Tag Archives: data

Digitization delivers delicious data

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The world is becoming increasingly digitized, and technology growing exponentially more efficient – these factors ensure that collecting and analyzing data has never been easier or as comprehensive. We all now live in an era driven by data.

Anybody can now access vast amounts of resources alongside the data that comes from it. Airports especially need to learn what information to collect, and when and where to apply the data-driven trends. Those who don’t take advantage of these modern means will be left far behind others who use data-driven strategies to make key decisions.

The traveler demographic is rapidly growing and is projected to reach 7 billion passengers per year by 2020, according to the Airports Council International. This means more and more data can be collected and utilized to improve your airport. Future trends can be predicted, efficiency and security increased, and productivity improved.

Given this flood of new and rapidly growing information, a trusted technology partner to provide the requisite expertise or the in-house staff with the proper skill-sets to analyze and collect this data will be a must. Without the ability to truly analyze and utilize this data, it will be meaningless.

Not only do you need people in place to be able to analyze the information – there must be actual systems in place and you need to know what you want to get out of it. Given the depth and breadth of airport operations – from landside, terminal, and airside – it is important to know how well every aspect is performing. Data analysis can significantly aid the airport in achieving this goal. 

Data gathered from daily Part 139 inspections could be utilized to see trends on the airfield and perform proactive maintenance to avoid disruptions. Passenger flow information can be examined by detail by separating it by the time of day and day of the week. It can then be viewed from the lens of underlying factors such as seasonal upticks and weather conditions. The information gathered not only can be used for airport staffing but can also be utilized to help concessionaires and parking appropriately prepare for upswings or low periods.

At our local airport, we have experienced food concessionaires closing without taking into account the scores of possibly hungry passengers waiting for delayed flights in the concourse – making it a missed opportunity. Timely information to the concessionaires can help improve their bottom line, the airport’s revenue share, and the overall experience of passengers traveling through the airport. Another common view is when the line from the parking lot snakes through rows waiting to pay at the few manned parking lot kiosks. Closing the loop on flight arrivals, parking lot capacity, and iterating the patterns when the aforementioned scenario occurs can help avoid this from becoming a repetitive occurrence.

If there is a measurable output, it can be dissected and analyzed to help improve your airport operations, better the lives of your employees and passengers, and work with the community to achieve newer and higher goals. With this massive growth of information, airports must to move with the times and wield data as a way to pave the path to a new, informative era.

The Case for Automation and Digitization

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The world is becoming increasingly digitized, moving away from physical stockpiles of information in favor of compact, environmentally friendly, and easily accessible data. Binders and cabinets with documents in silos, spread across an airport can now be accessed easily in one place from any device – off or on the airport.

The time is ripe for airports to consider the benefits of transitioning to an automated system. Inaction can cost an airport more than the price of an automated system, even if the upfront cost seems higher. This concept is important for any business or government entity but especially applies to the complex operations at airports. If airport operations are unable to access critical data in real time, on top of the obvious losses are hidden losses. Even when operations appear to be working as intended, there are always explicit and implicit costs that should be considered.

Airports track explicit costs – which are easily quantified – like the upfront cost of a FIDS system. The hidden or implicit costs are usually more difficult to track but are still an expense nonetheless. Implicit costs are the time that could have been spent elsewhere, potential hours lost, possibilities missed, and dangerous situations left unchecked.

Digitization and automation of timely manual processes are the keys to eliminating an immediate source of implicit losses through real-time interactions. Filing paperwork takes a lot of time and searching through the documents can be even more time consuming. Not having access to these documents when decisions need to be made can further complicate the process by duplication of efforts, such as multiple work orders filed for the same discrepancy. Bringing these to an online system makes all aspects of operations easier, organized, and cost effective – and environmentally friendly as well.

Digitizing information makes it significantly easier to access and organize critical information as well. Airfield inspections can be done from a smartphone out on the tarmac; maintenance can be aware of an airside work order as soon as operations inspector notes the discrepancy; and management efforts can be recorded from the site and read in the office simultaneously. Efficiency is reached when multiple people can access the same records on the same portal, from various devices and locations in the airport.

While digitization helps reduce time and resources by streamlining records, automation helps reduce duplication of efforts. At many airports, the lack of real-time access to relevant data causes airport staff to re-issue a work order or attend to a matter that was already addressed in a prior shift. Automation also aids in communication within and between airport departments. Automated emails have replaced calls to other departments to notify them of an issue, such as a work order. This is not only a time-saving tool but also a valuable communication medium. It keeps all relevant parties constantly on top of critical issues at the airport.

Processes currently done manually will become much more efficient and cost-effective when automated, and allow staff to focus on critical issues affecting the airport. Different airports will have different needs and budgets – but for any airport considering a system to automate their processes, the cost of inaction may very well far exceed the upfront cost of procuring a system.