Then and Now

I arrived at the airport 3 hours in advance of departure per the instructions of the airline. As was my practice, I had called the airline prior to leaving, waited on hold for over 30 minutes, and confirmed the departure time.  Once at the airport, I stood on line to check my bags and received my boarding pass.  

The objective of the trip was to get a contract signed that was negotiated over the course of the past 6 months after a number of trips back and forth on the part of all parties. Time was of the essence. I booked a round trip ticket on the Concord to Paris, planned on meeting at the airport, and returning the same day.

The date was sometime in the early 80’s. I had been selected to head the International Division of  the company in late 1979. Prior to launching our business abroad, as part of the due diligence process, I spent a year visiting key markets. During this time, I retained a former head of the International Division of a major consumer products company to assist in evaluating our potential overseas and to develop a business plan.

Once the business was underway, my traveling schedule consisted of going to Europe every 6-8 weeks and to the Far East every 3-4 months. Representatives from our various business entities came to our home office usually twice a year. Communications were limited to expensive phone calls and faxes. 

Life as an international businessman has changed radically in the past 40+ years. Technology has played a major role in changing how business is conducted, particularly on a global scale. 

Communications 

As indicated above, the only means of corresponding 40+ years ago was by phone or fax, both impersonal and costly. I started and managed the company’s global business long before the Internet was available. At that time, frequent traveling was the only means of maintaining contact and controlling the local markets. Phone calls were only handled in the office. Due to the time differences, I was in the office earlier than anyone else and was able to leave prior to the evening rush hour, since it was already nighttime abroad.

In today’s world, business is conducted 24/7. All communication vehicles (telephone, video conferencing, emails) are free.  Mobile technology allows us to stay in touch wherever we are, in the office, at home, or on the beach.

Managing a global business

“Google is to the Internet what the card file is to the library.”  The accumulation of information is a much simpler process now than it was when I was going through the due diligence process many years ago. While onsite visits are still an essential part of building a business plan, market research of all types is at one’s fingertips.  

There is no doubt that if the Internet was available during my tenure. my life would have been quite different. To name a few, Email, Texting, Whats App, Video Conferencing, Cloud computing, and Docusign, and others have substantially reduced the need to be on the road as much. Reliance on local partners to provide performance analysis has been replaced by the ability to receive data directly from sales outlets.

In today’s world, the trip described in the opening paragraph would probably not have been necessary. However let’s look at the differences in traveling then and now.

• Then: Booking the flight involved calling the airline, waiting on hold, and a discussion about the various travel options available.  
• Now: Through my mobile phone, I book all flights along with seat selections online.
• Then: Once at the airport, there were long lines to check my bags, get a boarding pass, and go through security. 
• Now: Again, with your mobile phone, you can check in the night before and  receive flight status updates, check bags at an airport kiosk, and breeze through Security using TSA.
• Then: On the return to the US, confirming flight status abroad was often challenging. Once home, processing through Security and baggage check could take hours.
• Now: From nearly anywhere in the world, it is possible to book, revise travel plans, check in and get boarding passes online. Upon arriving home, with Global Pass, it’s possible to avoid the long lines. It’s easy to book a car service before even leaving the plane.

Although I did enjoy flying on the Concord back then. all negotiations now are handled through cloud based services such as video conferencing, and email. Contracts for the most part are finalized using a program like Docusign.

I left corporate life just as the Internet started to enter both our professional and personal lives. Although I don’t miss it, I do wonder, from time to time, what my life would have been like with the tools of today.