Overcoming Crew Scheduling Challenges in an Airline Merger

Challenge

After the acquisition of an airline, the client faced the task of integrating a crew scheduling system to accommodate 3,000 new flight crew members. This required a merger of pilot and flight attendant unions– each with unique work rules, infrastructure, and business systems. A smoothly operating crew scheduling system helps ensure efficiently staffed flights. Failure to do so has operational and guest experience impacts (crews being displaced on connecting routes or illegal to work per FAA/contract rules). Furthermore, managing the work schedule is a critical employee experience concern, and having confidence that the combined system would gracefully facilitate the bidding and managing of schedules was not a forgone conclusion given the challenges the client faced when launching their scheduling system 2.5 years earlier. Compounding matters, a failed previous attempt to roll out this scheduling system and upcoming union negotiations made the success of the project highly visible to executive leadership.

Action/Solution

Forum was brought in to lead the system integration. Using a comprehensive approach and partnering with internal teams across the program helped to drive effective progress and document results. Forum Associates took on key leadership roles within the business requirements, testing, learning development & training and data analysis and program leadership teams and identified and implemented strong organizational processes throughout each phase of the program.   

Result

Ultimately, Forum’s work with the client was instrumental in delivering a smooth cutover between systems for both flight crews. Many of the prior bugs/feature requests within the original scheduling program were addressed in tandem with the integration efforts, to the delight of the executive leaders and end-users alike. 

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