Using data and valuable insights to support efficient airport operations

The customer need

Our client, a major international airport, recognised that a Data and Insights strategy, framework and controls will deliver significant benefits across their business. Our client was looking for immediate progress, initially with improved reporting using dashboards to support executive decision making and strengthen operations.

Our approach

Our approach is based on DFP’s “Data and Insights Maturity Framework” which diagnoses and equips organisations to both develop and significantly improve their Data and Analytics capabilities.  The framework consists of 4 phases as follows:

1. Gather: focuses on the processes to identify, acquire and derive information at all levels of the organisation’s value chain.
2. Manage: the data management task to ensure the storage selection and design, as well as the data format and availability, are suited for operational reporting through to deeper, scientific data analysis.
3. Analyse: the use of routine data analysis as well as data science techniques to extract deep insights from the data. Insights take the form of predictions, identification of clusters or anomalies, and classification of structures within the data.
4. Actionable Insights: the use of the insights gained from the Analyse phase to ensure tangible business benefits, by providing decision support in the form of actionable insights to unlock customer and business value.

Deliverable

In order for our client to leverage its information resources more effectively, we completed a ‘rapid discovery’ and documented the current state data environment. This included details the tools used and data domains, including an outline of the data types within each domain.  We also provided an initial view of the business requirements for data use and key reporting, along with a ‘high level’ gap analysis of the data required versus the data that was available.  

Using this output we developed a sufficiently detailed roadmap which:

• Identified a number of “quick wins”, readily implementable and of significant value to the organisation.
• Identified a number of substantial cost savings through the more sophisticated use of current data sources.
• Defined the Data Framework that identified the tools, architectural requirements, key process dependencies, ‘data lifecycle management’ considerations, governance, key resources and business practice changes needed.
• Finally, we developed the initial roadmap which described the enablers, change management phases and prioritised business outcomes.

The results

Our client achieved a significant level of forward momentum on their leverage of data:

• Twelve business/support unit opportunities identified where operations can be significantly improved through the better use of data and insights.
• Of the twelve, we identified five “quick win” opportunities (delivered within 3 months), prioritised according to value/complexity/timeframe to implement. 
• We identified the Data Domains and aligned these to key operational focus points. 
• Finally, we developed a high-level road map to establish an Enterprise Data Platform program – designed to move beyond the identified “quick wins” to deliver on-going tangible benefits to the organisation.