Expenses: most expect office, travel costs to rise.

• Author: Marshall, Jeffrey
• Position: BusinessBRIEFS - Brief Article

What, costs aren't going down? More than half of surveyed U.S. financial executives say they will spend more on business travel and office supplies next year, according to a new study by American Express. More importantly, perhaps, every dollar spent is likely to come under greater scrutiny.

The new poll of mostly mid-sized firms finds that senior executives are intensifying their watch over employee expenditures, in light of Sarbanes-Oxley regulations, as well as much-publicized reports of expense abuse. In fact, many respondents say that they will make compliance a priority in 2006.

"For mid-sized companies, getting employees to follow rules and spending policies seems to be as important as securing good deals from suppliers," said Anre Williams, EVP, U.S. Commercial Card, American Express Global Corporate Services. "Focusing on spending policies supports good corporate governance and drives bottom-line savings. CFOs realize that it's not enough to make rules; they also need to enforce them."

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And while a great many respondents have confidence that they have control...