How can technology help reduce global mobility risks?

For any organisation with a globally mobile workforce, there are constantly moving elements with large volumes of associated data.  Global mobility functions must run smoothly to ensure that the employees of the organisation who are working globally are appropriately supported. This also ensures tax compliance and risks linked with a global workforce can be appropriately managed and the policies of the organisation followed.

The volume of tasks, the complexities created by varying global rules and regulations and the need to be able to draw data on a particular global employee at short notice, means that global mobility functions are increasingly looking to technology solutions to improve efficiencies, oversight and the ability to draw insights from data. 

1. Data Collation and analysis

Global mobility functions hold and share data with many sources for varied reasons. Ensuring that the data can be collated and shared in a secure and automated way, lends itself perfectly to the use of technology solutions. This data if interrogated, can provide useful insights. Data sharing portals are a must for the transfer of employee data, being more secure and easily accessible than attachments on emails. Tools such as Alteryx can support the analysis and interrogation of data such as pay, benefits and also travel data to assess short term business visitor reporting and costs.

2. Coordination

Managing a global mobility function is incredibly complex. There are multiple considerations to manage for one globally mobile employee. Each employee may be operating to different deadlines for payrolls, immigration, tax providers, and working to different compliance deadlines depending on the jurisdictions concerned.

Having a tool to support this coordination is essential. In addition, the ability to draw on this data with up to date reporting is essential.

3. Tracking and assessments

Employee wellbeing is a key focus for most organisations. Covid-19 highlighted the importance of knowing where globally employees are.  As global travel has returned to pre pandemic levels, many organisations are reviewing their procedures for tracking globally mobile employees. Technology solutions can support the upfront tracking of employees via online calendars and apps, and many will be able to assess for compliance risks and many even able to plug into travel provider bookings and use this as part of the approval process.

Global mobility is a people centred function and so technology shouldn’t replace all roles. However, there is certainly a place for technology to support and enhance the many different moving parts and considerations for a globally mobile population.

At RSM we have several solutions, outlined below.

RSM AssignmentPro

RSM AssignmentPro is our global mobility programme management tool used by RSM teams in the UK and globally. The tool has a number of features to facilitate a user-friendly experience for individual expatriates and in-house global mobility teams. 

RSM Pinpoint

RSM Pinpoint is our global business traveller and global remote worker tracking and assessment tool. The tool is flexible and fully scalable and can be used to assist organisations to assess the tax and social security risks created by the global traveller and a global remote workforce.

For more information or advice on how technology can minimise your global mobility risks, please contact Joanne Webber.