ASSIGNMENT

BUS-650
Operation Management
Provakar Deb
1421743660

1. Identify some of the micro-operations to be found at the airport. For each one:
a)

Identify the transforming and transformed resources

b)

State which is the predominant transformed resource

c)

Describe the output of each micro-operation and say who you think its customers are

Micro Operation
Air Ticket
Refueling

Main
Transformed
Resources
Ticket
Fuel

Air Craft Cleaning

Plane

Baggage
Handling
Security Checks

Baggage

Information Desk

Information and
Queries

Information Staff

Building
Maintenance

Building

Maintenance
Worker

Passenger

Main
Transforming
Resources
Ticketing Staff
Fuel Refueling
Staff
Cleaner
Baggage Handling
Staff
Security Staff

Output
Correct Ticket
Full the Plane
Tank with Fuel
Clean Plane
Baggage reach
destination
Safe Passenger
and Plane
Proper
Information
Provided
Nice and Solid
Building

Customer
Passenger
Airline Staff
Passenger and
Airline Staff
Passenger
Passenger
Passenger and
Visitor
Users of the
building

2. Summarise the job of the operations director. What are the main issues/problems he faces
in managing the airport?
The job of the operations director is to supervise and manage about 600 of the BIA employees,
manage day-to-day airports operations, develop short and medium-term operational planning and
plan for long-term design and development of the airport.
He needs to ensure smooth day-to-day operations in and also outside of the terminal, make the
operation as efficient as possible, make a real difference to both passengers and airlines; and
continually improvement to encourage inward investment and exports.
The main issues he faces in managing the airport is about the decision making. These include:i.

Managing and developing the airports operations

ii.

Handling emergency situations such as fire, evacuations, bomb threats, ill passengers and
even deaths in the terminal

iii.

Efficient allocation of resources especially when things go wrong for example schedule fall
apart because of plan delays or mechanical problems

iv.

Agreeing slot allocations with different airline companies

v.

Planning of new building projects what and when to build, to ensure that the terminal is
able to handle the growing passengers

3. What do you think Richard Heard actually does each day (how does he spend his time)?
The task of Richard Heard include:i.

Managing and provide leadership the operations team that work at the airport to ensure
smooth operations in and also outside of the terminal.

ii.

Overlook the long term planning and development i.e. construction of new building,
catering outlets, car parks, people mover.

iii.

Provide leadership and co-ordination for the other organisations in the terminal such as
airlines, handling agents, retailers, cargo handlers.

iv.

Co-ordination and setting the safety and customer service standards for everyone adhere
to

v.

Ensure effective operational planning for efficient allocation of infrastructure to the

airlines

vi.

Developing and implementing safety management systems to cope up with emergency

situations such as fire, evacuations, bomb threats, ill passengers and even deaths in the
terminal

vii.

Ensure there are plan in place to deal with the day-to-day problems, such as changing stand
allocations when delays occur or arranging snow clearance where there is sudden fall

4. Discuss the relationship between the day-to-day tasks and the long-term issues and
explain how Richard manages to oversee both at the same time?
Long-term operational planning is about making the day-to-day operation as efficient as possible.
Good processes and procedures need to be in placed so that everyone know what to do in their dayto-day tasks, these processes and procedures are not something that people can make it up on the
spot, it has to be thought through and tried and tested.
Planning for the runways maintaining and agreeing slot allocations with the airlines will let the
plane take off and land as per schedule because the operation team know their own task, e.g. who

is going to get the air bridges, who is going to get certain stands and who is going to have their
passengers bused to the terminal at peak times.
Implementing of safety management systems and keep the fire crew fully trained is important
when the emergency situations such as fires, evacuations, bomb threats, ill passengers and even
deaths happen in the terminal. The terminal duty manager needs to know how to deal with these
emergency situations, know what to do when passengers report that they have seen someone
acting suspiciously and when passenger try to take prohibited items through security.
Planning of new building projects such as new catering outlets, car parks and people mover system
is to ensure the terminal has enough capacity and resources to handle the growing passenger rate
day-to-day.
Richard manages to oversee both at the same time because he has different managers to help him
in managing the day-to-day terminal operations and operational planning. The terminal managers
job is to sort out the day-to-day operational problems in the terminal for example, ensure that the
passenger, catering people and information services people are informed when schedules fall apart
because of plane delays or diversions; and deal with major incidents like bomb threats or stranded
passengers at the airport. The terminal managers work 24x7 with one senior manager overseeing
each shift.
Operations duty manager is the equivalent of the terminal duty managers that look after the
airfield side. His job is to deal with the day-to-day problem such as changing stand allocations when
delays occur or arranging snow clearance if there is a sudden fall.
Richard has the weekly communication meetings with the terminal managers, operations duty
managers and operational planning department to ensure that his teams have a great
understanding of everyones problems and there is an excellent spirit of cooperation.