4 Signs You Could Benefit From a Software Assessment

As airlines touch down in a digital landscape powered by artificial intelligence (AI), those hoping to stand out are eager to harness this emerging technology.?

But before embracing this digital shift, airlines will need to consider whether their existing systems are up to the task. Many rely on systems that have been in place for decades. If existing systems won’t manage, leaders must then decide whether enterprise modernisation is the way forward.??

Traditionally, the risk to operations has been a major concern for airlines striving for modernisation. However, with careful, planned and prioritised change management – supported by the right tools – modernisation can be achieved, without the risk.?

The first step is a software assessment – a deep dive into existing systems and dependencies to identify opportunities.??

So, how do you know whether a software assessment is right for your organisation? We’ve rounded up four signs to help you make that decision.??

1. You’re facing implementation and integration challenges?

Airlines have worked tirelessly to keep pace with emerging technologies by evolving their legacy systems, adding, and bolting on additional applications wherever possible. However, in some cases, modern technology and software simply are not compatible with these outdated systems. When that happens, it can lead to implementation and integration challenges.??

In the new AI-powered market, airlines are leveraging this technology to provide customers with personalised, tailored experiences while also driving operational efficiency. Those that can’t effectively integrate this technology due to legacy system limits risk falling behind.?

Of course, no airline wants to entirely change its system – with such complexity it would be a time-consuming, costly endeavour and put the operation at risk. Instead, a software assessment can help evaluate an organisation’s systems and identify areas of opportunity for modernisation, allowing the business to prioritise according to value while minimising risk.?

2. Opportunities are being missed?

With integration challenges, some airlines are missing opportunities. Whether it’s the chance to offer modern payment methods, upgrade the customer experience, improve and optimise operations or develop fresh revenue streams with a marketplace model, airlines rely on their systems to support new investments and projects. If you are consistently unable to leverage these opportunities, it could be your technology stack that’s to blame.??

A software assessment is like receiving an x-ray of IT systems, identifying which areas are limiting potential. By upgrading the right applications and ensuring the correct architecture is in place, airlines can confidently embrace new opportunities, certain their systems can support them.??

3. There is a lack of clarity??

It’s crucial to have a good understanding of your systems and their health. Without it, executives cannot hope to make confident decisions or anticipate potential problems. Outdated or incomplete documentation, fragmented systems, and the inability to assess scalability all limit an organisation’s ability to grow and seize new opportunities. This lack of clarity can also cause customer-facing problems, leading to a poor user experience.??

Rather than avoiding the problem, it is better to face these blind spots head on. A software assessment offers a comprehensive evaluation of your systems, so you can identify the technologies in place, dependencies, and performance, allowing you to strive for operational resilience and efficiency.??

4. Systems overlap inefficiently?

With some airlines relying on systems that have been in place for more than 20 years, it is expected that additional applications and software have been added over time. With each addition, the system grows increasingly complex, made worse when departments within the organisation adopt their own strategies.??

Over time, this can lead to systems and applications overlapping in functionality. While not detrimental to operations, having overlap often means some processes are unnecessary, i inefficient, and cost heavy. Training staff on various redundant systems is time-consuming and expensive, and it can lead to errors and inconsistencies in information across platforms. This can lead to the problem of redundant and repetitive data which then sparks the need for a data rationalisation effort.?

If you’ve noticed a tangled web of overlapping software, it’s time to get clarity on which applications and systems are vital, which can be removed, and which may need modernising. An assessment can provide all the insight needed to get started.??

Pre-flight checks for transformation?

According to our research with IDC, 60% of business leaders who believed their digital transformation investment was wasted said they would have been better off fixing known problems within existing systems.??

Whether leveraging the latest in AI technology or improving your customer experience, decision-makers must have confidence in their systems before setting off on a transformative project. To achieve this, a clear and comprehensive understanding of the existing technology is vital.??

To learn more about how software assessment provides a deep understanding of your existing systems, processes and operations, download our whitepaper: Building a Strong Foundation: Modernising Core Systems in Aviation?