Abstract: Glasgow Airport is owned and operated by BAA Ltd. Handling over 8. 8 million passengers a
year; it is the busiest of the three BAA-owned Scottish Airports. Glasgow is situated in the west of Scotland
with the airport some 7 miles to the west of the city centre near to the town of Paisley.
On 30 June 2007, the second busiest day of the year due to the school holidays commencing the previous
day, Glasgow Airport became the target for a car bomb attack, which propelled the airport into the glare of
the world’s media and created severe business continuity issues for the airport.
In line with BAA group requirements, Glasgow Airport has a fully functioning business continuity
management (BCM) strategy. This came into its own during the incident and this case study details the
attack and its repercussions, overviews the response and highlights the lessons learned.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/glasgowairportcasestudy.pdf
Monday, September 27, 2010
MAS: BUSINESS CONTINUITY MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
by Monetary Authority of Singapore.
http://www.mas.gov.sg/resource/legislation_guidelines/risk_mgt/BCMGuidelines.pdf
http://www.mas.gov.sg/resource/legislation_guidelines/risk_mgt/BCMGuidelines.pdf
An Airport Business Continuity Management System for Infectious Disease Pandemics
Presented by
Craig Bradbrook
Director, Security & Facilitation
ACI World
November 2010
http://www.mexico.icao.int/Meetings/CAPSCA/RAMT2/RAMT2-Day01-10-ACI-CBradbrook.pdf
Craig Bradbrook
Director, Security & Facilitation
ACI World
November 2010
http://www.mexico.icao.int/Meetings/CAPSCA/RAMT2/RAMT2-Day01-10-ACI-CBradbrook.pdf
The Changing Shape of Corporate Universities
by David Baucus and Melissa Baucus
About seven years ago, technological innovation gave rise to the e-learning industry and the growth of
corporate universities. Early in the evolution of the industry, corporate universities represented a reasonable deployment of learning technologies. They enabled companies to deliver the right content to target markets
(e.g., employees, partners, and customers) and to reduce training costs by substituting technology for labor.
Recent trends, however, suggest that human resource (HR)-based corporate universities have lost some of their luster. Chief financial officers (CFOs) and business managers are exercising more influence over the use of learning technologies in core business operations by employing enterprise, organization, and workflow models.
In this article, we describe changes in the e-learning industry and corporate universities that serve to embed learning into the explicit activities of the workplace.
http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol1_issue5/The_Changing_Shape_of_Corporate_Universities.pdf
About seven years ago, technological innovation gave rise to the e-learning industry and the growth of
corporate universities. Early in the evolution of the industry, corporate universities represented a reasonable deployment of learning technologies. They enabled companies to deliver the right content to target markets
(e.g., employees, partners, and customers) and to reduce training costs by substituting technology for labor.
Recent trends, however, suggest that human resource (HR)-based corporate universities have lost some of their luster. Chief financial officers (CFOs) and business managers are exercising more influence over the use of learning technologies in core business operations by employing enterprise, organization, and workflow models.
In this article, we describe changes in the e-learning industry and corporate universities that serve to embed learning into the explicit activities of the workplace.
http://innovateonline.info/pdf/vol1_issue5/The_Changing_Shape_of_Corporate_Universities.pdf
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Malaysia Airlines - Five Star Value Carrier: Business Transformation Plan (BTP 2)
MAS aspires to become the World’s Five Star Value Carrier. We believe that we have to reinvent ourselves to achieve this vision. Our transformation journey towards achieving this vision is tough but exciting. It will require leadership, teamwork and relentless passion to pursue this vision. Our vision will be supported by the mission to be a consistently profitable airline. The strategy is to transform MAS into a Five Star Value Carrier (FSVC) i.e.providing 5-Star products and services at affordable prices. There are 5 bold steps which make up the FSVC Virtuous Cycle of Profitable Growth:
Step 1 - 5-Star: We must maintain the high quality products and services offered (5-Star) and these have to
be constantly matched to the specific needs of our customers;
Step 2 - Lower Costs: We must reduce our structural and operational costs (without compromising on safety
and security);
Step 3 - Competitive Fares: With a lower cost base, we will be able to offer low and competitive fares to our
customers, and still be able to make a profit;
Step 4 - Get more customers, more revenue: With high quality products and services at low/competitive
fares, more passengers will choose to fly on Malaysia Airlines. This translates into more revenue;
Step 5 - Grow network, build capacity: With more revenue and profit, we can invest in growing our network
and building our capacity. We will open up more routes and acquire more planes, and this leads us to
sustainable, profitable growth......
http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/uploads/en/downloads/common/Business%20Transformation%20Plan%20%28BTP%202%29.pdf
Step 1 - 5-Star: We must maintain the high quality products and services offered (5-Star) and these have to
be constantly matched to the specific needs of our customers;
Step 2 - Lower Costs: We must reduce our structural and operational costs (without compromising on safety
and security);
Step 3 - Competitive Fares: With a lower cost base, we will be able to offer low and competitive fares to our
customers, and still be able to make a profit;
Step 4 - Get more customers, more revenue: With high quality products and services at low/competitive
fares, more passengers will choose to fly on Malaysia Airlines. This translates into more revenue;
Step 5 - Grow network, build capacity: With more revenue and profit, we can invest in growing our network
and building our capacity. We will open up more routes and acquire more planes, and this leads us to
sustainable, profitable growth......
http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/uploads/en/downloads/common/Business%20Transformation%20Plan%20%28BTP%202%29.pdf
Strategy and organization at Singapore Airlines: Achieving sustainable advantage through dual strategy
ABSTRACT
Singapore Airlines has consistently outperformed its competitors throughout its history, in the context of
an unforgiving industry environment. We examine how Singapore Airlines has achieved its outstanding
performance and sustained its competitive advantage, through effectively implementing a dual strategy:
differentiation through service excellence and innovation, together with simultaneous cost leadership in
its peer group. We examine the organizational elements that have allowed the company to do so,
illustrate its strategic alignment using a vertical alignment framework, and conclude by highlighting the
significant challenges ahead.
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
https://www.bschool.nus.edu.sg/Departments/Marketing/Jochen%20papers/jatmheracleouswirtzstrategyorganizationsingaporeairlines2009.pdf
Singapore Airlines has consistently outperformed its competitors throughout its history, in the context of
an unforgiving industry environment. We examine how Singapore Airlines has achieved its outstanding
performance and sustained its competitive advantage, through effectively implementing a dual strategy:
differentiation through service excellence and innovation, together with simultaneous cost leadership in
its peer group. We examine the organizational elements that have allowed the company to do so,
illustrate its strategic alignment using a vertical alignment framework, and conclude by highlighting the
significant challenges ahead.
2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
https://www.bschool.nus.edu.sg/Departments/Marketing/Jochen%20papers/jatmheracleouswirtzstrategyorganizationsingaporeairlines2009.pdf
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Newsweek: Rise of the corporate college
CORPORATE LEARNING
Big companies are setting up university campuses all over the world to help produce the kinds of employees they most need.
Sending an aspiring scholar off to college is a cherished rite of passage in Western households. But in the global economy, where companies rise or fall on brainpower, higher education has taken on broader meaning and new urgency. Corporate HydroPower University in Moscow teaches plant managers how to wield turbine technology and rotor dynamics to deliver power efficiently to millions of energy-hungry clients. Engineers at the University of Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro must master the secrets of pumping oil buried 7,000 meters beneath the Atlantic. Forget ivy-hung walkways and fratfests; think enterprise incubators, virtual oil rigs, and mobile classes for transport workers in railroad cars. The alma mater isn’t what it used to be....
http://education.newsweek.com/2010/09/13/across-the-globe-big-companies-start-own-colleges.html
Global Airport Passenger Survey reveals Self-Service Popularity; Baggage Next Challenge
SITA, a specialist provider of IT solutions to airlines and airports, has revealed evidence from passengers surveyed at six of the world’s busiest airports across five continents, that self-service is fast becoming the norm for passengers from Atlanta to Moscow and that the main challenge to even broader adoption of “do-it-yourself” travel management is baggage.
Dominique El Bez, SITA Director, Portfolio Marketing, said, “This survey confirms that self-service is here to stay with potential for truly explosive growth in emerging markets. Despite low internet penetration in India for example, already almost 20% of passengers at the country’s largest airport, Mumbai International, are using the web to check-in. Overall 57.6% of surveyed passengers used the web to book their flight and 36% checked in on the web or on a self-service kiosk. Willingness to re-use is very high......
http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news08/210-SITA.shtml
Monday, September 20, 2010
A global perspective: IATA GAP
Article Abstract
http://www.quirks.com/articles/a2000/20001102.aspx?searchID=113689271&sort=9
The Global Airline Performance (GAP) study is a joint venture between P. Robert and Partners (PRP), a Swiss research firm, and the London-based Aviation Information and Research unit of IATA, the International Air Transport Association.
The syndicated study uses a two-part survey to measure the opinions of air travelers on 22 airlines departing from 30 airports in North America, Europe, and Asia. Each year, 240,000 passengers are interviewed. Depending on the airline routes being researched, the survey can be conducted in seven languages: English, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Chinese, or Japanese.
GAP Transatlantic (operating since July 1999) covers 16 airlines, 15 airports in North America and 10 in Europe. GAP Transpacific (October 1999) covers 12 airlines, 15 North American and four Asian airports. GAP Europe to Asia (April 2000) encompasses 12 airlines, six European airports and four Asian airports.
No airline or airport personnel are involved in the survey distribution process, which eliminates any potential for airline employee-introduced bias and also frees cabin crews from an extra burden. Instead, GAP interviewers in each airport approach air travelers at their gate or in the departure lounge to engage them in the survey process, which entails completing a four-page questionnaire prior to departing and a second, shorter form at the conclusion of their flight.
“We interview them when they are the most available: before the flight,” says David Perroud, GAP manager, P. Robert and Partners. “Many people at that time are just waiting for the flight to board so anything that can distract them from waiting is welcome. We have very few refusals.”
The respondent gives the completed first part to the GAP representative, who then instructs him or her on how to return the second part, either by the postage-paid mailer, by fax or by telephone.
In 20-some questions, part one of the survey examines the performance of airline staff during reservation and check-in, the respondent’s impression of the airport facilities, and gathers other information about flying habits, frequent flyer program membership, and demographic data.
Part two looks at the boarding process, the airplane’s cabin comfort and features, the cabin crew, food and beverage service, onboard amenities, and post-flight impressions in addition to overall assessment of the airline and the flight in question.
Rather than contacting respondents after their flight by phone or mail, the GAP study reaches the passengers while the experience is still fresh in their minds. “We want to capture their opinions very close to the moment of truth,” says Paul Lai, general manager - marketing research, Delta Air Lines, Atlanta, a GAP subscriber.
The survey boasts a response rate of better than 50 percent, that is, about 50 percent of respondents who complete part one also follow through and submit part two.
“That response rate is a far cry from the less than 10 percent response rate from previous studies,” Lai says. “When the response rate is so low, results could be inconsistent and unreliable. We would see results going up or down without any reasonable explanation. That’s when internal customers may question the validity of your research, and rightly so.”
While Lai does not want to cite specific examples of issues uncovered by the research, he does offer that the GAP research gives Delta opportunities to benchmark industry leaders in any service area and then act accordingly. “If we see that airline X is doing very well in the area of food and beverage, for example, we may want to find out what is going on there. So then we put our product people on the case and have them do some competitive flying to find out what they are doing to make their rating so high.”
As is typical with syndicated studies, participants receive data on their own performance as well as that of competitors. “The first and most important thing with GAP is that it is a benchmark,” Perroud says. “Airlines used to have a lot of information about their own passengers. Now they can measure their own performance and compare it to the competitors.
“The other important thing is that it’s an ongoing survey, so they can track their passenger satisfaction over time. So if they change something in their in-flight service, the food perhaps, they can see how their rating is affected. They can track quarter-by-quarter.”
Study subscribers receive results quarterly, in the form of data tables, raw data in SPSS or Quanvert, etc., and an Excel macro that allows them to produce charts from the data. Every six months a full report is issued.
Active in development
The airlines have been active participants in the development of the GAP study. “The design process has been a long one, involving around 15 airlines,” says Perroud. “We have done two different pilot studies and also have analyzed the study to see what is the most effective way of asking the questions. All of these airlines were already asking those kinds of questions so we had a good starting point.”
Dissatisfaction with syndicated transatlantic route research brought various airlines together two years ago to discuss development of a new study, Lai says. “Since a lot of airlines felt that need, it was easy to get people together to talk about possible solutions. So taking the first step was not that bad.”
While the first step was easy, those that followed were considerably more difficult. The biggest problem was crafting a consensus among the participating airlines during the survey development process, Lai says. “Everything from how a question is worded to how we use the results, even the look of the graphics, has been a bit challenging. There are so many airlines involved, and each has its own quirky preferences. Now, with the survey in full bloom, it is almost a miracle that we were able to pull it off.”
Help from the airlines was also instrumental in translating/back-translating the questionnaires into the various languages. Cathay Pacific helped with the translation of the Chinese questionnaire, for example. No matter the language, the survey forms use the same scales and are structured the same way.
Airline involvement in the study is ongoing. For example, Lai and other airline representative members of the GAP Technical Committee met in London in January and in Miami in October to discuss a host of issues pertaining to the survey, from adding new routes to data weighting options.
Integral part
As the link between the survey and the respondent, the interviewers are an integral part of the process and great care is taken to train them, monitor their performance and provide them incentives for doing good work.
“When we started a year ago we had a response rate of 44 percent and now it’s up to 52 percent and every quarter it is improving. The interviewers play a key role and they are probably one of our big strengths,” Perroud says.
“It is very important that they are smartly-dressed and professional in appearance. And they have to be very easygoing with other people. They are given a script to follow as a guideline but we encourage them to sound as natural as possible and not merely recite the words.”
Perroud and other GAP representatives visit the airports to meet with the interviewers. In addition, PRP sends them a quarterly newsletter showing how they and their airport performed compared to others. “We do some contests on the response rates, not on how many surveys they distribute but how many completed surveys they get back. We rate the airports and the interviewers and the three best interviewers [globally] get a check.”
Service issues
Lai says there are two main service issues facing airlines today. One is operational reliability – arriving and departing on-time, not canceling or delaying flights. “We have found that that is one of the greatest drivers of satisfaction, especially for domestic service,” he says.
The second is the interaction between airline employees and passengers. “This is more a dissatisfier than a satisfier,” Lai says. “By that I mean people take for granted a basic level of civility from the staff, whether it’s the reservation agent or gate agent. If a representative has an attitude problem, and if a customer doesn’t feel special, isn’t given the basic courtesy of a smile or a sorry or a thank you, they can become angry.”
In Delta’s case, with 78,000 employees, Lai says the question is, how do you manage and motivate them to give great, consistent customer service day in and day out? That human element is not as immediately controllable as on-time performance or the quality of in-flight meals. Measuring and monitoring customer service is part of the job of marketing research.
Lai says the GAP study provides good information on how Delta’s SkyTeam partner airline Air France is doing. “That does not replace the need for doing alliance-specific research with Air France and other partners but [the GAP study] certainly gives us a good idea of how they are perceived by their customers.”
Competitive view
The information from the GAP study affords Delta a one-of-a-kind competitive view, Lai says. “You have to put your performance into perspective, into the context of the other airlines. You might look at your own results and say things are stable or improving compared to last year. But if you find that your slight improvement actually puts you a few notches below other carriers, that is quite a different story. So the information we get from the GAP study is unique and invaluable in that sense.”
This article discusses the Global Airline Performance (GAP) study, a joint venture between P. Robert and Partners (PRP), a Swiss research firm, and the London-based Aviation Information and Research unit of IATA, the International Air Transport Association. The syndicated study uses a two-part survey to measure the opinions of air travelers on 22 airlines departing from 30 airports in North America, Europe and Asia. Each year, 240,000 passengers are interviewed. Depending on the airline routes being researched, the survey can be conducted in seven languages: English, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Chinese or Japanese.
http://www.quirks.com/articles/a2000/20001102.aspx?searchID=113689271&sort=9
The Global Airline Performance (GAP) study is a joint venture between P. Robert and Partners (PRP), a Swiss research firm, and the London-based Aviation Information and Research unit of IATA, the International Air Transport Association.
The syndicated study uses a two-part survey to measure the opinions of air travelers on 22 airlines departing from 30 airports in North America, Europe, and Asia. Each year, 240,000 passengers are interviewed. Depending on the airline routes being researched, the survey can be conducted in seven languages: English, French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Chinese, or Japanese.
GAP Transatlantic (operating since July 1999) covers 16 airlines, 15 airports in North America and 10 in Europe. GAP Transpacific (October 1999) covers 12 airlines, 15 North American and four Asian airports. GAP Europe to Asia (April 2000) encompasses 12 airlines, six European airports and four Asian airports.
No airline or airport personnel are involved in the survey distribution process, which eliminates any potential for airline employee-introduced bias and also frees cabin crews from an extra burden. Instead, GAP interviewers in each airport approach air travelers at their gate or in the departure lounge to engage them in the survey process, which entails completing a four-page questionnaire prior to departing and a second, shorter form at the conclusion of their flight.
“We interview them when they are the most available: before the flight,” says David Perroud, GAP manager, P. Robert and Partners. “Many people at that time are just waiting for the flight to board so anything that can distract them from waiting is welcome. We have very few refusals.”
The respondent gives the completed first part to the GAP representative, who then instructs him or her on how to return the second part, either by the postage-paid mailer, by fax or by telephone.
In 20-some questions, part one of the survey examines the performance of airline staff during reservation and check-in, the respondent’s impression of the airport facilities, and gathers other information about flying habits, frequent flyer program membership, and demographic data.
Part two looks at the boarding process, the airplane’s cabin comfort and features, the cabin crew, food and beverage service, onboard amenities, and post-flight impressions in addition to overall assessment of the airline and the flight in question.
Rather than contacting respondents after their flight by phone or mail, the GAP study reaches the passengers while the experience is still fresh in their minds. “We want to capture their opinions very close to the moment of truth,” says Paul Lai, general manager - marketing research, Delta Air Lines, Atlanta, a GAP subscriber.
The survey boasts a response rate of better than 50 percent, that is, about 50 percent of respondents who complete part one also follow through and submit part two.
“That response rate is a far cry from the less than 10 percent response rate from previous studies,” Lai says. “When the response rate is so low, results could be inconsistent and unreliable. We would see results going up or down without any reasonable explanation. That’s when internal customers may question the validity of your research, and rightly so.”
While Lai does not want to cite specific examples of issues uncovered by the research, he does offer that the GAP research gives Delta opportunities to benchmark industry leaders in any service area and then act accordingly. “If we see that airline X is doing very well in the area of food and beverage, for example, we may want to find out what is going on there. So then we put our product people on the case and have them do some competitive flying to find out what they are doing to make their rating so high.”
As is typical with syndicated studies, participants receive data on their own performance as well as that of competitors. “The first and most important thing with GAP is that it is a benchmark,” Perroud says. “Airlines used to have a lot of information about their own passengers. Now they can measure their own performance and compare it to the competitors.
“The other important thing is that it’s an ongoing survey, so they can track their passenger satisfaction over time. So if they change something in their in-flight service, the food perhaps, they can see how their rating is affected. They can track quarter-by-quarter.”
Study subscribers receive results quarterly, in the form of data tables, raw data in SPSS or Quanvert, etc., and an Excel macro that allows them to produce charts from the data. Every six months a full report is issued.
Active in development
The airlines have been active participants in the development of the GAP study. “The design process has been a long one, involving around 15 airlines,” says Perroud. “We have done two different pilot studies and also have analyzed the study to see what is the most effective way of asking the questions. All of these airlines were already asking those kinds of questions so we had a good starting point.”
Dissatisfaction with syndicated transatlantic route research brought various airlines together two years ago to discuss development of a new study, Lai says. “Since a lot of airlines felt that need, it was easy to get people together to talk about possible solutions. So taking the first step was not that bad.”
While the first step was easy, those that followed were considerably more difficult. The biggest problem was crafting a consensus among the participating airlines during the survey development process, Lai says. “Everything from how a question is worded to how we use the results, even the look of the graphics, has been a bit challenging. There are so many airlines involved, and each has its own quirky preferences. Now, with the survey in full bloom, it is almost a miracle that we were able to pull it off.”
Help from the airlines was also instrumental in translating/back-translating the questionnaires into the various languages. Cathay Pacific helped with the translation of the Chinese questionnaire, for example. No matter the language, the survey forms use the same scales and are structured the same way.
Airline involvement in the study is ongoing. For example, Lai and other airline representative members of the GAP Technical Committee met in London in January and in Miami in October to discuss a host of issues pertaining to the survey, from adding new routes to data weighting options.
Integral part
As the link between the survey and the respondent, the interviewers are an integral part of the process and great care is taken to train them, monitor their performance and provide them incentives for doing good work.
“When we started a year ago we had a response rate of 44 percent and now it’s up to 52 percent and every quarter it is improving. The interviewers play a key role and they are probably one of our big strengths,” Perroud says.
“It is very important that they are smartly-dressed and professional in appearance. And they have to be very easygoing with other people. They are given a script to follow as a guideline but we encourage them to sound as natural as possible and not merely recite the words.”
Perroud and other GAP representatives visit the airports to meet with the interviewers. In addition, PRP sends them a quarterly newsletter showing how they and their airport performed compared to others. “We do some contests on the response rates, not on how many surveys they distribute but how many completed surveys they get back. We rate the airports and the interviewers and the three best interviewers [globally] get a check.”
Service issues
Lai says there are two main service issues facing airlines today. One is operational reliability – arriving and departing on-time, not canceling or delaying flights. “We have found that that is one of the greatest drivers of satisfaction, especially for domestic service,” he says.
The second is the interaction between airline employees and passengers. “This is more a dissatisfier than a satisfier,” Lai says. “By that I mean people take for granted a basic level of civility from the staff, whether it’s the reservation agent or gate agent. If a representative has an attitude problem, and if a customer doesn’t feel special, isn’t given the basic courtesy of a smile or a sorry or a thank you, they can become angry.”
In Delta’s case, with 78,000 employees, Lai says the question is, how do you manage and motivate them to give great, consistent customer service day in and day out? That human element is not as immediately controllable as on-time performance or the quality of in-flight meals. Measuring and monitoring customer service is part of the job of marketing research.
Lai says the GAP study provides good information on how Delta’s SkyTeam partner airline Air France is doing. “That does not replace the need for doing alliance-specific research with Air France and other partners but [the GAP study] certainly gives us a good idea of how they are perceived by their customers.”
Competitive view
The information from the GAP study affords Delta a one-of-a-kind competitive view, Lai says. “You have to put your performance into perspective, into the context of the other airlines. You might look at your own results and say things are stable or improving compared to last year. But if you find that your slight improvement actually puts you a few notches below other carriers, that is quite a different story. So the information we get from the GAP study is unique and invaluable in that sense.”
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Airlines see green in appearing green
You'd like to choose the most eco-friendly airline, a company that goes above and beyond the others to fly efficiently, burn less fuel and maybe even offset its carbon.
But does an airline like that exist?
Airlines have gone to great lengths to operate efficiently in their struggle to survive, but some companies are touting practices they hope will cast them as greener than the rest. What's hype and what's really effective in reducing an airline's fuel emissions?
......
http://www.gadling.com/2009/10/15/plane-answers-airlines-see-green-in-appearing-green/
ACARS - Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System
ACARS is a digital datalink system used for the transmission of messages between aircraft and ground stations, using telex formats. It is, essentially, text messages exchanged between air traffic control (ATC) or the airline, and their airplanes.
http://ruthannoconnor.com/ACARS.html
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