During the most recent PTE event, we talked a lot about a single version of the truth. That’s also logic as in many airports there is no such thing. When one of my colleagues last flew to the UK via Switzerland his airline operator shared his expected departure time via mobile but much to his surprise this was different than the time published on the FIDS system of the airport and often you can find a third time with one of the stakeholders that needs to prepare the airplane.

This is just one example and it often shows that to many stakeholders have to many different interests and look at their version of the truth which doesn’t help to create a concerted approach. Combine this with so many different IT systems and applications at the airport – often unaligned – and we are far of a simple version of the truth. An efficient airport is an airport where all stakeholders closely work together to solve common challenges, work in a uniform way and by doing so achieve the jointly agreed KPI’s. The result of this is that turn-around time can be shortened and passengers can leave and arrive on time. To achieve this, all stakeholders not only need to agree to achieve common KPI’s, they also need to make sure that they agree on the rules whenever delays are incurred by each and anyone so all other stakeholders are informed in a unique way via the same tooling and can try to recuperate the time lost.

The one version of the truth principle is not unachievable, a strong team of stakeholders that all want to achieve the same thing has always been the winning concept for every successful project, development or innovation. So why then has it been so difficult in an airport setting?

1. Many systems but not one able to give the full overview
2. Each team its own KPI’s and objectives
3. No strategy nor willingness for collaboration
4. The “have always done it like this” syndrome
5. No solid project management to make stakeholders work together

To create one version of the truth, collaboration is the first thing, the willingness to work together to achieve common goals and make sure planes arrive and leave on time.

Achieving common targets and goals is not a one off thing, it’s a constant work in progress which requires all stakeholders to keep their momentum and agree to never let go of the drive for further improvements.

EMMA Systems can help by bringing all actors together, create the right centralized system bringing all the data together and report on both the milestones and how these are supported by each stakeholder. Interested? Contact us via info@emma.aero.

• There needs to be a clear process accepted by all and a system to track how well we are doing and where we should improve
• The stakeholders need to make sure to inform all others about changes to agreed schedules so everyone can adapt and help to compensate for time lost
• All stakeholders need to work closely together to review and adapt
• The airport needs to make all activities and KPIs visible to all so all are motivated to keep efforts up to achieve the common targets.