Building on an existing risk program and technology, you can protect all your people, all the time

Travel Risk Management (TRM) is undergoing a paradigm shift. Advances in AI and automation are transforming the industry, while hybrid work models are redefining the scope of TRM. As the workforce becomes more dispersed, identifying who is traveling – and when – has become increasingly complex. 

Contractors? Freelancers? Part-time employees? Add the rise of bleisure travel, and suddenly, you have a workforce scattered across multiple locations, often outside traditional travel tracking systems. 

So, how do you ensure the safety and security of all your people, not just those on a traditional business trip? This is a growing challenge for TRM professionals, but the solution lies ahead. 

Enter PRM 

People Risk Management (PRM) goes beyond traditional travel risk frameworks by focusing on identifying, evaluating and mitigating risks that affect an organization’s entire workforce – as well as the risks they pose to the organization. PRM takes a people-centric approach, ensuring the safety, well-being and operational continuity of all employees, regardless of location. 

According to a GBTA 2025 global survey, 29 percent of organizations plan to increase support for people-focused initiatives, yet 25 percent of respondents remain unaware of their company’s current efforts. The shift to PRM isn’t just a strategic advantage, it’s quickly becoming a necessity for attracting and retaining a global workforce. 

How is TRM defined?

The ISO 31030:2021 Travel risk management – guidance for organizations defines Travel Risk Management (TRM) as: “…coordinated activities to direct and control an organization regarding travel risk arising from the effect of uncertainty on objectives due to movement of a person(s), on behalf of an organization that has, in most jurisdictions, a moral responsibility or legal requirement to protect the person(s) from hazards and threats.”

Right from the start, the ISO standard refers to the “movement of person(s)” and “travel risks arising from the effect of uncertainty on objectives.” This is the starting point for evolving your TRM program into a more comprehensive PRM program that protects all your people. 

How does your organization define “movement” and “persons”?

How your organization defines these terms is key and will evolve over time as your TRM program evolves to encompass a broader range of “movements” as well as “people.” For instance, many TRM programs only address people who book commercial transport  (e.g., air, rail, or ground) with the organization’s travel management company or booking engine. In many cases, only air segments are captured in the TRM technology platform. 

This is where the long list of existing TRM program gaps comes into focus. For example, any bookings made outside the organization’s TMC or booking solution are never known. The same goes for those buying a ticket at the station and popping on a 4-hour train ride with no one being informed. Likewise for trips taken in personally owned vehicles or even private aviation or maritime transportation. 

The transition from TRM to PRM can be daunting, but recalling the old adage of how to eat an elephant, let’s take this one bite at a time.

First Bite of the PRM Elephant

Focus on capturing more movements: Of course, setting policy and communicating the need for travelers to use the in-house booking channels is a good start in closing some of the TRM program gaps. 

To capture more travel plans, your TRM platform needs to support alternative 

itinerary capture other than automated feeds from the TMC booking channels. Most TRM platforms provide a capability for “manual trip entry” usually through an on-line form. This may also be part of your travel authorization workflow as well. 

Getting people to enter their itinerary is a big challenge. Requiring itinerary entry in your travel policy, with clear consequences for non-compliance, helps ensure participation. However, there are other more automated solutions, such as TRAXO, that can capture travel bookings by monitoring the person’s organizational e-mail for bookings and changes. These solutions typically offer an e-mail address as well where itineraries can be forwarded for automatic registration. 

Next Bite of the PRM Elephant

Allow more people to register their movement: This is the first step in moving toward a more inclusive PRM program. 

For example, a regional salesperson who is driving or using rail to move between meetings can pop in their travel plan and get relevant alerts as well as program support.

Many TRM platforms now provide a mobile check-in capability which is often termed a “lone worker” solution. Any person with the TRM app can

press the check-in icon and register their location. Some TRM platforms that have more sophisticated support for lone workers can require the person to check-in periodically and escalate an alarm if the check-in is missed. 

Addressing any person, any time is where your TRM program will begin to morph into a broader PRM program. For example, will you support your people when they are going on holiday? Why not? They are a valuable asset all the time regardless of whether they are traveling for the organization, combining leisure time, or on holiday. 

Likewise, what about other people such as interviewees being brought in for an in-person visit, or consultants working on a project, or board members, or other guests? With proper legal disclaimers, your PRM program should be able to support all of these people. 

The Final Bite of the PRM Elephant 

Formally develop a cross-functional PRM program: As you expand how your organization defines “movements” and “persons,” you should also be engaging more stakeholders who have a direct or supporting responsibility for these people. 

This incremental approach supports and amplifies a “show me the value” perspective for each stakeholder to recognize the benefits and return on investment (much of which you have already made) that comes from protecting all your people, all the time. Start envisioning for this group what a full PRM program looks like, supported by a multi-disciplinary team focused on the health, safety, security of your people no matter where they are or how they got there. 

Simply put, PRM is Duty of Care for all. 

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