'Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines\r'

'Optimizing Pilot mean and preparation for Continental Airlines Summary Continental Airlines is the fifth largest conveyline based on passenger book of account in United States. It furnishs over 1,100 daily flying services to five continents. Effective manpower mean is a key component for the success of Continental Airlines. It is essential for Airline Company to adjust its deprivation for pilots constantly in contrastive position in response to impertinent market opportunities, changing passenger demand, acquisition and retirement of aircraft and rearing resources and evolving economic conditions. on that pointfore, the confederacy collected culture from several separate database forms and construct the facts of life plans by victimisation spreadsheet. However, this development order was clock time consuming and complicated and the database apply was non capable for preparation plan as it was make use ofd for more 10 years. In order for answer the complic ated, large-scale pilot planning and education political course of study and increasing the competitive advantage in air transportation market, Continental Airlines replaced the old database remains and spreadsheets by the cabal Resource-Solver integrated decision- rear system.It includes four main modules to turn staffing, vacation, planning and readiness. The staff-administration module and vacation-administration module maintain lot records including only current and past assignments, absences and training enchantment the planning-optimization module and training optimization module provides information of pilot-planning and training functions (Yu, Pachon, Thengv solely, Chandler and Wilson 2004). Generally, Continental Airlines uses system bid portion out to determine the inescapably of staff changing to varied positions and handle the pilots’ requests to change positions.It mainly uses higher rank-based rules for decision making. In an average system bid aw ard, 15 to 20 percent of the air passage’s pilots receive new positions. As long with system bid award, the Crew Resource-Solver system basis build the training curriculum that establishes the timing of training, advancements, releases, and new pilot hires. The Crew Resource-Solver system includes two phase to solve the pilot training problem. The pilot-transitioning phase determines the timing of pilot transitions by apply limited information about training capacities to recoil the number of pilots appoint to training.The training-class-scheduling phase produces the detailed training schedule taking as input the resolving power from the pilot transitioning phase. As a result, the training syllabus contains a set of detailed training schedules including all training events for separately student and each training resource. The training course must satisfy all the constraints set by Continental Airlines such as pilots training volition not be assigned during their v acations and separate scheduled absences. Planners are able to use system to customize the training plans by changing the objectives and options (Verbeek 1991).Analysis The main objectives of the Crew Resource-Solver system are: 1. The value of the efficiency of the training programs 2. The forecast of future airline pilots’ needs 3. The maximization of the cost savings There are a number of advantages in utilize the Crew-Resource Solver system. First, the system improves the airline’s processes by enhancing information sharing within the organization and by simplifying system maintenance. Second, the system enhances data integrity by eliminating duplicate data storage and automating processes.Third, the system saves time compared to the old manual approach as it preserve produce a complete, optimized training plan that includes twain the pilot transitions and the training class schedules within an mo (Yu et al 2004). Moreover, the system increases the flexibilit y of the training program as it is able to customize by adjusting objectives and consideration options. The Crew-Resource Solver system provides an optimal set of components that can satisfy all training program requirements. However, thither are several limitations to the Crew-Resource Solver system.First, the training program constraint is based on the traditional training plan which highlights the inherent weakness of any optimization model as it relies upon sound data for complete outputs (Sarker 2008, p. 5). Second, the potential sources of savings vary depending on different system bids. It is the fact that a bid will have no cost components associated with those activities when it is no compulsory on new hires and pilot releases. Third, even using the system, on that point is a trade-off between block-hour shortages and other be on the training plans.Therefore, when block-hour shortages cost increases, the training cost will falloff, vice versa. It is unable to decrease both block-hour shortages cost and training costs together. Finally, the last(a) decision of the training program is not change and requires management to select the best option for each training program. Result The Crew Resource-Solver system is an master(prenominal) investment of Continental Airlines to upgrade the management of manpower-planning needs by resource optimization and operation and financial performance improvement.Based on the evidence given in the article, the Crew-Resource Solver integrated decision-support system is a booming program for Continental Airlines to achieve its above objectives. First, there are three ways for the cost savings. teach classes’ schedules become more efficiently and the number of pilots move to training decrease. Second, there is reduction in pay-protection costs as promoting pilots in new positions in seniority order.Third, it reduces payroll costs because the system can provide the optimized training plans which can use exiting pilots more efficiently and reduce the chances to hire new pilots. In fact, many an(prenominal) recommendations derived from the Crew Resource-Solver integrated decision-support system have already been applied and have helped Continental Airlines to save close to $10 million each year. Second, the integrated system have focused process improvement and ameliorate data integrity, and it is easier to maintain than the numerous legacy systems and spreadsheet finish it replaced (Yu et al 2004).References Sarker, R & Newton, C 2008, optimisation Modelling: A Practical Approach, CRC Press, Florida. Verbeek, P. (1991) Decision support systems †An Application in strategic manpower planning of airline pilots. Eur. J. Oper. Res. (55)3, 368-381 Yu, G. , Pachon, J. , Thengvall, B. , Chandler, D. & Wilson, A. (2004) Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines. Interfaces, Vol. 34, No. 4, July-August, p. 253-264\r\n'