Abstract
BAE Automated System was one of the advanced technologies that provided the ability to manage incoming baggage at the airport. However, it faced a problem in the operation, which entailed significant serious and unsatisfactory consequences. The company had to develop new software and hardware to make the system work. The project was further delayed when an unexpectedly large number of bags were checked at the airport’s opening. The system could not handle the volume of bags, and luggage was often lost or misplaced (Coolman, 2021). The problems with the system caused significant delays and disruptions at the airport, and the airport’s reputation suffered. This makes it necessary to study the problems that have arisen and develop strategies to limit the further possibility of this problem.
Introduction
In the early 1990s, BAE Automated Systems (A) was the world’s largest manufacturer of airport baggage-handling systems. Its products handle over one billion pieces of baggage each year. The company’s systems were known for their reliability and efficiency, and BAE Automated Systems (A) had a strong reputation in the industry. In 1992, BAE Automated Systems (A) was awarded a contract to design and install a baggage-handling system for Denver International Airport (DIA), which was then under construction (“Automatic baggage handler doomed to failure at Denver International Airport,” n.d.).
DIA was expected to be the busiest airport in the United States, and the project was a major coup for the company. The site for the new airport was a former military base, and the soil was unsuitable for the foundation of the baggage-handling system.
However, BAE Automated Systems (A) developed severe issues with its handling of the baggage. Eventually, it fixed the problems with the system, but the damage to its reputation was done. The airport sued the company for damages and was forced to pay a large settlement. The incident also caused the company to lose future business. The case study is about BAE Automated Systems (A) and the problems they encountered while designing and installing a baggage-handling system for Denver International Airport (DIA). BAE Automated Systems (A) faced major cost overruns and delays at the DIA project.
The problems were compounded by the fact that the company had committed to an aggressive installation schedule, allowing only six months for the system to be operational. This was an unusually short time frame, given that the system was so large and complex. The company also had to install the system while the airport was still under construction, which created additional challenges. BAE Automated Systems (A) eventually completed the project, but it was a close call. The problems at the DIA project had a major impact on the company, both financially and reputationally. A larger company, BAE Systems, in 2001 acquired BAE Automated Systems (A).
The project was further delayed when an unexpectedly large number of bags were checked at the airport’s opening. The system could not handle the volume of bags, and luggage was often lost or misplaced. The problems with the system caused significant delays and disruptions at the airport, and the airport’s reputation suffered. BAE Automated Systems (A) eventually fixed the problems with the policy, but the damage to its reputation was done.
The airport sued the company for damages and was forced to pay a large settlement. The incident also caused the company to lose future business. Therefore, the BAE Automated Systems (A): Denver International Airport Baggage-Handling System case study highlights the importance of effective project management in successfully implementing large-scale projects. The case also demonstrates the need for clear and concise communication between all parties involved in a project to avoid misunderstandings and costly delays.
Circumstances
The City of Denver commissioned BAE Automated Systems to design and build a baggage-handling system for the new Denver International Airport. Delays and cost overruns beset the project, and the system did not become operational until 1996, two years after the airport opened. The baggage-handling system was plagued with problems from the start, and it quickly became apparent that it would not be able to handle the volume of luggage the airport expected. BAE Automated Systems could not remedy the situation, and the City of Denver eventually took over the project. There are a few issues at play in this case.
First, the project was commissioned by the City of Denver, meaning that a government entity was involved. This likely complicated the project, as there was likely more bureaucracy involved. Second, the project was beset by delays and cost overruns (Alirezaei et al., 2022). This likely led to frustration on the part of the City of Denver, which likely led to them taking over the project. Finally, the baggage-handling system was plagued with problems from the start. This likely led to even more frustration on the part of the City of Denver and ultimately led to the city taking over the project. In short, the case study illustrates the challenges that can arise when a government entity is involved in a project. These challenges can include delays, cost overruns, and problems with the final product.
The company was contracted to design and build a baggage-handling system that would be able to handle the large volume of baggage that the airport handled. However, the system they designed was unable to handle the volume of baggage, and the company was forced to redesign the system (Huckle & Neckle, 2019).
The case study highlights the importance of understanding the customer’s needs and requirements before designing and building a system. The company did not take the time to understand the customer’s needs, so they could not build a system that met them. The case study also highlights the importance of testing the system before it is implemented. The company did not test the system before it was put into operation, and as a result, the system failed when it was put into operation. However, the BAE Automated Systems (A): Denver International Airport Baggage-Handling System case study is a reminder of the importance of understanding the customer’s needs, designing a system that meets the customer’s needs, and testing the system before it is put into operation.
Identification of the Major Issues and Key Decisions
The major issues in this case study are related to the Denver International Airport baggage-handling system. The first issue is that the baggage-handling system is not working properly. There are delays in the system, and bags are being misplaced. This is causing much inconvenience for passengers. The second issue is that the cost of the project has escalated as this is a major concern for the stakeholders. The third issue is that there is a lot of finger-pointing going on between the different parties involved in the project. The stakeholders blame the contractors, the contractors blame the designers, and so on (Alirezaei et., 2022).
This is not productive and is not helping to solve the problems. The fourth issue is that the project is behind schedule. This is causing a lot of frustration for everyone involved. The fifth and final issue is that there is a lot of public scrutiny of the project. The media is closely following the story, and there is a lot of pressure on the stakeholders to get the project completed. The key decisions that need to be made are whether or not to continue the project, how to fix the existing problems, and how to prevent future problems. The stakeholders need to decide if the benefits of completing the project outweigh the costs. If they decide to continue with the project, they need to figure out how to fix the existing problems and prevent future problems.
The Approach to Addressing the Major Issues
First of all, it is required to establish a clear project plan with well-defined objectives, timelines, and deliverables. Then it needs to assemble a project team with the necessary skills and experience to carry out the project plan and conduct a thorough analysis of the existing baggage-handling system, identifying issues, and potential improvements. The next aspect is developing a concept for a new, improved baggage-handling system and create a prototype and test the prototype under realistic conditions to assess its performance. Based on the testing results, necessary adjustments to the it need to be made.
Further, the plan requires to implement the new baggage-handling system at Denver International Airport and monitor and evaluate the new system’s performance on an ongoing basis. Finally, any necessary adjustments to the system based on feedback from users and airport personnel can be made.
Tools and Techniques Used to Implement the Issues
The Denver International Airport baggage handling system has been plagued with problems, resulting in delays, lost baggage, and frustrated passengers. The problems with the baggage-handling system at Denver International Airport have caused delays, lost baggage, and frustrated passengers. Baggage handling problems at Denver International Airport have led to delays, lost baggage, and frustrated passengers (“Southwest passengers in Denver left frustrated with mounds of baggage,” 2021). There are several different ways to approach this problem. One way would be to use a system engineering approach, which would involve breaking down the system into its component parts and analyzing each part separately.
Another approach would be to use a value stream mapping technique, which would involve mapping out the flow of material and information through the system and identifying bottlenecks and areas of waste. Once the problems with the system have been identified, the next step is to develop a plan to address these problems. This plan should involve a redesign of the system to improve its efficiency and eliminate the problems that have been identified. The plan should also involve a testing and validation process to ensure that the redesigned system works as intended. The final step is to implement the plan and monitor the performance of the system over time to ensure that the problems have been permanently fixed. This may involve making ongoing adjustments to the system as needed.
Once the problems with the system have been identified, the next step is to develop a plan to address these problems. This plan should include both short-term and long-term solutions. The short-term solutions should address the immediate needs of the airport, while the long-term solutions should address the underlying problems with the system. The final step is to implement the plan to address the problems with the system. This implementation should be done in a phased approach, with short-term solutions being implemented first. Once the short-term solutions have been put in place and the immediate needs of the airport have been met, long-term solutions can be applied.
The Lessons Learned
The BAE Automated Systems case study provides several important lessons for project managers. First, the case study highlights the importance of effective communication and coordination among all project stakeholders. In the BAE Automated Systems case, the City of Denver, the airport authority, and the contractor all led to communicate effectively and coordinate their efforts, which led to significant problems with the baggage-handling system (Coolman, 2021).
Second, the case study highlights the importance of effective risk management. The City of Denver failed to effectively manage the risks associated with the project, which led to cost overruns and schedule delays. Third, the case study highlights the importance of effective change management (Alirezaei et al., 2022). The city of Denver failed to effectively manage the changes that were made to the project, which led to further cost overruns. and schedule delays.
Finally, the case study highlights the importance of learning from past mistakes. The City of Denver made many of the same mistakes on the baggage-handling system project that it had made on previous projects. If the city had learned from its past mistakes, it could have avoided many of the problems that occurred during the project. Conversely, the BAE Automated Systems case study provides some important lessons for project managers. These lessons include the importance of effective communication and coordination among all project stakeholders, effective risk management, effective change management, and the importance of learning from past mistakes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this was a major disappointment for passengers and a black eye for BAE. The company failed to deliver on its promise to design and install a new, improved baggage-handling system at Denver International Airport, and as a result, passengers experienced significant delays in getting their luggage. This is a major setback for the company, and it will need to work hard to regain the trust of its customers. This was a major disappointment for passengers and a black eye for BAE. The company failed to deliver on its promise to design and install a new, improved baggage-handling system at Denver International Airport, and as a result, passengers experienced significant delays in getting their luggage.
This is a major setback for the company, and it will need to work hard to regain the trust of its customers. BAE must work to improve its design and installation processes to ensure that future projects are completed on time and to the satisfaction of its customers. BAE must work to improve its design and installation processes to ensure that future projects are completed on time and to the satisfaction of its customers. The company’s failure to deliver on its promise to design and install a new, improved baggage-handling system at Denver International Airport was a major disappointment for passengers and a black eye for the company. BAE must work to regain the trust of its customers by ensuring that future projects are completed on time and to the satisfaction of all parties involved.
References
Alirezaei, S., Taghaddos, H., Ghorab, K., Tak, A. N., & Alirezaei, S. (2022). BIM-augmented reality integrated approach to risk management. Automation in Construction, 141, 104458. Web.
Automatic baggage handler doomed to failure at Denver international airport. (n.d.). Web.
Coolman, A. (2021). Lessons learned from project failure at Denver international airport: why checking bags is still a pain. Wrike. Web.
Huckle, T., & Neckle, T. (2019). Bits and bugs: A scientific and historical review of software failures in computational science. SIAM.
Southwest passengers in Denver left frustrated with mounds of baggage. (2022). CBS Colorado. Web.