David Wardell's Technical Reality: Strategic Travel Management

What Is Technical Reality All About?

Here you'll find a perspective on travel technology, interactive commerce, operations, and general business strategy that you're unlikely to hear elsewhere. Sometimes these views are unpopular, in these pages they are clearly independent, as insightful as I can make them, and clearly thought-provoking.

Key areas emphasized here include:

Travel distribution strategies.
New travel technology products, techniques, and processes.
Commentary on what these developments mean and what you should be doing about them.

The industry is awash with seminars, newsletters, and online brochures that have their own agendas to promote. What you won't find here is that same conventional thinking. Regardless of who might disagree, the views found in these pages take a different path--one that is usually proven right.

	They sound familiar because they've come to be widely accepted by the travel and technology industries, or they have been proven right over time. You heard them here first in any case. Here are just a few of the predictions, forecasts, and strategic assessments I've made over the years in print that gave you early warning of what was going to happen--if you were reading these pages. Often you would have had five or ten years to plan and make adjustments to your business or technology position. You'll find this analysis scrolling on the left of the Publications Library, where the original source material is also found. You may also view Heard Here First! summarized on one page by Clicking Here.
	If we've never met, please take time to read my biography so we can become better acquainted.
	Together with my associates, I offer comprehensive, affordable, and practical consulting services addressing all manner of real-world business challenges. The emphasis is always upon developing appropriate strategies and solutions for each situation that you can afford. You may gather elsewhere in these pages that accepted conventional wisdom, business school-speak, and boiler-plate answers are not part of my thinking. Please use the buttons to download information on Technical Reality's expertise and capabilities and a summary of who we are contained in "Information at a Glance." An area that may be new to you is Executive Briefings. Learn how you, your management, directors, and staff can access leading edge technological, strategic, and business-oriented information especially tailored to your practices and situation. Please contact us to discuss your situation, needs, or questions.

	If you're so inclined you can follow my publications regardless of where they appear. Please visit the subscriptions page for more information. You'll find instructions there about how to subscribe to my free electronic newsletter that provide periodic travel technology and strategy highlights--focusing on each of these key areas.



	For several years I have offered a free periodic travel technology strategy newsletter. This is your invitation to subscribe to this free service, which I call TechNotes. There's much happening the travel industry at the moment. Far from determining what's important and what isn't, often it's difficult to decide simply what is really happening. I would appreciate your subscribing to this free service so that I might have the privilege of sharing my views with you and other colleagues. The newsletter is of interest to executives, managers, principals, developers and technology officers, analysts and investors, educators, and others with an interest in leading edge travel industry technology developments. I can promise you a fresh, insightful, and contrarian viewpoint that you probably are not hearing through other media. To subscribe, please click the button above and send the completed e-mail that will appear. You need add nothing further to the e-mail. You may also use the subscription form found above to subscribe to any or all of my publications. Thank you in advance for your participation. I'm confident you'll appreciate being part of this list.
	Here are selected pieces from my publication library. They're chosen to illustrate the original contrarian viewpoints expressed here that, over time, become part of accepted thinking. You'll find an extensive selection of published material here.
So What Do I Do Now?	So many companies in the travel industry have or are poised to take drastic measures to deal with the current crisis of confidence in the travel industry and tourism generally. A business catastrophe seems inevitable ... but do the business leaders who are marching toward the edge of the abyss really know what they're doing? After September 11, 2001's outrages, a series of difficult decisions are before the travel industry even now, it's time to pause and seriously consider: "Where do I go from here?" Is there a business strategy that can carry me through or is it time to take up farming?
Elusive Productivity Improvements	You've probably heard about the latest scheme for boosting workstation productivity to new heights. In this commentary I offer the contrarian view as to why these developments have not succeeded and are not likely to anytime soon.
The Unknown Electronic Travel Client	No business segment is less well understood. Here's why most people are asking the wrong questions (if they ask any at all)--and how to get on the right track.
Reinventing The Deal	The old "deal" is gone for good. The travel business as it developed throughout the 1970s and 1980s changed radically in the last half of the 1990s and is in for still more substantial changes over the next few years. This presentation discusses what's wrong with the industry--and how you can change your thinking to adapt. There are several forecasts and predictions for the immediate future. You'll see first-hand what constitute some serious strategic failings of the travel industry and how you can use your competitor's failure to recognize these and adapt accordingly to your competitive advantage.
The Electronic Free Market	Internet-based e-commerce is not the cause of travel agency commission cuts. Suppliers are reducing and eliminating commissions because they can. Read my commentary on why this is not inevitable and what the fundamental causes are.
Cyber-Doom Wizards	According to some predictions, travel distribution is destined to be dominated by a few IPO-rich start-ups that will put most agencies out of business in a few years. Hardly. Here's why.
Internet Reality	What was the quickest way to make a room full of travel agents angry? Tell them that the Internet would not solve all their problems. Times have changed and this view is no longer widely held. Here are my predictions several years ago as to why the Internet was not a panacea for all travel business ills, and a discussion of "Internet Hysteria" and what it means to travel distribution.
Travel Distribution Intermediaries	What is disintermediation and how does it affect the travel industry? Learn who is at risk in the evolving interactive economy and why.
Hotel Valhalla	This piece puts the e-commerce potential for the hotel industry into proper perspective and corrects numerous popular misconceptions.
Open CRS Platform	Here are my comments on the so-called "Open CRS Platform" and what the "open" concept really means.
Electronic Ticketing Conspiracies	Are electronic tickets a "conspiracy" to put travel agents out of business? This article discusses this and related irrational notions.
Technology Leadership	I published these thoughts on the appropriate role of leadership (as opposed to simple "management" in technology a number of years ago. In this day of "free money" through the latest Internet stock venture, perhaps its time to ponder why It Calls For A Real Leader. There's a brief historical video clip available on this page that helps illustrate the point.
Making Online Money Is Nice, Too	A few thoughts on why the pundits are wrong about the time being right for the next round of travel Internet IPOs.
Cyber-Doom Delayed Again	Tired of hearing that so-called "old-line" businesses can't compete? Here's some commentary on the subject, illustrated by recent business events.
Too Late For Online Agencies?	The experts are telling you it's too late to compete as an online agency. They're wrong, but not for the reasons you think. See my published pieces, "Too Late For Online Agencies?" and "The $20 Billion Cynic" for more information.
Electronic Travel Commerce	Don't miss my discussion of electronic commerce, "New Tools For Travel Agents." This piece discusses interactive technology's true potential for retail travel distribution, and how you can understand emerging trends. This piece presents a view of this topic you probably haven't heard discussed in the travel community very often.