IMPLEMENTATION MANAGEMENT
Scope of Services:
This section describes our approach with regards to the implementation management of cost reduction programs, restructuring programs or turnaround programs.
Equally important to the earlier on described investigations into improvement potential and the development of the respective planning documents, is to make the changes truly happen. Many airlines fail in this undertaking due to the daily routine, internal red tape, interdepartmental power struggles, shifting priorities, etc.
A successful company-wide performance improvement demands a thorough analysis and planning in the first step. This planning must conclude in a detailed restructuring plan, which should itself become an integral part of the company's business plan. Once this plan achieved Top Management approval, the implementation can start.
It is important to communicate this challenging performance enhancement process within the company and to actively involve the employees. Various sub-projects can and must be conducted in parallel and a professional program management is pre-condition for success. This program management involves a clear definition and later on execution of the right:
- Starting time, duration and end date
- Desired change (including a description of the current status quo, a description of the desired status quo as well as the brief steps to bridge this gap)
- Sequence of sub-project implementation
- Assignment of Responsibilities
- Definition of Measurement (quantification of the measure itself and measurement points and method)
Of similar importance to all these standard program management functions is to celebrate success. The achievement of the first quick wins must be celebrated and achievers can be rewarded for their participation in the realized improvement. This acts as motivation for others and improves the willingness of the staff to participate in generally challenging changes processes.
Duration / Schedule:
Holistic performance enhancement / turnaround / restructuring processes are large-scale programs. The schedule is defined only during the planning and is highly dependent on the assessment and findings.
A timeframe between several months and up to 2 years can be assumed realistic dependent on the identified and desired improvement need.
Deliverables:
There is no standard deliverable for such a project, as it is fully dependent on the assessment findings. In general, one could define the project management capabilities and aviation expertise as the deliverable to master the identified need for change.
Why should you go for it?
Aviation business is on the one side a boys dream come true, but on the other hand a financial advisors nightmare. Operational margins of 1 - 3 % in good years (industry average) are constantly beaten by all kinds of conservative and secure banking investments. The past years have shown the negative impact of any kind of global crisis, disease, conflict, etc. on this already weak margin. If one adds the usual business risks, fierce competition and even many management decisions taken in environments of full uncertainty, one easily understands the financial struggle a majority of carriers are constantly facing.
Accumulation of debts and cash flow problems are rather the standard than the exception. However, day to day operations and the challenge to achieve profitability and cope with all the short notice challenges do not allow line management to put enough focus on a thorough performance improvement / restructuring effort. This fact combined with the need for experience with similar situations from a variety of other carriers in different environment supports the decision for an externally supported performance enhancement / restructuring effort.
Our team will allow our clients top management to concentrate on the core business while decisions are prepared thoroughly for review and final execution. Our broad experience combined with a fresh view and understanding of the market environment are key factors for success. Know-how will be transferred to the clients' staff throughout the entire project and low hanging fruits for improvement will be harvested right away.
Feuerherd Aviation Consulting GmbH can act as your partner in making change happen. We are there for our clients from the initial analysis up to the final implementation and thus we naturally offer to accompany our clients through the challenging implementation process also. Such services can be based on a lump sum payment schedule or a mutually agreed partly success based payment model.
