Software Upgrade. A Case Study of JetBlue and WestJet Airlines
MANGERIAL IT (MBA 8290) HAMLINE UNIVERSITY
Individual Case Study: JetBlue Airways Corp, WestJet Airlines Ltd, and others:
The Difficult Path to Software Upgrades
Introduction
I would argue that any organization undergoing system upgrades should ensure that the end result of such an upgrade must align with its business process and goals. There is no crystal ball that can show if an upgrade will meet the entire business goals of an organization. Rather, there are measures that when taken could minimize the failure of an upgrade and thus optimize the essence of such upgrades. One such measure would be a feasibility study. A feasibility study enables a company to determine the costs, benefits, and possible challenges of a system upgrade. Such a study would provide a system and operational analysis which spells out the need for an upgrade and other alternatives that could be available. The objective is to provide a control model which affords managers and decision makers’ leeway to make adjustment until a desirable result is reached.
JetBlue and WestJet Airways
In the case of JetBlue and WestJet both airlines upgraded to the same application but used different approaches thus achieving varying results. This is a reminder that implementation of upgrades could be fraught with difficulties but if well managed can yield desirable results. In the case, we are told despite months of planning, when WestJet was ready to switch on its new system, its website crashed repeatedly, and its call center was overwhelmed which created complications that took months to resolve.
A major difference in their approach to implementation is the manner of roll out
Individual Case Study: JetBlue Airways Corp, WestJet Airlines Ltd, and others:
The Difficult Path to Software Upgrades
Introduction
I would argue that any organization undergoing system upgrades should ensure that the end result of such an upgrade must align with its business process and goals. There is no crystal ball that can show if an upgrade will meet the entire business goals of an organization. Rather, there are measures that when taken could minimize the failure of an upgrade and thus optimize the essence of such upgrades. One such measure would be a feasibility study. A feasibility study enables a company to determine the costs, benefits, and possible challenges of a system upgrade. Such a study would provide a system and operational analysis which spells out the need for an upgrade and other alternatives that could be available. The objective is to provide a control model which affords managers and decision makers’ leeway to make adjustment until a desirable result is reached.
JetBlue and WestJet Airways
In the case of JetBlue and WestJet both airlines upgraded to the same application but used different approaches thus achieving varying results. This is a reminder that implementation of upgrades could be fraught with difficulties but if well managed can yield desirable results. In the case, we are told despite months of planning, when WestJet was ready to switch on its new system, its website crashed repeatedly, and its call center was overwhelmed which created complications that took months to resolve.
A major difference in their approach to implementation is the manner of roll out
References: Brien, J. A., & Marakas, G. M. (2012). 12. Management information systems (10th ed., pp. 504,505). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Carey, S. (2010, April 12). Two Paths to Software Upgrade. The Wall Street Journal - Breaking News, Business, Financial and Economic News, World News & Video - Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013, from http://www.wsj.com Ehie, I & Madsen, M (2005) “Identifying critical issues in enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation”, Computers in Industry, 56(1), pp. 545-557 Preparing for your SAP upgrade. (n.d.). PANAYA: SAP ERP & Oracle EBS Impact Analysis & Functional Testing. Retrieved December 19, 2013, from http://www.panaya.com