Why Mid-Market Finance Leaders Are Rethinking Expense Policies

In the evolving landscape of hybrid work, rising compliance risks, and tighter margins, expense policies are becoming more than just paperwork—they’re a strategic asset. 

If you’re a mid-market finance leader, chances are your current expense policy hasn’t kept pace with how your business actually runs today. Whether it's vague guidelines, outdated approval flows, or manual reimbursements, these inefficiencies silently eat into your time, your team’s productivity, and your bottom line. 

Hidden spend, frustrated staff, and a finance team drowning in paperwork. Fixing it is easier than you think, and it starts with a modern, well-written expense policy that employees understand and follow.

Is Your Current Policy Letting Cash Slip Through the Cracks? 

Three tell-tale signs: 

1. Your team still emails spreadsheets to claim mileage. 
2. “Is this claim allowed?” pops up in Slack / Teams every week. 
3. Finance discovers out-of-policy spend after the money’s gone. 

If any of these ring true, it’s time for an upgrade. 

The True Cost of Outdated Policies 

Here’s what we’re seeing across the ANZ mid-market space: 

• Inconsistent compliance with tax and audit requirements 
• Employee confusion over what’s reimbursable 
• Manual processes that delay reporting and skew forecasting 
• Hidden overspend, especially with decentralised or remote teams 

It’s not just about lost dollars, it’s about lost control.

Why a Solid Expense Policy Pays for Itself 

A clear policy isn’t just red tape; it’s a growth lever. When everyone knows the rules: 

• Costs stay under control—spending limits and preferred suppliers keep budgets on track. 
• Real-time visibility improves—you can see who’s spending what, where and why (no more nasty surprises at month-end). 
• Compliance skyrockets—clear language plus a fair approach make it easy for staff to stay on-policy. 
• Employees stay happier—perks like training or gym memberships are laid out up-front, boosting workplace culture. 

Get started on your expense policy today.

This is your guide and template based on best practices to create or update your expense policy customised to your business needs.

Download now

What a Modern Expense Policy Looks Like 

Forward-thinking businesses are shifting away from rigid PDFs and moving toward embedded, living policies—designed for speed, transparency, and accountability. Here’s how they’re doing it: 

• Clear, digestible guidelines written in plain English 
• Automated workflows to reduce back-and-forth and error 
• Real-time visibility into spend data for smarter decisions 
• Flexible frameworks that grow with your business 

Sound like a heavy lift? It doesn’t have to be. 

From Policy Policing to Smart Automation 

A policy on paper is great. A policy baked into an automated expense platform is even better. Companies that integrate travel & expense processes see: 

• 10× faster report processing 
• 26% jump in policy compliance 
• 15% less time spent booking trips 

Get the Full Guide — Built for finance and business decision makers 

SAP Concur has put together an exclusive Expense Policy Guide for ANZ finance and business leaders—a practical playbook for building smarter, simpler, and more scalable expense policies. It’s packed with: 

• Policy templates and writing tips
• A step-by-step checklist to draft (or refresh) your policy
• Editable text you can paste straight into your employee handbook
• Compliance checklists
• Expense categories to review (and cut!)
• Benchmarks from companies just like yours
• Four simple steps to automate expenses and reclaim hours every month 

And the best part? You can implement these insights without starting from scratch.

Download the full guide now and take the guesswork out of modernising your expense strategy. Because when your expense policy works, your people—and your numbers—perform better.