Westjet Airlines Case Study

                                            WestJet Airlines Case Study

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Introduction

Westjet Airlines first started their legend modestly as a Canadian regional carrier in 1996. It expanded and developed into one of the largest airline organization in the next fifteen years. By the year of 2011, after winning countless awards around the world and continuously profitable trend in the past a decade and a half years, WestJet became the major airline competitor to the biggest airline, Air Canada.

Since it described itself as a deliverer of low-cost flights and top-class ^[a]consumer experience, WestJet thrived to be one o^[b]f the first carriers that implemented online ticket booking system. As a result, the electronic system brought the major^[c] improvement over the years. This, in turn, brought information technology(IT) into the picture of this legendary^[d][e] company. Although the IT department is comparatively small in the airline's industry, but the technically advanced back then. In other words, proper application of information technology boosted the company's core competency throughout the industry. ^[f]

However, acted as such impor^[g]tant role, IS management still face critical issues like mismatch IT personnel setting, low-level of IS alignment, risk data warehouse location, poor communication between business and IT department^[h] as technical developing. And under a resistance environment from senior IT employees, transformation become ^[i]tougher.^[j]

This next part of this paper is to analyze the key ^[k][l]challenges^[m] and possible approaches for WestJet Airlines' upcoming ^[n]transformation.First, it will describe the trigger of the transformation and immature IS ^[o]alignment.; Then it will analysis challenges WestJet will face in re-alignment; At last, it will provide possible approaches.

1. Transformation Trigger Issues and Immature IS Alignment

1. Trigger Issue

In 2009, the decision^[p] to bring in Sabre reservation system which could apply sharing information of reservations throughout^[q] the world made CEO of WestJet realize the critical role that IT had played in this competitive industry. An IT-drive technical reform within the organization must be addressed if they want to keep their leading place.

Meanwhile, after years of working, in 2010, Cheryl Smith realized that although she had a long career^[r] as a senior IT executives in variable industries such as energy^[s], healthcare, federal agency, she would be more satisfied working as a game changer through IT solutions and integration under contract condition.