RECENT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES FOR AIRPORT MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER VII: RECENT PROCESS IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES FOR AIRPORT MANAGEMENT 

7.1       Introduction

            There has been increasing pressure for improvements in airport performance through efficient and sustainable management of existing airport resources. But in order to improve performance, one should first be able to assess the present status. This has stimulated vigorous research efforts aimed at modeling all aspects of airport operations and evaluating quantitatively their impacts on delays and congestion, safety, the environment and the economy at large.

            The airport performance assessment is a complex task that requires thorough understanding of the numerous aspects of airport operations and processes. By definition, a large variety of performance measures (e.g. capacity, delays, and level of service, safety, security, emissions, noise, economic costs and benefits) should be considered along with their inter-dependencies and trade-offs. The airport decision making process is further complicated by the diversity of entities processed (passengers, baggage, cargo and aircraft) and the range of strategic, tactical, and operational considerations that need to be addressed throughout the airport, from ground access to the terminal airspace. 

7.2       Historical Developments in Process Axis.

            Since the dawn of industrialization there have been continuous efforts by managers to maximize productivity by improving processes. In pursuit of better management systems primitive approach was to focus on man behind the machine. Most initiatives were aimed to motivate the worker and train him better to increase productivity. As the complexity grew, these efforts reached saturation and couldn’t produce desired results. Focus thus shifted on the processes to increase efficiency and productivity. Early initiatives were very basic and highlighted need for clear job description and performance monitoring systems. Slowly they evolved into complex computer aided systems which controlled and monitored all the activities and were the binding soul of an enterprise. Some of the most common Process Improvement Initiatives being used world over by Airports to enhance their productivity are as given below: 

•  Best Practice Bench-marking
•  Total Quality Management (TQM
•  Balanced Scorecard
•   Business Process Re engineering
•   Quality Management Systems (e.g. ISO 9000 /BS5750 or similar)
•   Business Excellence Model / EFQM
•   Value Based Management
•   Malcolm Baldridge Award