Part 1: Enterprise Strategy and Air Canada.
Airlines all over the world make use of information technology to carry out their complex and multiple tasks. These tasks include booking seats, routing passengers, preparing schedules, balancing aircrafts and so on. Air Canada has also been using integrated IT functions and representatives to carry out these tasks smoothly. It has also used informational systems in optimizing its operations to increase productivity. For example, the bidding process at Air Canada uses IT services. This allows pilots and aircraft crew to choose their flights online without any cost to the company.
The case study shows that information system functions at Air Canada gives supports to both front end and back end operations. The front end operations are supported through applications and back end is supported through legacy systems. The front end application based system included website, online check-ins, mobile applications and kiosks. The legacy system gives support through passenger processing system which is very efficient in Air Canada. These two types of systems ae well-integrated by the IT department in order to avoid any inconvenience in operations.
Information systems at Air Canada is focused to provide support to three main units of the company. These are customer service, commercials and operations. The process under each unit are different. Customer service relates to airports, call support, in-flight passenger handling and customer nurturing. Commercials deals with marketing, product placement and distribution and sales handling. Operations unit is concerned with flight scheduling, planning, maintenance and crew handling. All these functions are optimized through information systems at front as well as back ends.
The support provided by information systems of Air Canada brings out best innovative experience for customers. It introduced kiosks in 1998 for interactive computer utilization by customers.
