

Airlines in "a computer-programming frenzy to reduce embarrassing service lapses" - neilc
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/15/business/15airlines.html?ex=1352782800&en=5a8ff4f66805a0e8&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

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edw519
I'm still trying to decide if this was written by someone who knows nothing
about technology or nothing about business. Both, I think.

At one point:

"The kinds of programs American and others are installing are neither terribly
expensive nor "a great leap" in technology, and thus could have been in place
years earlier,"

Then, 6 paragraphs later:

"And as American was preparing to make big investments in computers, the
terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, occurred, and sent the airline industry
into a deep decline."

Huh? Why the need for "big investments" if the solutions are not "terribly
expensive"?

This is not a programming problem. Not even a business problem. It's a
MANAGEMENT problem. Stop looking at your portfolios long enough to decide that
you want something and what you want and WE WILL BUILD IT FOR YOU.

Maybe that's why so much energy is going into Web 2.0, social networks, etc.
Because big business is either too dumb or too lazy to articulate their
business problems well enough to get a solution.

Hell, input this problem into a Y Combinator start-up in January and get a
solution in March.

See how easy?

~~~
joshwa
> It's a MANAGEMENT problem. > Because big business is either too dumb or too
> lazy to articulate their business problems well enough to get a solution.

Thus arises the management consulting industry.

