current internal and external compliance requirements. 

For instance, a review might uncover that outdated expense categories no longer align with current tax regulations or corporate policies. Adjusting these configurations can help your organization remain compliant, avoid fines, and reduce audit risks. Additionally, it helps ensure that employees are submitting and approving expenses according to the latest guidelines, which reduces the likelihood of non-compliant claims slipping through the cracks. 

3. Uncovering Cost-Saving Opportunities 

One of the most valuable aspects of an SAP Concur site review is the potential to uncover cost-saving opportunities. Through a detailed examination of expense categories, travel patterns, and vendor data, organizations can identify trends and areas where costs can be reduced. For example, a review might reveal that certain expense categories have disproportionately high expenditures, or that there are frequent violations of travel policies leading to increased costs. 

A site review can also highlight areas for vendor consolidation, such as combining travel bookings through preferred providers to negotiate better rates or simplifying expense categories to streamline spending analysis. By adjusting configurations to better track and control expenses, companies can gain better visibility into spending patterns and make data-driven decisions that directly impact the bottom line. 

4. Leveraging New Features and System Enhancements 

SAP Concur regularly releases updates and new features designed to improve the system’s functionality and adapt to changing industry needs. However, many organizations fail to take full advantage of these enhancements. A site review provides the perfect opportunity to evaluate recent SAP Concur upgrades and incorporate them into your configuration. 

For instance, SAP Concur may release a feature that automates an aspect of travel booking or expense reporting that was previously manual. By incorporating these new features into your setup, you can further automate processes, reduce manual work, and enhance data accuracy. This not only saves time but also ensures your organization is leveraging the latest technology to stay competitive and compliant. 

5. Enhancing Data Accuracy and Reporting Capabilities 

Data accuracy is paramount in expense and travel management, as inaccuracies can lead to compliance risks, budget overruns, and reduced employee satisfaction. An SAP Concur site review enables organizations to audit their data, ensuring that expense categories, policies, and workflows are accurately reflected in reports. 

Additionally, with SAP Concur’s robust reporting capabilities, a site review allows businesses to refine and improve their reporting structures. By customizing reports to focus on relevant metrics and KPIs, organizations can gain deeper insights into spending patterns, travel behaviors, and operational efficiencies. Accurate, insightful reporting is a powerful tool for decision-makers, allowing them to make strategic adjustments to control costs and streamline T&E management. 

6. Improving System Security and User Access Control 

As organizations grow, they often add new users, locations, and departments to their SAP Concur system. However, without regular review, user roles and permissions can become outdated or misaligned, increasing security risks. A site review helps ensure that user access aligns with job roles and responsibilities, reducing the potential for unauthorized access to sensitive financial data. 

During a site review, administrators can evaluate user permissions, ensuring that access controls are strictly enforced according to the organization’s security policies. This step is critical in protecting against internal fraud, maintaining data integrity, and ensuring that only authorized personnel can access certain financial data. 

7. Enhancing Employee Adoption and Satisfaction 

An SAP Concur site review can also improve employee adoption and satisfaction by addressing usability issues and simplifying processes. If employees find SAP Concur challenging or time-consuming to use, they may resist submitting expenses or following travel policies, which can lead to non-compliance and frustration. 

By identifying pain points and implementing solutions that make the system more intuitive and user-friendly, organizations can enhance employee adoption rates. Simplifying submission processes, streamlining approval workflows, and ensuring that employees understand policy requirements contribute to a smoother user experience, fostering higher satisfaction and compliance. 

8. Supporting Long-Term Strategic Goals 

Lastly, conducting regular site reviews supports an organization’s long-term strategic goals. T&E management plays a significant role in overall financial health and operational efficiency, so ensuring that SAP Concur aligns with these goals is essential. Whether the organization is pursuing aggressive cost control, compliance with new regulatory frameworks, or global expansion, a site review can adapt the system to support these objectives. 

A comprehensive review provides a roadmap for SAP Concur’s role in the organization’s future, ensuring that the system is equipped to manage upcoming challenges and opportunities. By aligning SAP Concur configurations with strategic goals, organizations can maximize their investment in this powerful platform and drive continued business success. 

Conducting an SAP Concur site review offers numerous benefits that extend beyond simply assessing the system’s configuration. By periodically reviewing and optimizing the platform, organizations can ensure they are getting the most value from their investment, meeting compliance requirements, uncovering cost-saving opportunities, and supporting broader financial and strategic goals. Investing in an SAP Concur site review today can lead to enhanced efficiency, stronger compliance, and a more user-friendly experience, positioning the organization for sustained growth and success. To schedule your SAP Concur site review, please contact us for a discovery call and we can discuss our approach in detail.  

By: David Szymanski, SAP Concur Consulting Manager and Senior Architect