Case Study #6 - case PDF

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Predicting Airplane Arrivals More Accurately

ADM 2372

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1. What type of problem would you classify the arrival time of commercial airplanes into (structured, semi-structured, unstructured)? Justify your answer. There are many factors that affect the arrival time of airplanes including the time pressure to arrive, predetermined arrival times and various environmental reasons. As such, the arrival time of planes is a semi-structured problem and thus contains aspects of both unstructured and structured problems. An unstructured problem can be defined as one whereby “human intuition and judgement often play an important role” (Rainer, 2017, p. 334). Moreover, the intelligence, design and choice are not predetermined and do not have a defined, standard solution (IGI Global, n.d.). The case cites wind and weather as the top two causes of flight delays. Therefore, when the pilot decides the speed of the plane and makes adjustments based on the weather conditions, such as wind and weather, that is unstructured decision making. The human intuition required by the pilot to change the speed, which affects the arrival time, makes this an unstructured problem. Furthermore, a structured problem is one that has best practices and a standard solution (IESE, n.d ). The creation of a flight plan is an example of a structured problem as many factors must be controlled such as the cost of delays, fuel, the speed and more. Since there is a predetermined schedule and routine, the problem is structured. However, the deviations from the plan, which are unstructured, make it a semi- structured problem.

3. Using the decision-making process in Figure 12.1, analyze the problem of scheduling plane departures? Intelligence phase ● It is very difficult for airlines to know when flights will arrive at their destination and or when they will depart because of varying reasons (Rainer, 2017). ● Delays are caused by many unpredictable causes like environmental conditions and human errors and are therefore hard to prepare in order to avoid such issues (Rainer, 2017).

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● Pilots may depart on time, but then have to take a different flight plan than what was planned because of unprecedented reasons, causing a longer flight time and a delayed arrival (Rainer, 2017).

Design phase ● Use IT to help improve airline on-time performance. ● Enforce strict arrival times for customers to prevent no shows and avoid slowing down departures. ● Use the algorithm that the winning Singaporean team used to estimate flight arrival times more accurately (Rainer, 2017). ● Use the data from the second contest that found the most efficient flight routes and speeds (Rainer, 2017).

Choice phase ● Using a combination of our options, we can create software and services that incorporate both the algorithm that the winning Singaporean team used in the first contest and the data from the winning model of the second contest. This will allow us to accurately estimate flight arrival times as well as understand which are the most efficient flight routes, speeds, and altitudes.

4. What information systems could be used to help in the decision-making process? Hint: break your analysis into each stage of the decision-making process in Figure 12.1. Intelligence phase ● Find an information system that can help with the decision-making process. ● Appropriate information systems can organize a company’s database and provide guidance for future decisions. ● Ensure that the company makes the correct decisions by providing accurate and up-to-date information(Rainer, 2017).

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Design phase ● Customer relationship management (CRM) collects customers behaviour and other information on their digital footprint and stores all this information in a single location to be easily accessed (Quain, 2018). This could be used to keep track of a customer's flight habits. The CRM can be used to review a customer’s arrival time and check in time to give a sense of how late or on time they will be to help factor in to the amount of time a flight might be delayed. ● Management information systems (MIS) allows managers to create reports of expenses, time wasted on plans that could not depart on time, and money spent paying for the crew cost and such (Rainer, 2017). This allows them to see areas that need improvements in the business operation and ways to better exploit others (Quain, 2018). ● Executive information systems (EIS) help executives make important decisions by analyzing company wide-data without having to search through more information and to make these decisions quickly (Quain, 2018).

Choice phase ● CRM would prove as the best option to implement for it is able to gather information on customers as human error is said to be one of the main causes of inaccurate airplane departures and arrivals. Using this information can get airlines to give notices to those customers that are constantly the reason for the late departures warning and letters that encourage them to arrive on time or else punishments can be placed to save the company from the millions of dollars that would be lost from expenses (Quain, 2018; Rainer, 2017).

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Work Cited Quain, S. (2018, May 14). Types of Information Systems in a Business Organization. https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/role-management-information-systems-decision-maki ng-1826.html Rainer, R. K. (2017). Introduction to Information Systems  (4th ed.)(pp. 235-236). John Wiley & Sons (Canada). What is Unstructured Problem. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/unstructured-problem/31056 What is well structured problem? definition and meaning. (n.d.). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/well-structured-problem.html

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