Lufthansa: Taking mobile Computing to the Skies While Keeping the
Mobile Workshop Connected
Lufthansa, an aviation industry has the challenge to train its busy pilots about latest technologies and
procedures and provide them with all sorts of information they need to perform their task with due
concern to cost. This case is about how they managed to overcome this challenge through the
effective use of mobile computing and what their futures plans are regarding mobile services in their
flights in order to increase their profitability and productivity of their costumer.
1) Business organizations today should come up with something new and ideal to become distinct and
stand out in the crowd. In this competitive business environment making the best use of technological
innovations in order to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the business is one of the greatest
challenge of an organization. It’s a challenge to identify the best available technology as per the
nature and financial status of organization and implement it in order to increase the efficiency of
organization. While adopting new technology there should be the proper consideration of its
implications and outcomes. As it’s said in the passage technology and price may not be the only thing
that determines the success of the service. So other things directly or indirectly related with it as well
are to be considered. Deciding to go for something new is a challenge in itself and facing the
challenges and overcoming them is the business culture. So, yes lots of organizations today are facing
the challenges similar to the challenge faced by Lufthansa and every organization has its particular
way of looking at a problem and solving it. For example, Nepali Film industry has the challenge to
compete with Hollywood and Bollywood movies in terms of technology and other aspects in order to
survive and grow in this global market considering the costumers choice and increasing technological
innovations. Today challenge of the industry is to make its every aspect more systematic and advance
making the proper use of information technology considering the cost factor, for the increased quality
of its products.
2) What other tangible and intangible benefits, beyond those identified by Lufthansa, might
a mobile workforce enjoy a result of deploying mobile technologies? Explain
Technologies are developed to enhance productivity of the organization. Mobile technologies are even
more helpful to those who do lots of travelling and don’t have enough time. Mobile workforce needs to
have a technology that is fast, accurate, informative, reliable and easy to carry. As explained in the
paragraph, mobile workforce enjoys the benefit of Productivity, Convinence and Flexibility from the
use of mobile technologies. Besides, there are several other benefits that mobile workforce can get
from mobile technologies. Some of them are explained below:
Costumer satisfaction: In flights people are not supposed to use networking devices and facilities.
When flights would be providing internet facilities, especially those people travelling for business
purpose can have the benefit of internet in flights and proceed with their work which would ultimately
increase the productivity of consumer resulting costumer satisfaction.
Increased Confidence Level of Crew: Since there would be all the information’s required, available with
them crew would feel more confident about their operation.
Better working environment: All the pilots would be clearly aware about their position and their
operation that would ensure a better working environment for both pilots and costumers.
Accuracy and reliability: Data’s and Information’s Provided from the same channels would be the
same, so there would be less chance of conflicts resulting the accuracy and reliability of their
performance.
Increased profitability: With sophisticated and productive flying experience people would be willing to
pay more for the tickets resulting goodwill and profitability of the business.
3) Lufthansa was clearly taking a big risk with their decision to deploy notebook computers
to their pilots. What steps did they take to manage that risk and what others might be
needed in today’s business environment? Provide some examples.
Indeed Lufthansa was taking a very big risk by taking the decision to provide notebook computers to
their pilots and using internet facilities in their airplanes. They had been very thoughtful about the
feedback they would be getting and were very positive towards the outcomes of their decision so they
were prepared with very efficient plan and foolproof strategy because of which, decision went in favor
of them. As for the internet facilities in airplane they performed survey and looked out for the
possibility of the success of this facility from a very critical viewpoint. They are very particular about
their idea and are doing very good feasibility study to support their idea. So may be they will be able
to overcome this challenge as well.
The steps they followed in order to manage the risk are:
*They valued the power of pilots union and were flexible enough to consider their demand.
*They found the best possible alternative and made sure that it doesn’t increases the overall
controlling cost of the organization.
*They made workforce comfortable with their decision, which increased the productivity of its pilots,
increasing the productivity of the organization in total.
*They watch out for the sample first, so that before implementing it they were sure about the
effectiveness of their decision.
*They studied what consumer thinks bout their plan by conducting survey, which ensured the
practicality of their idea.
In today’s business environment something more is to be considered in order to manage the risks:
*Competitors and their decision as well are to be looked after.
*Safety measures and productivity of the decision in long run as well is to be analyzed properly.
*Reliability of the survey conducted and study made is to be checked properly in order to minimize
risks.