The World is Flat

I have just finished a most interesting read by Tom Friedman, titled, "The World if Flat". At first glance one would think it had no relation to the golf travel industry...as it traces the significant changes in the global landscape over the last 15 years. However the impact on our business of the changes that the author describes is very easy to comprehend. Friedman provides some marvelous examples of the "flattening" of the world, by that he means the quiet disappearance of national boundaries. He describes the scene in Bangalore, India and the call centers which handle so many functions for multinational companies; the remarkable chain of events which is occurs when you order a Dell computer as dozens of suppliers in a similar number of locations around the world collaborate to create a customized laptop for your needs...all within 4 days! Tom Friedman has a remarkable ability to explain the most complex analysis in terms which are inherently understandable. So, what's the connection with our business? Well, 21 years ago when my brother and I started, I was in Atlanta and Colin was in Scotland. Communication was via telephone or telex. Client proposals and documents were created on a type writer and stored in manila files. The cost of telecommunications was significant for a small, start up business.

Fast forward to 2005. PerryGolf has invested in a web platform which we have used for internal applications since August 2001. It manages every aspect of the client experience with our company, from the first interaction and request for information, to the accounting instructions to suppliers, drivers’ notes and client questionnaire, following the completion of travel. Fortunately in 2001 we did not have a legacy computer system which permitted us to create a very functional web based application. Moving forward from this success, we have for several years offered prospects the opportunity to secure online price quotes...for people who wish a sense of the cost of a trip, without giving up their anonymity, this is a great (and unique) tool. By the end of June we shall have launched our new website which shall have a client portal in our system, permitting them to view the most current information relating to their trip on line. They shall also be able to make payments and in due course, retrieve more detailed information about their trip.

This fall PerryGolf shall be adding a number of new destinations. We shall be working closely with local partners in each location but importantly all information shall be shared with clients and suppliers thru the platform I described. From the client perspective, it should be an identical service experience to a trip to the British Isles. Since October 2004 we have processed inbound telephone calls and routed them to our most knowledgeable staff at the destination. From the clients perspective the location of their golf travel specialist is irrelevant provided they receive the very best possible information in a timely fashion. Our new destinations shall be using the same business model and we are very excited about the possibilities this holds.

One of the many points in Friedman's book was that with the wiring of the world and the free flow of information, your value to a company is not contingent upon your physical location, but rather your ability to add value to the end product in the most efficient manner.

Hopefully, come September when we launch our new destinations, you can enjoy our service for yourself.