the.world.is.flat-第9部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


aren't　so　much　competing　strategies　as　they　are　different　manifestations　of　the　same　
thing：　a　relentless　push　by　corporate　America　to　lower　costs　and　increase　efficiency；　
wherever　that　may　lead。〃　
That　is　exactly　what　I　was　learning　on　my　own　travels：　Homesourcing　to　Salt　Lake　City　
and　outsourcing　to　Bangalore　were　just　flip　sides　of　the　same　coin…sourcing。　And　the　
new；　new　thing；　I　was　also　learning；　is　the　degree　to　which　it　is　now　possible　for　
companies　and　individuals　to　source　work　anywhere。　
I　just　kept　moving。　In　the　fall　of　2004；1　accompanied　the　chairman　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　
of　Staff；　General　Richard　Myers；　on　a　tour　of　hot　spots　in　Iraq。　We　visited　Baghdad；　
the　U。S。　military　headquarters　in　Fallujah；　and　the　24th　Marine　Expeditionary　Unit　
encampment　outside　Babil；　in　the　heart　of　Iraq's　so…called　Sunni　Triangle。　The　
makeshift　24th　MEU　base　is　a　sort　of　Fort　Apache；　in　the　middle　of　a　pretty　hostile　
Iraqi　Sunni　Muslim　population。　While　General　Myers　was　meeting　with　officers　and　
enlisted　men　there；　I　was　free　to　walk　around　the　base；　and　eventually　I　wandered　
into　the　command　center；　where　my　eye　was　immediately　caught　by　a　large　flat…screen　
TV。　On　the　screen　was　a　live　TV　feed　that　looked　to　be　coming　from　some　kind　of　overhead　
camera。　It　showed　some　people　moving　around　behind　a　house。　Also　on　the　screen；　along　

the　right　side；　was　an　active　instant…messaging　chat　room；　which　seemed　to　be　
discussing　the　scene　on　the　TV。　
〃What　is　that？〃　I　asked　the　soldier　who　was　carefully　monitoring　all　the　images　from　
a　laptop。　He　explained　that　a　U。S。　Predator　drone…a　small　pilotless　aircraft　with　
a　high…power　television　camera…was　flying　over　an　Iraqi　village；　in　the　24th　MEU's　
area　of　operation；　and　feeding　real…time　intelligence　images　back　to　his　laptop　and　
this　flat　screen。　This　drone　was　actually　being　〃flown〃　and　manipulated　by　an　expert　
who　was　sitting　back　at　Nellis　Air　Force　Base　in　Las　Vegas；　Nevada。　That's　right；　
the　drone　over　Iraq　was　actually　being　remotely　directed　from　Las　Vegas。　Meanwhile；　
the　video　images　it　was　beaming　back　were　being　watched　simultaneously　by　the　24th　
MEU；　United　States　Central　Command　headquarters　in　Tampa；　CentCom　regional　
headquarters　in　Qatar；　in　the　Pentagon；　and　probably　also　at　the　CIA。　The　different　
analysts　around　the　world　were　conducting　an　online　chat　about　how　to　interpret　what　
was　going　on　and　what　to　do　about　it。　It　was　their　conversation　that　was　scrolling　
down　the　right　side　of　the　screen。　
Before　I　could　even　express　my　amazement；　another　officer　traveling　with　us　took　me　
aback　by　saying　that　this　technology　had　〃flattened〃　the　military　hierarchy…by　giving　
so　much　information　to　the　low…level　officer；　or　even　enlisted　man；　who　was　operating　


the　computer；　and　empowering　him　to　make　decisions　about　the　information　he　was　
gathering。　While　I'm　sure　that　no　first　lieutenant　is　going　to　be　allowed　to　start　
a　firefight　without　consulting　superiors；　the　days　when　only　senior　officers　had　the　
big　picture　are　over。　The　military　playing　field　is　being　leveled。　
I　told　this　story　to　my　friend　Nick　Burns；　the　U。S。　ambassador　to　NATO　and　a　loyal　
member　of　the　Red　Sox　Nation。　Nick　told　me　he　was　at　CentCom　headquarters　in　Qatar　
in　April　2004；　being　briefed　by　General　John　Abizaid　and　his　staff。　Abizaid's　team　
was　seated　across　the　table　from　Nick　with　four　flat…screen　TVs　behind　them。　The　first　
three　had　overhead　images　being　relayed　in　real　time　from　different　sectors　of　Iraq　
by　Predator　drones。　The　last　one；　which　Nick　was　focused　on；　was　showing　a　Yankees…Red　
Sox　game。　
40　
On　one　screen　it　was　Pedro　Martinez　versus　Derek　Jeter；　and　on　the　other　three　it　
was　Jihadists　versus　the　First　Cavalry。　
Flatburgers　and　Fries　
I　kept　moving…all　the　way　back　to　my　home　in　Bethesda；　Maryland。　By　the　time　I　settled　
back　into　my　house　from　this　journey　to　the　edges　of　the　earth；　my　head　was　spinning。　
But　no　sooner　was　I　home　than　more　signs　of　the　flattening　came　knocking　at　my　door。　
Some　came　in　the　form　of　headlines　that　would　unnerve　any　parent　concerned　about　where　
his　college…age　children　are　going　to　fit　in。　For　instance；　Forrester　Research；　Inc。；　
was　projecting　that　more　than　3　million　service　and　professional　jobs　would　move　out　
of　the　country　by　2015。　But　my　jaw　really　dropped　when　I　read　a　July　19；　2004；　article　
from　the　International　Herald　Tribune　headlined：　〃Want　Fries　With　Outsourcing？〃　
〃Pull　off　U。S。　Interstate　Highway　55　near　Cape　Girardeau；　Missouri；　and　into　the　
drive…through　lane　of　a　McDonald's　next　to　the　highway　and　you'll　get　fast；　friendly　
service；　even　though　the　person　taking　your　order　is　not　in　the　restaurant…or　even　
in　Missouri；〃　the　article　said。　〃The　order　taker　is　in　a　call　center　in　Colorado　
Springs；　more　than　900　miles；　or　1；450　kilometers；　away；　connected　to　the　customer　
and　to　the　workers　preparing　the　food　by　high…speed　data　lines。　Even　some　restaurant　
jobs；　it　seems；　are　not　immune　to　outsourcing。　
〃The　man　who　owns　the　Cape　Girardeau　restaurant；　Shannon　Davis；　has　linked　it　and　
three　other　of　his　12　McDonald's　franchises　to　the　Colorado　call　center；　which　is　
run　by　another　McDonald's　franchisee；　Steven　Bigari。　And　he　did　it　for　the　same　reasons　
that　other　business　owners　have　embraced　call　centers：　lower　costs；　greater　speed　
and　fewer　mistakes。　
〃Cheap；　quick　and　reliable　telecommunications　lines　let　the　order　takers　in　Colorado　
Springs　converse　with　customers　in　Missouri；　take　an　electronic　snapshot　of　them；　
display　their　order　on　a　screen　to　make　sure　
41　
it　is　right；　then　forward　the　order　and　the　photo　to　the　restaurant　kitchen。　The　photo　
is　destroyed　as　soon　as　the　order　is　completed；　Bigari　said。　People　picking　up　their　
burgers　never　know　that　their　order　traverses　two　states　and　bounces　back　before　they　
can　even　start　driving　to　the　pickup　window。　
〃Davis　said　that　he　had　dreamed　of　doing　something　like　this　for　more　than　a　decade。　


'We　could　not　wait　to　go　with　it；'　he　added。　Bigari；　who　created　the　call　center　for　
his　own　restaurants；　was　happy　to　oblige…　for　a　small　fee　per　transaction。〃　
The　article　noted　that　McDonald's　Corp。　said　it　found　the　call　center　idea　interesting　
enough　to　start　a　test　with　three　stores　near　its　headquarters　in　Oak　Brook；　Illinois；　
with　different　software　from　that　used　by　Bigari。　〃Jim　Sappington；　a　McDonald's　vice　
president　for　information　technology；　said　that　it　was　'way；　way　too　early'　to　tell　
if　the　call　center　idea　would　work　across　the　thirteen　thousand　McDonald's　restaurants　
in　the　United　States。　。　。　Still；　franchisees　of　two　other　McDonald's　restaurants；　
beyond　Davis's；　have　outsourced　their　drive…through　ordering　to　Bigari　in　Colorado　
Springs。　（The　other　restaurants　are　in　Brainerd；　Minnesota；　and　Norwood；　
Massachusetts。）　Central　to　the　system's　success；　Bigari　said；　is　the　way　it　pairs　
customers'　photos　with　their　orders；　by　increasing　accuracy；　the　system　cuts　down　
on　the　number　of　complaints　and　therefore　makes　the　service　faster。　In　the　fast…food　
business；　time　is　truly　money：　shaving　even　five　seconds　off　the　processing　time　of　
an　order　is　significant；〃　the　article　noted。　〃Bigari　said　he　had　cut　order　time　in　
his　dual…lane　drive…throughs　by　slightly　more　than　30　seconds；　to　about　1　minute；　
5　seconds；　on　average。　That's　less　than　half　the　average　of　2　minutes；　36　seconds；　
for　all　McDonald's；　and　among　the　fastest　of　any　franchise　in　the　country；　according　
to　QSRweb。com；　which　tracks　such　things。　His　drive…throughs　now　handle　260　cars　an　
hour；　Bigari　said；　30　more　than　they　did　before　he　started　the　call　center　。　。　。　Though　
his　operators　earn；　on　average；　40　cents　an　hour　more　than　his　line　employees；　he　
has　cut　his　overall　labor　costs　by　a　percentage　point；　even　as　drive…through　sales　
have　increased　。　。　。　Tests　conducted　by　outside　companies　found　that　Bigari's　
drive…throughs　now　make　mistakes　on　fewer　than　2　percent　of　all　orders；　down　from　
about　4　percent　before　he　started　using　the　call　centers；　Bigari　said。〃　
Bigari　〃is　so　enthusiastic　about　the　call　center　idea；〃　the　article　noted；　〃that　he　
has　expanded　it　beyond　the　drive…through　window　at　his　seven　restaurants　that　use　
the　system。　While　he　still　offers　counter　service　at　those　restaurants；　most　customers　
now　order　through　the　call　center；　using　phones　with　credit　card　readers　on　tables　
in　the　seating　area。〃　
Some　of　the　signs　of　flattening　I　encountered　back　home；　though；　had　nothing　to　do　
with　economics。　On　October　3；　2004；1　appeared　on　the　CBS　News　Sunday　morning　show　
Face　the　Nation；　hosted　by　veteran　CBS　correspondent　Bob　Schieffer。　CBS　had　been　in　
the　news　a　lot　in　previous　weeks　because　of　Dan　Rather's　60　Minutes　report　about　
President　George　W。　Bush's　Air　National　Guard　service　that　turned　out　to　be　based　
on　bogus　documents。　After　the　show　that　Sunday；　Schieffer　mentioned　that　the　oddest　
thing　had　happened　to　him　the　week　before。　When　he　walked　out　of　the　CBS　studio；　a　
young　reporter　was　waiting　for　him　on　the　sidewalk。　This　isn't　all　that　unusual；　
because　as　with　all　the　Sunday…morning　shows；　the　major　networks…CBS；　NBC；　ABC；　CNN；　
and　Fox…always　send　crews　to　one　another's　studios　to　grab　exit　interviews　with　the　
guests。　But　this　young　man；　Schieffer　explained；　was　not　from　a　major　network。　He　
politely　introduced　himself　as　a　reporter　for　a　Web　site　called　InDC　Journal　and　asked　
whether　he　could　ask　Schieffer　a　few　questions。　Schieffer；　being　a　polite　fellow；　
said　sure。　The　young　man　interviewed　him　on　a　device　Schieffer　did　not　recognize　and　


then　asked　if　he　could　take　his　picture。　A　picture？　Schieffer　noticed　that　the　young　
man　had　no　camera。　He　didn't　need　one。　He　turned　his　cell　phone　around　and　snapped　
Schieffer's　picture。　
〃So　I　came　in　the　next　morning　and　looked　up　this　Web　site　and　there　was　my　picture　
and　the　interview　and　there　were　already　three　hundred　comments　about　it；〃　said　
Schieffer；　who；　though　keenly　aware　of　online　journalism；　was　nevertheless　taken　
aback　at　the　incredibly　fast；　low…cost；　and　solo　manner　in　which　this　young　man　had　
put　him　up　in　lights。　
43　
I　was　intrigued　by　this　story