| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 26/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 13 |
| Copyright: Other |
Technology is supposed to be making our lives easier. But with the amount of work us suppliers have to do to satisfy the individual needs of virtual travel agents, this hardly seems to be the case.
JOHN HARDINg
The proliferation of virtual travel agents intent on making their mark through their Web sites is in danger of creating total confusion for their key suppliers.I know – I am one of those suppliers!
The different procedures and Web site geometry used by each and every one seems to require us, the supplier, to adopt an individual approach in order to fill their insatiable appetite for product. So far for very little return.
The situation is similar to the early days of viewdata, when each operator developed their own individual system and created confusion for the retail sector.
We have adopted a softly, softly approach, being careful to select only those companies that look like lasting into the next six months at least and sifting out those with little or no previous industry experience.
We are spending an inordinate amount of time in setting up product input to a different profile for each Internet agent.
It’s as if we have been given a racking agreement with an agent and then been told to rack the brochures ourselves to their racking plan.
Given the major operators’ decision to keep their product distribution firmly in-house, demands on key independent players in specialist sectors will surely grow.
Before procedures descend into a morass of differing input requirements, the site operators need to get together to establish common procedural parameters to allow us, the suppliers, to work with them on a more cost-effective basis.
If technology is to bring the promised savings to all, it is necessary for both sides to be talking now to establish simpler product input and fulfilment procedures.
As a key operator with FSS, our interface with its new leisure distribution system could make the dissemination of information a lot easier and offer a bookable option – that’s what the customer and the suppliers need, not just another layer of administration.
Now is the time to commence sensible, industry-wide discussions to ensure back-office procedures are as efficient and effective as the bells and buzzers on the front screen would seem to imply to the prospective holidaymaker.
Travelscene has grown in size and stature by embracing technology and will continue to do so.
But as things stand at the moment, it’s certainly more effective and efficient for us to take bookings via the traditional high-street travel agents rather than take them through dot coms.
There needs to be new thinking to move things forward. What do you think?
Answers on a postcard to jharding@travelscene.co.uk.
“We are spending an inordinate amount of time setting up product input for each Internet agent”