It took a while until I understood what they really wanted to know. Because actually this question wasn’t aiming for benefits or advantages of an airline KPI dashboard. The question was focused on practical use cases. Or in other words: Where, in which areas, in which departments should we use a KPI dashboard?
That’s why I thought it’s time for a blog post to answer that question. Therefore, I put together use cases from existing clients and came up with 8 departments or areas that can highly benefit from an airline operations KPI dashboard.
Use Case #1: Operations Control
Let’s start with the obvious one. Operations Control or Network Control certainly is the number one department when it comes to operations KPI dashboard.
Although there are still OCC’s without any live dashboards and KPIs, an increasing number of airlines start to equip their OCC’s with KPI dashboards.
OCC directly benefits since they are the ones who have to be aware of what is going on in operations. And there’s no better tool to achieve that than an operations KPI dashboard.
Use Case #2: Crew Terminal
Many airlines have a dedicated crew terminal or specific entrance for flight and cabin crew. This is a perfect place for a large screen showing the current operational performance together with KPIs and curated information. It helps the crew already when starting their shift to get a comprehensive overview of today’s operations and help them to the right focus.
I’ve personally worked with many airlines that have equipped their crew entry point with one or more screens to show their current performance. And the feedback they’ve received from flight and cabin crew is always more than positive.
Use Case #3: Briefing Rooms
Besides the Crew Terminal, it is of great benefit to equip crew briefing rooms with KPI dashboards. Thus, the crew has the additional possibility to check current operations, limitations, and performance right before they start their shift or flight.
In this context, it is often helpful to slightly narrow the information towards the respective flight event — but still, a comprehensive overview is super useful at this stage.
Use Case #4: Maintenance Operations & Maintenance Staff
From my experience, I often observed that maintenance is slightly separated from an airline’s operations information flow. Undoubtedly, it depends on the maintenance station and if maintenance is performed by your airline or by a 3rd party provider.
Nonetheless, especially at your most important bases or your hub, it makes sense to equip your maintenance provider with a reduced view on your operations KPI dashboard. Of course, you don’t have to provide all detailed information — but a basic set helps them to assess situations better and act beneficially.
Use Case #5: Ground Handler Staff Room
Similar to maintenance, especially at your most important bases or your hub, it makes sense to equip your ground handling provider with a reduced view on your operations KPI dashboard.
Use Case #6: Flight Operations
Flight Operations, which holds accountability for all flights, should undoubtedly be aware of what is happening right now. Detailed flight information and KPIs should be a matter of course for this department.
Use Case #7: Customer Care Center
The department, which is dealing with your passengers, whenever problems or complaints occur. And I’ve personally seen a lot of customer care centers that have access to a lot of external information.
They have a news channel and a weather channel. Different newspapers and all of this external stuff but what they are lacking is access to real-time information about their operations.
It definitely helps them to improve their way of communicating with the customer because they know what is going on within the airline within the operations. So you should definitely equip your customer care center with a large TV screen or a Videowall.
Or give them access in any other way to your real-time dashboard and to real-time KPIs in order to enable them to know what is going on and to be aware of the current situation.
Use Case #8: Management & Executive Office
Finally, you should definitely equip your executive offices with an operations KPI dashboard. Let them be aware of what is happening.
What Do You Think?
Aways happy to receive feedback and your opinions! Just hit me up on Twitter or get in touch with me on LinkedIn.
