Cut travel and costs with remote connectivity

Companies are having a hard time at the moment. While facing pressure to cut costs, they’re also expected to meet sustainability goals. And this makes perfect sense: 2015 to 2024 has been the warmest ten-year period ever recorded and extreme weather is wreaking havoc on communities and economies around the world. In this context, all businesses should be doing their part to prevent further warming and damage to the natural world. 

One of the ways of doing this is by rethinking how we do business—the way we work, communicate, and come together. And, with remote technologies growing more and more advanced, it’s understandable that businesses are wondering: Is business travel really necessary? Doesn’t traveling less not only mean less carbon but also reduced costs?  

Here, we’re going to look at an Italian coffee machine manufacturer and a leading supplier in the packaging industry to see how digital technologies like remote access and augmented reality can help businesses improve sustainability, boost productivity, and cut costs. 

In this article:

• Why are businesses traveling less?
• What role does remote access and support play in reducing travel?
• Case study: Remote access and support in action
• Case study: Augmented reality in action
• Summary

Why are businesses traveling less?

In the past, the physical handshake was all-important. The true gold standard of collaboration and deal-making, it was how business was properly done. And even now, in an age of incredible remote tech, certain people still prefer to meet in person rather than over a Teams call. And it’s true: Some things will always be better face-to-face. 

Nonetheless, these days routine business travel is becoming increasingly difficult to justify. Simply put, it's just too expensive and unsustainable. Rising travel costs, tighter budgets, and growing sustainability demands are leading companies worldwide to rethink how they operate. Let’s explore this context in a bit more detail.

The rising cost of travel 

Probably the key factor in reduced business travel is increased travel costs. Back in 2022, we were told that the era of cheap air travel was over, because of the ongoing war in Ukraine and its effect on oil prices. 

Since then, this trend has continued. Driven by higher jet fuel prices, air travel prices recently increased by 25% in the US, the largest jump since this information began being tracked. Understandably, this has caused many businesses to swap the in-person meeting for an online call. 

Tightening budgets 

According to the 2024 UN Trade and Development Report, global growth is projected to stagnate at 2.7% in 2025—down from the pre-pandemic average of 3.0% and well below the 4.4% average seen before the financial crisis. 

In this economic context, companies are understandably trying to do more with less. Although business travel has started to pick up again since the pandemic, high travel costs still lead companies to limit travel in favor of more efficient and cost-effective means of communication.   

Sustainability targets 

Investors and customers are increasingly pressuring businesses to introduce measures to address climate change. This involves reporting on non-financial ESG metrics and including these metrics in compensation plans.

Once compensation is tied to sustainability goals, it follows that managers will try to reduce their carbon footprint. And reducing or even eliminating travel costs is an ideal first step in this. 

What role does remote connectivity play in reducing travel?  

Today, remote technology is a key tool for supporting remote work, providing crucial customer support, and simplifying maintenance across devices, machinery, and industrial equipment.  

As organizations navigate the complexities of a globally dispersed customer base, the ability to efficiently troubleshoot and maintain devices and machines remotely enhances productivity. It also brings huge security benefits, driving both operational resilience and customer satisfaction.

Supporting remote work 

Enabling remote work is more than just a way to reduce travel. Because 98% of employees want to work remotely at least some of the time, it also plays a crucial part in creating a supportive working environment.

Remote connectivity helps people work remotely, and not just those who sit behind a desk. From fixing shop floor equipment remotely to providing clinical care through smart glasses, digital connectivity empowers remote work across many different sectors. Remote access solutions allow employees to connect to and manage devices and even industrial equipment from anywhere.

At the same time, augmented reality (AR) can boost remote communication and collaboration, allowing employees to see what the other person sees and provide precise visual guidance.

A key concern with remote work is that remote workers and devices can be particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. That’s why it’s important to choose a remote connectivity solution backed by robust security. 

Read more: Remote and hybrid work: Good for your employees, the environment, and your business | TeamViewer

Providing remote customer service 

Remote troubleshooting solutions like TeamViewer Smart Service allow customer service teams to easily connect to and support people from anywhere, resolving issues in real time.

Whether it’s accessing a machine’s system to reconfigure it remotely or using AR markers and annotations to help a person on site perform a series of manual troubleshooting steps, everything can be handled without the need for travel.

Beyond that, embracing remote support lets service teams boost their turnaround time, increase the number of cases handled and maximize the use of internal resources. At a time when customers are increasingly expecting immediate responses and resolutions, offering remote support can be critical to maintaining customer satisfaction.    

Read more: Solve technical issues from anywhere: Introducing TeamViewer Smart Service

Delivering effective maintenance

Remote technology, like those offered by TeamViewer, can also be used to service and maintain dispersed device fleets. This spans all the way from managing software issues to carrying out maintenance on industrial machinery.

By delivering maintenance remotely, teams can reduce the need for on-site visits. This not only lowers travel costs but also eliminates the geographic limitations that otherwise constrain the availability of specialized expertise. Plus, it can reduce their carbon footprint, contributing to their efforts to combat climate change.

Without needing to factor in time for travel, businesses can dynamically scale their maintenance capabilities to meet fluctuating demand. This helps them optimize their resource allocation and keep all their systems running smoothly.

Read more: Remote servicing in modern business operations

Case study: Remote access and support in action

Let’s consider remote access and support in action. Cimbali Group is an Italian professional coffee-machine manufacturer with a network of 700 distributors across 100 countries.

Previously, if there was a problem with one of its machines, a technician would have to travel to fix it. Because its customers are all over the world, this could often lead to long wait times and downtime for the customer. Not to mention significant travel costs!

With TeamViewer, technical experts can now access customer machines and troubleshoot them remotely. This helped Cimbali Group boost the efficiency of its technicians, avoid downtime, and cut travel costs by 15%.

Case study: Augmented reality in action

BOBST is a global leading supplier of equipment and services for the packaging industry.

Its machines have a lifespan of up to 50 years, so maintaining good customer relationships is vital to the company’s success. But that doesn’t mean its service team needs to make on-site visits every time a customer raises an issue.

BOBST technicians use AR technology from TeamViewer to connect with customers remotely and help them identify and fix problems immediately. That means BOBST can solve 80% of electrical issues without needing to travel.

Summary

Adopting remote connectivity is proving to be a game changer for businesses aiming to reduce costs, enhance sustainability, and maintain productivity. By minimizing travel, companies not only save on expenses but also significantly cut their carbon footprints. 

As shown by the success of Cimbali Group and BOBST, technology like TeamViewer’s can play a huge role in streamlining operations, improving customer support, and driving efficient maintenance processes. The message is clear: Now’s the time to embrace remote technology, future-proof your business, and contribute to a more sustainable world.