Jetblue Crisis Feb 2007- Synopsis
Name: XX
School of Management MCNY
Professor Noreen Kentish
Management Information Systems
Assignment 2- JetBlue Turbulence Individual Case Study/Synopsis
Date: 1/31/11
JetBlue Airways was created with the primary purpose to provide low cost American flights with “top-notch customer service” at budget prices. On the stormy day of February 14, 2007, their airline service was tested to the extreme. JetBlue initially serviced passengers between New York and Florida and then expanded rapidly. By the end of 2006, the airline had 500 flights operating in 50 different cities providing each passenger with (luxury) amenities such as TV, and leather seats (Laudon, pg. 72). This rapid expansion brought challenges the airline had not prepared for.
JetBlue’s most valuable differential advantage above other airlines, their “customers come first” attitude, was severely tarnished. Jet Blue had and was utilizing several different information systems, standardized flight operations and maintenance procedures, an out-sourced reservation system and a system for managing plane and crew. However, their system was not seamless or adequate to handle the onslaught of turbulence on February 14th. In an attempt to identify the problem, a Fish diagram (please refer to the end of synopsis, before reference page) shows that there were many issues with their current information system that were not addressed in the event of a massive scale shutdown.
In evaluating the problem with the JetBlue disaster, we find that the organizations business model was highly based on customer service. It was founded on the basis of offering luxurious flying experience and quality customer services at low prices. The airline operated by offering this low cost service by cutting “unnecessary” expenses, and through the use of (available but inadequate) “simple-is-better” (Laudon, 2010, p. 72) information technology systems. The airline automated all its services, out-sourced other information systems
School of Management MCNY
Professor Noreen Kentish
Management Information Systems
Assignment 2- JetBlue Turbulence Individual Case Study/Synopsis
Date: 1/31/11
JetBlue Airways was created with the primary purpose to provide low cost American flights with “top-notch customer service” at budget prices. On the stormy day of February 14, 2007, their airline service was tested to the extreme. JetBlue initially serviced passengers between New York and Florida and then expanded rapidly. By the end of 2006, the airline had 500 flights operating in 50 different cities providing each passenger with (luxury) amenities such as TV, and leather seats (Laudon, pg. 72). This rapid expansion brought challenges the airline had not prepared for.
JetBlue’s most valuable differential advantage above other airlines, their “customers come first” attitude, was severely tarnished. Jet Blue had and was utilizing several different information systems, standardized flight operations and maintenance procedures, an out-sourced reservation system and a system for managing plane and crew. However, their system was not seamless or adequate to handle the onslaught of turbulence on February 14th. In an attempt to identify the problem, a Fish diagram (please refer to the end of synopsis, before reference page) shows that there were many issues with their current information system that were not addressed in the event of a massive scale shutdown.
In evaluating the problem with the JetBlue disaster, we find that the organizations business model was highly based on customer service. It was founded on the basis of offering luxurious flying experience and quality customer services at low prices. The airline operated by offering this low cost service by cutting “unnecessary” expenses, and through the use of (available but inadequate) “simple-is-better” (Laudon, 2010, p. 72) information technology systems. The airline automated all its services, out-sourced other information systems
References: • Laudon & Laudon, Management Information Systems 11th Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson/Prentice Hall, c2010.