Core Viewpoint - The article highlights the challenges faced by Chinese companies in managing cross-border travel expenses, emphasizing the need for effective cost control and compliance with local regulations in overseas markets [1][4][10]. Group 1: Challenges in Cross-Border Travel Expense Management - Companies are struggling with the verification of cross-border travel expense receipts due to language barriers and varying formats, leading to increased operational costs [2][3][6]. - The proportion of pre-market research and business negotiation expenses in overall operational costs has exceeded 20%, prompting companies to reassess their investment returns in overseas ventures [4][10]. - Many companies face compliance risks due to misunderstandings or lack of attention to local regulations, which complicates financial management [10][11]. Group 2: Current Solutions and Strategies - Companies are implementing two main strategies: employing trusted local staff for financial management and setting fixed annual expense limits for overseas travel [7][8]. - Despite these measures, issues persist, such as local financial staff potentially engaging in fraudulent activities and departments exhausting their travel budgets too quickly [8][12]. - To further control expenses, some companies are linking financial department bonuses to the effectiveness of travel expense management [11][12]. Group 3: Technological Solutions and Future Directions - The introduction of SaaS solutions for travel management is seen as a potential way to enhance compliance and cost control, although challenges remain regarding user experience and cost-effectiveness [15][16]. - AI and data-driven approaches are suggested to improve the efficiency of expense verification and compliance management, moving away from traditional reliance on individual judgment [17][18]. - The successful implementation of these technologies will depend on companies' ability to adapt their financial management philosophies to incorporate AI and data analytics [16][18].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the challenges faced by Chinese companies in managing cross-border travel expenses when expanding overseas, particularly in ASEAN countries, highlighting the difficulties in understanding local languages and formats of expense receipts [1][2][3]. Group 1: Challenges in Cross-Border Travel Expense Management - Many Chinese companies struggle with the diverse formats and local languages of travel expense receipts, leading to difficulties in verifying the authenticity and details of these expenses [2][3]. - The proportion of pre-market research and business negotiation costs in overall operational costs for overseas business has exceeded 20%, prompting companies to reassess their investment returns [2]. - Companies are implementing measures to control cross-border travel expenses, focusing on reducing waste and inefficiencies while achieving overseas business expansion goals [2][4]. Group 2: Financial Compliance and Management Issues - The complexity of local financial regulations and compliance requirements poses significant challenges for Chinese companies operating abroad, necessitating substantial effort to understand and adapt to these regulations [6][7]. - Some companies have attempted to assign trusted local employees to manage finances, but this has not always been effective due to potential collusion and misuse of funds [5][6]. - The lack of a culture of employees prepaying travel expenses in certain ASEAN countries forces companies to advance significant funds, complicating overall cash management [7]. Group 3: Solutions and Innovations - The introduction of travel management SaaS solutions has been considered to enhance compliance and efficiency in managing travel expenses, although some solutions have been criticized for their complexity and cost [9][10]. - AI-enabled solutions are emerging as a potential way to improve the identification and verification of diverse travel receipts, allowing financial personnel to manage expenses without needing to understand local languages [10][11]. - Companies are increasingly seeking to integrate multi-currency payment and account management solutions to address operational bottlenecks in cross-border travel expense management [11].