Airlines can and should do better in measuring their operational performance including costs, on-time performance, and true value of pricing (linked with passenger experience).
Together with industry reporters (KPI producers) many have mastered the art of deluding the outside world (and themselves) with widely accepted performance measures that say nothing about their company's internal turbulences and business threats destined to emerge at a later stage. The later stage always comes as a surprise, allowing the blame to be shifted to external events or steer internal conflicts, thus allowing problems to accumulate.
Those who truly wish to get a good insight into their business can do so without much effort and huge investments. Measuring and tracking system inefficiencies is a great way to identify, address, and heal deeply hidden wounds across the networked organisation.
Starting with visible systemic problems such as high impact disruption events and getting to know their underlying causes is the best way to initiate the process of healing. Depending on the kind of disease and its stage, this process could sometimes take time, be even painful, but can save lives.
It is up to us to decide whether we want to remain prisoners of the past or to pioneer the future.
Don’t fear uncertainty! It drives innovation.
