Technology
Top 10 Airlines by Volume
Year 2010 * 1. Delta / Continental 2. United 3. American 4. Lufthansa 5. Southwest 6. China Southern 7. Ryanair 8. AF/KLM 9. China Eastern 10. USAir *Source –
Airliners.net
Year 2000** 1. United Airlines 2 American Airlines 3 Delta Airlines 4 Northwest 5 British Airways 6 Continental Airlines 7 Air France 8 Japan Airlines 9 Lufthansa 10 USAir **Wikipedia
and the rest of the world’s airlines have seen more dramatic change to their business model in the past 10 years than in the previous 50. The systems that support these businesses have had to change radically to stay ahead. Adapting to these changes while retaining a single source system is a major challenge but essential if the software supplier is to maintain a manageable business. Inflair’s change away from legacy Unix to modern Linux-based systems allowed it to retain the core strength of its original design but provided for on-line and cut-down adaptations. Into the future the company looks to new variations on the original theme. It is focused on retaining the strength built on its legacy but utilising current and future technology including latest Java innovation, ‘Cloud’ technology and making the system usable on hand-held devices. But not so fast; not everyone wants, or
can support, this super-modern technology. Where Inflair is operating in really challenging locations like Ethiopia and Kenya the catering model has remained almost unchanged and weaker technological infrastructures rule out on-line 24/7 reliability and ‘cloud’-based innovation. Inflair has provided new site-based Linux
Main picture, Jeremy makes it happen with some Inflair staff training at Macro Asia Manila, above: Addis Catering in Ethiopia and Delta 767
systems but with an ability to be remotely supported from Support Centres in the UK and Asia. This means a minimum IT presence at site. On-line time windows are scheduled to manage updates and support issues. This also offers peace of mind for the user that everything is in-house and can’t be disrupted.
“There is always a magic balance to be struck by what is seen as essential in a system and what is actually cost-effective”
In Europe, US, Central America and the Caribbean however, the changes to the caterer mode of business have been dramatic. Models have changed to virtually zero in-house catering. It’s all about logistics, as demonstrated by the emergence of DHL on the scene. For such places Inflair developed a fully online and simple ordering/billing system. It is also discussing with Goddard Catering Group radical changes to its individual sites to ‘corporatise’ the systems for more centralised control across the Caribbean at its Miami HQ. In Asia/India and the Middle East the story is mixed, so the range of features has to match the needs of the region. For these locations Inflair offers a shopping list of features from which clients may choose which best suits
their needs. And there is always the magic balance between what is seen as essential in a system and what is actually cost-effective. Often this is where Users, Finance and IT departments fall out! We can legitimately criticise the airline industry, and the catering sector in particular, for a lack of standardisation. Much has been achieved to make things as standard as possible but it is still hugely fragmented. I recall as late as 2002 seeing a fully automated unit and a week later, on another continent, seeing a unit using a Ramp Loading Sheet. “Your system’s gotta produce this!” they shrieked. It was a ‘TWA Dining Form’. In small letters top left was ©TWA1948. Almost 10 years on and in some cases little has changed. To highlight the differences look at DHL-LHR, Emirates Catering and NAS catering, Nairobi. Each delivers to the same airlines, arguably to the same levels of quality, but NAS makes 99% of all product in-house mostly by hand, EK has a highly automated production line and DHL makes no food at all. Providing integrated software to suit all
three would be impossible – and Inflair is the first to agree with that. However, for the vast majority of caterers, a single source integrated system is a cost-effective solution to a lot of in-house problems. Airline caterers, whether standalone, members of a medium-sized group, or part of a huge network are basically all doing the same thing. Unlike off-shelf SAP-style business systems, which soon become costly and require teams of IT people to run, Inflair is designed specifically for this business. It’s also designed to be operated by non-IT savvy users. There is virtually no customisation needed and training, support and maintenance are a lot easier, reducing costs significantly. So, into the future! The Good Old Days are
sadly gone. Airlines don’t look like standardising their catering models anytime soon, and Inflair anticipates even more radical changes to business models. It is committed to providing innovative, cost-effective business systems to support tomorrow’s airline caterers.
www.inflairsoft.com
www.onboardhospitality.com 53
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