Answer

A Business Trip to Brussels

1. Identify all the micro operations and their activities which are mentioned.

The micro operations are categorised in 'order of appearance' in Attachment 1. In class this stage can be missed, going straight on to the analysis matrix. For assessed work both steps would probably be used.

2. Classify them in accordance with the structure in Table 1.5.

Refer to Attachment 2. Starting with the blank matrix, and filling it out on the board or overhead projector is a really good way of getting interaction with a big class early on a course. Everyone has an opinion, and there is a lot of debate about where each activity should fit. Often, of course, there are many places to put some activities, so we may decide to classify only dominant types of processing. In each case ask what is being processed (material, information, customers) and how is it being transformed to give value-added. The downside of this approach is the time it will take: allow at least half an hour for about 20 activities filled in.

3. Which of these micro operations were most affected by the severe weather?

The case study describes the effects of severe weather on the daily micro operations within the airport. All the micro operations listed in Question 1 have a challenge to meet due to the weather conditions, but in the majority of cases this is not caused directly by the weather. Rather, the severe weather affects some micro operations which in turn cause problems in other micro operations. This creates an operational 'chain reaction', which is illustrated in Attachment 3.

Air Traffic Control (ATC) reacts to the severe weather first by closing and later reopening the airfield. This micro operation then uses the limited flexibility of its operations by rescheduling aircraft take-off and landing slots. Meanwhile, on the airfield itself, runway clearance and de-icing operations commence as a direct consequence of the severe weather.

The ongoing rescheduling of the flights has consequences for information processing operations (general flight information, inter-airport communications and customer announcements) and operations involved in aircraft turnaround. ATC cannot, however, break the safety rules for separation of aircraft, and often increases effective capacity by batching groups of landings and then of takeoffs. One may therefore assume that many flights have been compacted, shortening the time between them.

Consequently, many operations have to increase their speed and flexibility to meet this challenge.

The micro operations affected are inflight catering, aviation refuelling, baggage handling, cabin cleaning, servicing units, technical maintenance, passenger/crew transport, departure gate control, check-in desk, and push-off tractors.

Further consequences of ATC's rescheduling are flight delays. This means that capacity within the airport is stretched - more people are waiting in the airport for flights, so this area becomes a bottleneck.

A number of micro operations are affected by an increase in people (WIP). This can be a problem - for example, airport catering facilities need to increase the speed and flexibility of their operations to increase the volume of customers served. There may also be a shortage of seating in departure lounges. However, this situation can also be advantageous, as trade will increase for catering and retail facilities. Frustrated customers may complain more, taking scarce capacity away from more serving.

In this case, the micro operations affected are customer waiting areas, customer transportation, airport catering, shops, first aid, airport cleaning, border control, customs, left luggage, flight information desk and customer announcements.

Rescheduled flights and flight delays are not necessarily caused by the severe weather. Other causes could be ATC strikes or technical problems. Similarly, flight delays will increase the number of people waiting in the terminal, but this can also occur for other reasons, e.g. busy holiday periods.Therefore, the micro operations which are most affected by the severe weather are those which are affected directly - Air Traffic Control, de-icing and runway clearance.

4. Approximately how many different organizations are involved in delivering the goods and services described in this report?

It appears that there is a different organization for each micro operation listed in question 1. The table below, although by no means exhaustive, lists the majority. What are the implications of this?

a) The airport appears to operate as a co-operative between a number of different organizations which are located in the same area. The airport itself will have some overall management, but this will not be directly responsible for all the separate organizations. Consequently, co-operation between all the organizations is necessary to ensure the macro operation of the airport itself is effective.

b) Despite all of the organizations forming part of the airport macro operation, each organization has its own individual objective. These objectives may sometimes conflict. For example, the objective of the Air Traffic Control organization could be to ensure that all flights safely leave and land on time

with minimal disruption to the crew, passengers and technical staff, and the objective of a gift shop would be to maximise profits. In the case study, Air Traffic Control has failed to meet its objectives because the weather has caused flight delays, yet the gift shop may have increased its sales for the day because the delay has resulted in more passengers waiting in the terminal.

c) The typical passenger may be unaware of the number of separate organizations involved in the airport macro operation, seeing each micro operation as an indication of the level of service in the airport itself. Therefore, if a particular organization fails to meet its objectives, this will reflect on the customer's perception of service in the airport as a whole. For example, the writer of the case study may identify the service at Brussels Airport in general as being careless because they slipped on spilt coffee, rather than associating the problem with just the cleaning company.

 

Footnote:

Although not specifically included in the questions, the tutor could use this case to discuss the Input-Transformation-Output model for each micro operation. When we teach it now at Warwick we also look at the key performance objectives of some different micro operations. For example (not a comprehensive list):

Speed (responsiveness) is critical: Fire service First aid De-icing services

Dependability is critical: Air Traffic Control Customer conveyors Baggage handling

Quality (conformance to process and specification) is critical: Check-ins Refuelling Inflight food preparation

Flexibility is critical (because of wide range of outputs required): Information desk Aircraft servicing Airport police Cost is critical: Economy in-flight catering Certain retailers (newsagent, fast food) Cleaning services

This list is not intended to suggest that there are not sets of important objectives for each operation: it is just intended to illustrate and debate

differences. Students generally find it to be a good illustration of the theme in Chapter 2.

Attachment 1 - Micro Operations and Activities (order of appearance in case)

Micro operation Activity/activities Type*

Passenger inflight info Information passed to passengers from pilot during flight (e.g. reporting of flight delays)

I C

Air Traffic Control Control and diversion of air traffic during landing and take-off.

I M

Runway clearance Clearing snow and ice from apron, taxiways and runways.

M

De-icing De-icing aircraft. M Inflight catering Preparing meals and loading onto aircraft. M Aviation refuelling Refuelling of aircraft. M Servicing units** Servicing aircraft water and sanitation units. M Baggage handling Receiving, weighing, labelling luggage;

Security checks;Distribution: loaded onto aircraft, unloaded, delivered to receiving area, storage facilities for unclaimed luggage.

M

Passenger/crew transport Buses from departure gate to aircraft, and from aircraft to arrivals gate.

C

Airport security Maintaining safety of passengers, crew and airport and terminal staff.

I C

Cabin cleaning Cleaning of aircraft cabin and flight deck. M Technical maintenance Pre/post flight checks, minor repairs,

decisions on airworthiness of aircraft.M

Customer waiting areas Departure lounges (landside and airside), executive lounges.

C

Departure gate control Control of departing customers. C Customer transportation Automated walkways and lifts. C Catering (airport) Cafes, bars and restaurants. M C Shops Gift and general shops, duty-free shops. M Passport control Control of departing customers. I First aid First aid to passengers, crew and airport

staff.C

Airport cleaning Cleaning airport. M Taxi rank Transport to Brussels. C City Express (train) Transport to Brussels. C Check-in desk Flight, baggage and ticket control. M I Departure/arrivals display board

Information to passengers. I

Border control Immigration checks (passengers). I Security checks Passenger security audit. C Customs Enforcement of Customs and Excise laws. C Flight information desk Extraordinary information to passengers. I C Airport communications Arranging flight alterations between airports. I Customer announcements

Information to passengers. I C

Push-off tractor Towing aircraft to taxiway. M

M = this activity transforms materialsI = this activity transforms informationC = this activity transforms customersNote * indicates the type of transformation process

** This activity is not explicitly mentioned in the text but could be mentioned in teaching discussions

Attachment 2: Micro Operations and Transformation Processes at Brussels Airport

The organization OperatorAirport catering (including bars, restaurants and cafes)

Private catering company or companies

Shops (concessions) Individual retailers of chainsDuty-free shops Airport authority or concessionAirport cleaning Private cleaning companySecurity Belgian police forceCustoms Belgian Customs and ExciseCheck-in desk Individual airlines (there are many)Departure gate control Individual airlinesPassport/border control Belgian governmentFirst aid Belgian health service or private

companyFlight information desk Individual airlinesCustomer announcements Airport authorityAir Traffic Control Belgian Air Traffic ControlGround Control Belgian Air Traffic ControlAviation refuelling Petroleum companiesServicing units Private company, or airlineInflight catering Individual airlines or contractorsCabin cleaning Private company, or airlineTechnical maintenance AirlineBaggage handling Airport authority or contractors

Physical properties

Informational properties

Possession Location Storage/ accommodation

Physiologicalstate

Psychologicalstate

Material processors

De-icing aircraft; De-icing airfield;Inflight catering;Technical maintenance;Airport catering.

Air Traffic Control.

Aviation refuelling; Shops (including Duty Free);Airport catering.

Runway clearance; Cabin cleaning;Airport cleaning;Servicing units;Baggage handling;Check-in desk;Push-off tractor;Aviation refuelling;Inflight catering. 

Storage for uncollected luggage; Left luggage facilities.*

Veterinary service.*

    not applicable

Informationprocessors

Flight information desk; Customer announcements.

Air Traffic Control; Inter-airport communications.

Weather reports.

Departure/arrivals display board; Flight information desk;Customer announcements;Inter-airport

General flight information stored at airport (e.g. passenger lists, airline schedules, delays, arrivals, departures, etc.)

      not applicable

Announcements.

communications;Passport control;Check-in desk;Border control;Airport security;Customs. Passenger inflight information

Airport securityCustoms

Customerprocessors

Restaurants; Toilets.

   not applicable

Unaccompanied children system.

Passenger/crew transport; Automated walkways and lifts;Taxis;City Express.

Customer waiting areas (airside and landside) e.g. departure lounge, executive lounge.

First aid facilities.

Airport security; Customer announcements;Flight information desk;Passenger inflight information.