There was a time when travel managers were responsible only for booking transport and accommodation. Then we discovered that business travel was about more than getting a business traveller from A to B. The concept of business travel was extended to cover not only what happened at the destination where business was scheduled to be conducted but the whole idea of a mobile office. This saw managers' responsibilities extend to include the selection and management of all the equipment and enhancements which might enable their travellers to be more productive on the road.
The mobile office and ability to work on the road is now moving beyond having access to airline lounges which have work stations and chargers. It's about more than having a laptop or a seat on an airline which is WiFi-enabled. Wise managers need to anticipate looking at areas that today they might not consider relevant.
One such area is luggage. Just as telephones were at one time, luggage is today considered a private purchase. It may be necessary for a business trip but, like a suit or a frock, it will also be used in private life as well as business life. Therefore, ownership has always been considered a private decision.
But will it remain so? A company called Raden has just launched luggage which is about much more than carrying your change of clothing. Its bags are Bluetooth-enabled and introduce technology into the process.
Each of its bags is enabled with technology which can track the bag via an app. This also tells the traveller the weight of the bag and whether it will be attracting excess baggage fees and, if so, how much. The app can also show airport waiting times in the US, real-time schedule information and traffic to and from relevant airports. The bags also have a charging pack for phone, tablet or laptop.
So, just as the mobile phone has been transformed from a device with which to speak to someone into a mobile management tool able to facilitate tracking, itinerary and booking, a suitcase can now support the information needs of business travellers beyond the mere carrying of clothes and a soap bag.
Raden might be the first but it won't be the last and the much-hyped Internet of Things (IoT) means that other previously deaf and dumb elements of the travel process may soon become connected.
Does this mean that luggage will now become part of the goods and services that travel managers will be sourcing for their regular business travellers? If mobile devices are, there seems to be no reason why the discussion about using your own device as opposed to the official company device shouldn't also be extended to luggage.
It will not stop with luggage — our leisure and business lives are merging. Our managers need to assess what strategically will be needed to be incorporated into company travel programmes.