ERP at Indira Gandhi International Airport
By CXOtoday Staff
Mumbai, Jun 11, 2007

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) together with IBM India will deal with the rising growth in air traffic in Delhi. IBM Global Business Services will implement an ERP system at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), integrating and modernizing the airport s business process into a unified system.

By creating a strong information backbone across its various departments, the ERP system will present a consolidated view of the airport's performance. Airport employees will also more easily be able to complete tasks and service travelers, as one point of data entry would serve multiple purposes. The system will also help the airport collaborate better with its partners, customers, and external stakeholders.

The solution will cover the airport's accounting, aviation/non-aviation related billing, customer relationship management, maintenance, real estate, and related data warehouse functions.

An important part of the program includes strong change management skills. This will help the staff at IGIA drive more efficient operations, and deliver better service to users of the airport. IBM has been contracted for a three year Application Management Services arrangement to provide DIAL users with end user helpdesk and support.

According to Shirish Navlekar, chief financial officer of DIAL, "We selected IBM because their solution provides quality management of our internal systems and delivering greater service to the users of the airport."

"We needed a system that integrated all of our back-end systems and put us in a better position to cater to end user requirements for now and the future, and we are happy that IBM has been able to come up with a tailor made solution for us" said Pankaj Sahni, general manager (IT) of DIAL.

"DIAL wanted to improve its internal systems so that they can maximize service to the users of the airport, said Rahul Sharma, associate partner of IBM Global Business Services. "It was looking for a partner who understands the complexity of airport systems, as well as extensive experience with large-scale deployments at international airports. The ERP system will address their immediate business need and position them well for future growth, he added.

IGI airport is one of the largest airports in India with over 20 million passengers per year, and will become one of the largest airports in the region by 2010, with slated capacity of 37 million passengers and a brand new terminal building (T3). The ERP implementation at DIAL is set to take place over a two-year period, and is in line with the airport's modernization efforts to address the growth in aircraft and passenger traffic.