Tech overload
As our lives become more dependent on technology, it gets harder than ever to switch off. A new era of ‘causal connectivity’ may hold the key
– these are just a few terms entering the 2017 lexicon as the uprising against our
beloved smartphones steps up pace. The right to disconnect is a newer phenomenon, relating to a French employment law that took effect on January 1 this year. It obliges companies with more than 50 employees to start negotiations to define the rights of workers to ignore their phones – to guarantee them a ‘right to disconnect’ from technology. In other words, no emailing permitted after 5pm. And digital detox? Worryingly, this term is being used by schools including Stroud High School, Gloucestershire, which has put in place rules prohibiting the use of digital
for International Management Practice at Anglia Ruskin University. “It creates a sense of always needing
to be available, or not wanting to be left out of the loop – and provides numerous, non-productive distractions (such as using Facebook at work),” he says.
Amadeus UK&I managing director Champa Magesh says: “The rise in digital detox travel shows that some people do feel the pressure of an ‘always on and always available’ work culture that can virtually erase the line between our professional and social lives. Now we’re seeing corporations create policies that mean it’s okay to switch off out of hours.” Fortunately, it’s a trend being addressed. Nigel Meyer, director of group technology at HRG, says there is a “general technology
devices for certain year groups, partly to wean pupils off an addiction to social media. On a lighter note, there is now a growing number of holidays emerging that involve a ban on digital devices. In some country retreats, holidaymakers must leave their mobile phones in a box at the entrance.
Conversely, in the wider travel industry, technology overload is becoming a trend. You check into a hotel to be greeted by a robot concierge, champagne is delivered by drone and the cars are driverless. But in the workplace, reliance on technology is also “blurring the distinction between home and work life”, according to professor Chris Ivory, deputy director of the Institute
fatigue creeping into people’s lives”, which he sees first-hand from talking to clients. However, he thinks it is mainly because of the multitude of apps available. “The way travel has been fragmented over the past 15 years it’s like, who can collect the most apps?” he says. People are also becoming more impatient.
“Our tolerance for apps that don’t work on a phone is going down and down,” says Andrew Jordan, chief technology officer at Carlson Wagonlit Travel. “There is an overload in the app ecosystem and a plethora of mediocre apps – with 70,000 in travel. How do you filter out the ones that are rubbish?” Amadeus’s Magesh agrees: “Only 5 per cent of downloaded apps are regularly used.
So while business travellers point out they would like to manage fewer apps, people don’t seem to mind having multiple apps on their phones when they are differently categorised or grouped by task.”
The “mediocre” app is a challenge travel technology companies are taking on. For example, Amadeus wants to make apps “richer”. Magesh says: “The more the app can do, the more you’ll use it and the fewer apps you’ll need. Think of it as mindful- ness for your mobile. You don’t want to be jumping from one app to another for travel and expense management – you want to have that all in the one place. Our strategy is to develop solutions that have as many app features integrated into one easy-to-use super app.”
As a result, chatbots are being hailed as one solution to lighten the load. Already FCM Travel’s Sam is making waves, and Amadeus is looking to harness this type of intuitive technology to help its TMC customers. “We’re finding customers seriously considering chat as a way to communicate. Chatbots offer the advantage of being able to book, receive information and even pay without the hassle of changing between multiple apps,” says Magesh. “Travellers are ultimately looking for a more integrated experience that reduces multiple log-ins and avoids unproductive and repetitive data entry.
“Examples include the ability to search and book directly from daily business applications such as the calendar. Amadeus is partnering with leaders in these areas, including Microsoft and Salesforce, to offer more seamless and automated booking and expense management.”
Better use of data is also key for streamlining the experience. CWT’s Jordan argues that, to date, “nobody has done data right, which is curious as there’s not been a shortage of data”. Jordan joined the
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