Processing expense claims is a major administrative task for any company, with a direct impact on cash flow and employee satisfaction. An efficient and rapid expense claim process is essential for maintaining a healthy cash flow, motivating employees and complying with current regulations. So how can you optimise your company’s handling of expense claims ?
1. Support your employees in submitting supporting documents
The success of expense claim processing depends to a large extent on employees’ ability to provide complete and accurate supporting documentation. To facilitate this major stage in the process, it is essential to put in place structured support and appropriate tools :
Raising awareness and continuing education :
- Clear, accessible information : Provide your employees with a detailed guide to expense claims, explaining the internal rules, the types of expenses eligible, the reimbursement ceilings and the supporting documents required. Make this guide available on the company intranet or in the form of practical fact sheets.
- Regular training : Organise training sessions, either face-to-face or online, to make employees aware of the issues involved in processing expense claims and explain the best practices to adopt. This training can be provided by the accounts department, human resources or a specialist external service provider.
- Regular communication : Use internal communication channels (e-mail, newsletters, posters) to regularly remind people of expense claim rules and procedures. Highlight good practices and mistakes to avoid.
High-performance digital tools :
- Mobile applications : Encourage the use of mobile applications dedicated to managing expense reports. These tools allow employees to photograph their receipts, automatically extract the data (amount, date, supplier, etc.) and create their expense reports in just a few clicks, wherever they are and whenever they want.
- Expense claim management software : For companies with a high volume of expense claims, the adoption of dedicated software can prove highly beneficial. These solutions offer advanced features such as currency management, duplicate detection, integration with accounting systems and customised reporting.
Customised support :
- Dedicated helpdesk : set up a dedicated helpdesk for questions relating to expense reports. This service can be provided by the accounts department, human resources or an external service provider. The aim is to provide employees with fast, effective support in the event of doubt or difficulty.
- Guides and FAQs : Create guides and FAQs to answer employees’ most frequently asked questions. These resources can be made available on the company intranet or via the mobile expense management application.
2. Reimburse your employees on time
The time taken to reimburse expense claims is a key factor in employee satisfaction and a crucial issue for the company. Rapid reimbursement of expenses incurred by employees in the course of their work is seen as a mark of recognition and trust.
In France, although there is no strict legal deadline for reimbursing expense claims, case law has established that reimbursement must be made within a ‘reasonable period’. This period is generally interpreted as a maximum of 30 days, but some companies choose to reimburse their employees more quickly, sometimes even within 15 days.
Rapid reimbursement of expense claims has a number of advantages for the company :
- Employee motivation and commitment : Rapid reimbursement of business expenses makes employees feel valued, and strengthens their sense of belonging to the company. They feel recognised and supported in their work, which helps to boost their commitment and motivation.
- Improving employees’ personal cash flow : Advances of expenses can sometimes put a strain on employees’ budgets, especially when it comes to major expenses. Rapid repayment enables them to regain financial equilibrium and avoid personal difficulties.
- Positive image of the company : A company that promptly reimburses its employees’ expenses projects a positive and responsible image, concerned about the well-being of its employees. This image can be an asset in attracting and retaining talent.
- Fewer disputes : Prompt repayment avoids disputes over late payment, which can damage the relationship of trust between employer and employee.
3. Save time with expense report management software
Automating the processing of expense claims is an essential way of improving efficiency, reducing costs and minimising the risk of errors. Expense management software offers a number of advantages :
- Reduce manual tasks : automatic data entry, validation of expenses according to predefined rules and integration with the accounting system free teams from repetitive, time-consuming tasks.
- Improved compliance : the software incorporates current tax and legal rules, reducing the risk of errors and non-compliance.
- Optimised expenditure management : analysis and reporting tools enable you to monitor expenditure in real time, identify trends and optimise budgets.
- Improved employee satisfaction : a fast and transparent reimbursement process, facilitated by automation, helps to boost employee confidence and motivation.
Although it may seem tedious, processing expense claims is a key element of business management. By adopting a proactive approach, focused on supporting employees, respecting reimbursement deadlines and automating processes, companies can turn this administrative burden into a real driver of performance, satisfaction and compliance.
By investing in optimised tools and processes, companies can not only reduce costs and the risk of errors, but also improve the experience of their employees, strengthen their commitment and foster a positive working climate.
