Words Manish Kumar

NEW DELHI (India CSR): The field of travel and expense (T&E) management plays a crucial role in ensuring corporate financial efficiency and accountability. As businesses navigate the complexities of cost management, seamless processing of employee expenses and claims becomes vital for maintaining operational flow and financial health. With the advent of digital transformation, companies increasingly rely on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to handle these intricate processes, optimizing cost centers and enhancing decision-making within profit and loss (P&L) statements.

Rajalakshmi Natarajan has carved a distinctive path in the realm of travel and expense management, drawing from over a decade and a half of experience in Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) with a focus on finance. Her expertise positions her uniquely to address financial workflows from both an accounting and employee-centric perspective. “Working on travel and expense invoices and payments provided me a detailed insight into the functioning of cost centers and their significance in P&L statements,” she shares. This knowledge paved the way for her professional growth, leading her to the role of ERP advisor specializing in payables and financial accounting.

Natarajan has been involved in large-scale projects. One notable engagement was the payables upgrade for one of the world’s largest computer manufacturers, where T&E optimization played a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency. She was also instrumental in supporting a major infrastructure company, where she consistently reviewed and reconfigured T&E rules to refine travel requests and claim submissions. Her ability to view challenges through multiple lenses enabled her to implement practical, impactful solutions that addressed both organizational needs and employee experiences.

Navigating the complexities of T&E management comes with its fair share of challenges. One significant hurdle she encountered was defining appropriate approval limits for middle management. “This section of employees is particularly complex, as expenses depend on several factors such as role, project involvement, and the account being handled,” she explains. Resources with the same designation may not have identical budgets, necessitating finely tuned configurations to accommodate varying needs. International travel presented another layer of complexity, with constantly fluctuating currency rates and diverse local regulations requiring meticulous attention to detail to avoid budget overruns or legal pitfalls.

Beyond her project work, Natarajan has contributed valuable insights to the industry through her published work, such as the article “Strategic Application of Oracle Financials in Retail Industry.” Her thought leadership extends to anticipating future trends in T&E management. She believes that while corporate travel has decreased in recent years due to technological advancements, it remains an essential aspect of business operations. “In my opinion, corporate travel is still integral to corporate operations and isn’t going away anytime soon. Effective configuration and seamless processing of expenses and claims remain critical,” she asserts.

Looking ahead, she envisions a future where artificial intelligence and machine learning further refine T&E processes, enabling real-time expense tracking and automated approvals. She predicts that fintech solutions will continue to integrate financial institutions and corporate clients, paving the way for fully automated systems capable of distinguishing between personal and corporate expenses while streamlining claims and approvals. “Data analytics will also play a significant role, allowing companies to gauge expense limits and adjust budgets according to emerging trends,” she adds.

As the industry transforms further with technology, her insights provide a preview into the financial workflows of the future, in which corporate expense management is going to be changed with automation along with data-driven decision making.

About Us

Manish Kumar is a news editor at India CSR.