WICKED PROBLEM (n):

a problem that is difficult or impossible to solve because of incomplete, contradictory, and changing requirements that are often difficult to recognize.

First the airlines cut commission. Now cruise lines are heading the same way. Businesses are reducing their travel expenditures, and online booking sites continue to rise in popularity. How can a small travel agency survive an economic downturn, and utilize emerging technologies rather than be defeated by them?

There is no silver bullet. There are many aspects of running a small business, and it is impossible to know which single idea will turn the office around. Only in retrospect can a ‘tipping point’ be identified. Maybe the computer systems need to be more reliable. Perhaps the office needs to make an effort to reach their clientele. Maybe the storefront needs a better location. The goal of this project is not to focus on the strengths of one idea, but to identify multiple opportunities, large and small, that will contribute to the agency’s overall prosperity.