Enterprise Metadata: More Metadata 2.0

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January 15, 2007

More Metadata 2.0

Overview
A few months ago, I have the privilege of attending a data conference in Denver, CO. The conference was held at one of the Hyatt Regency Hotels located downtown. What sparked my curiosity was a small kiosk located next to the Concierge desk that allowed you to check in with your airline and print your boarding pass.

Historical Transformation
Traditionally, airlines forced you inside the terminal where you waiting in a very long line so that you could talk to the agent who printed your boarding pass, took you luggage, and ensured you were the ticket passenger. Several years ago, the airlines in Atlanta added a collection of Kiosk machines that allow you to walk up, enter your credit card or frequent flyer number and print your own boarding pass. If you had luggage, you only needed to step over to the counter where the agent was waiting with your baggage tags already printed. This was an enormous convenience and really speeded up the process. Not too much later, they airlines allowed you to print your boarding pass yourself from a home computer. Without a doubt, the fastest way through any airport is to print your own boarding pass and drop your bags outside where for a couple of bucks you can skip all of the hassle inside the airport. What Hyatt did was recognize that most people don’t travel with a printer and the business office wasn’t worth the prince of entry. The concierge kiosk allows customers to check in without requiring a computer or a printer.

If we step back a moment, we can see a transformation happening where the ownership and control is transferred to the customer irregardless of location. The web has opened up, created and destroyed businesses by moving control to the consumer. The Internet enhances the consumer power by exposing more information, more options and simpler transactions. Consumer power tends to be higher in industries where the information is easier to compare and easier to understand. In these cases, information can be easily accessed through the Internet and assimilated by less informed consumers, allowing them to make better and more transparent decisions (MIT, 2002). Not only has the kiosk machines simplified the process, they have eliminated the requirement of equipment; access is universal as long as you have a connection.

Posted by Todd at January 15, 2007 10:34 PM