Knowledge management in Singapore airlines

Nowadays, society is reaching to knowledge economy. Many companies around the world had the developed strategies and set goals about a particular knowledge economy. Therefore, the management of knowledge was very high evaluation as well as big investment. Knowledge Management (KM) can be defined as the collection of processes that govern the creation, dissemination and leveraging of knowledge to achieve organizational objectives. . It really is a useful tool for each organization in identifying, capturing, sharing, and leveraging the knowledge required to sustain and compete effectively in the business environment. Singapore airline also apply KM to their company through many policies and process. And now let’s study about Singapore Airlines Company to get more understanding about KM policy which they are using:

General information about background of Singapore Airline:

When talking about the Asian brand in the world most successful in many decades ago, surely Singapore Airlines (SIA) with Singapore Girl image will be mention. SIA is recognized as one of the best airline in over the world, they always pioneer and also a powerful competitor with other airlines. There are so many reasons for that acknowledgement. Most of them related to good management from the directors. Besides, The asset of brand name always strong because their strategy always professional and diversification in over the world. SIA is really a famous brand which as an important factor for the development of company.

Besides, it is considered as a unique brand and differentiation with other Asian brands. Singapore Airlines began in 1947 as Malayan (later Malaysian) Airlines in a joint venture between the Malaysian and Singapore governments, serving primarily the South East Asian region. In 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia, and later the two governments agreed to set up separate airlines. Singapore Airlines was born in 1972.

(http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=209)

SIA was being established in a special situation with other airlines. Because SIA doesn’t have the domestic flight therefore Singapore airlines must compete with other rivals to get the international flights, to fight over position at airport as well as attract new customers. SIA received many drastic competitions from beginning and with this difficult beginning created high competitiveness and try to build up their brand. This spirit always exists within organization and is main factor reach to success of Singapore airline now. Besides, Singapore Airlines always loyal to their particular brand name. SIA always take the lead in adopting many innovations as well as apply many kinds of entertainment on the flight and they always striving to keep the first rank.

Singapore airline is the organization which receiving many awards and high ranking through Fortune World’s Most Admires Companies ranking in over the world. It really is a famous airline in over the world, a strong brand always innovating as well as get excellence in service and safety certificate. Through there, we can realize that Singapore airline is really a famous branch all over the world, presenting good position and standing in market competition.

Besides, Singapore Airlines is one of the top airline in Asia and one of the more prestige brand names in the world.. The airline company currently have a hundred and forty-three destinations in at least forty-one countries in the world. Singapore Airlines to introduce high-tech in flight as well as apply Airbus 380 in operation. Through there, we can realize that Singapore airline really is an airline which with different position with another airlines

Facts & Figures

Number of aircraft : 106

Number of employees: 14,515

Passengers per year: 18.293 million

Sales Revenue (in US$): 9.38 billion

Number of scheduled destinations: 63

Daily departures: 180

Date of entry: April 2000

Frequent flyer programme: KrisFlyer

Hubs: Singapore Changi

Aircraft types: A380-800, B777-300ER, B777-200ER, B777-300, B777-200, A340-500, A330-300 and B747-400

(http://www.staralliance.com/en/about/airlines/singapore-airlines/).

Singapore Airline’s financial performance from 2006-2010:

Singapore Airline and Knowledge management practices and its benefits:

Besides, Singapore Airlines also apply many real knowledge management practices in reality such as:

Singapore airline and IBM:

Singapore Airlines (SIA) signed an agreement with IBM, valued at around S$300 million (Singapore dollars) over seven years, to outsource its IT infrastructure functions.

Under the agreement, IBM will manage SIA’s data center, end-user computing support service, and information technology help desk. SIA staffs in the affected areas have been offered the opportunity to join IBM on a package comparable in both remuneration and role. The employees will also have access to broader IT skills development and training opportunities at IBM.

Mak Swee Wah, Singapore Airlines’ senior vice president of planning, who is responsible for SIA’s IT services, said this agreement will tap on the wealth of IBM’s expertise to manage Singapore Airlines’ IT needs going forward

By outsourcing these functions to IBM, Singapore Airlines will meet its goal of focusing on its core business, enabling both efficient cost management and a high standard of customer service and satisfaction. This agreement will enable Singapore Airlines to be more focused on its core business of delivering world-class services, more responsive to its passengers and help improve its overall competitiveness. Through there we can realize that: the use of social software and collaboration solutions can significantly impact the productivity and knowledge sharing across an organization.

From: http://www.crm2day.com/content/t6_librarynews_1.php?news_id=112102

Through there, we can realize the important role of IBM with organization as well as KM. With IBM, all operations about sharing done effectively. IBM played an important role in supporting, make for sharing, storage, update and using knowledge implemented easier. Furthermore, moreover, creation of knowledge is constantly making knowledge of the business become giant that only new technology that allows storing, sorting, updating, sharing, use and development in a timely manner and stable. It really is a useful tool in build up database system/knowledge of organization. It allows employees in access to support making decision timely as well as network build up network knowledge management in depth and width.

In-flight entertainment system and communication

With installing many entertainments program such as: TV program, watching movie, listening music, Singapore Airlines’ in-flight entertainment system was really bring for customer the most convenient and most satisfied possible. with applying B747-400 and Boeing 777-200ER for using the Wiseman 3000 system which offers on-demand movies, audio and Nintendo games in all classes. Passengers flying Singapore Airlines Suites, First Class and Business Class receive active noise-cancelling headphones.

KrisWorld latest version based on the entertainment system on the flight of Panasonic EX2, including a central server connected to networks of personal computers installed in every seat on the plane. The seats of economy class 10.6 inch LCD screen, resolution 1.280×768 pixels. But business class with 15.4-inch wide LCD, and first class is 23 inches. Krisworld server hosting the content to serve passengers. For example, when anyone select movies or listen to a CD, the contents will be transferred from servers to personal computers. Krisworld has 100 films, 150 TV films , 700 CDs, 22 radio and 65 games. Movies and television programs will be changed every month, so passengers can often find new content. Especially, this technology can be use as a personal computer such as Microsoft word, spreadsheet and so on

Ground services

The passengers may check in for your SIA flight between 1 hour and 48 hours before the scheduled departure time. Singapore airline has full check-in information so whether the passenger stays at home, online by mobile even log in by website, the passenger can check every time and everywhere as well as check exactly destination time.

Especially, the passenger can check-in all their information through internet to know exactly the time who they will boarding as well as check-in their return flight u flight upon departure from the city of origin

Besides, SIA still have another investment in innovation included a $1m simulator that mimics the air pressure and humidity in the air, so that food can be tasted under these conditions, which affect taste buds. One decision was to reduce spices in its food. SIA has made a clear strategic choice of being a leader and follower at the same time

(https://www.bschool.nus.edu.sg/Departments/Marketing/Jochen%20papers/jatmheracleouswirtzstrategyorganizationsingaporeairlines2009.pdf)

The Challenge Singapore Airline encounter implementing KM:

Especial SIA is also receives many challenges in implementing KM such as:

Data Accuracy: Valuable raw data generated by a particular group within an organization may need to be validated before being transformed into normalized or consistent content. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Knowledge-Management-Challenges&id=352953)

Besides, in an environment where an individual’s knowledge is valued and rewarded, establishing a culture that recognizes tacit knowledge and encourages employees to share it is critical. One way companies motivate employees to participate in KM is by creating an incentive program. However, then there’s the danger that employees will participate solely to earn incentives, without regard to the quality or relevance of the information they contribute. The best KM efforts are as transparent to employees’ workflow as possible. Ideally, participation in KM should be its own reward. If KM doesn’t make life easier for employees, it will fail.

(http://www.stcsm.gov.cn/learning/lesson/guanli/20020416/20020416-2.asp)

Especially, the most difficult thing while deploying KM is problem about awareness. Only when each organization realize that knowledge is a value asset, that organization will have more actions in protection, conservation, investment them become bigger asset. Awareness still related to cultural organization side and in each human of organization. So building KM mechanism is a nonstop accumulated process of many individual. That’s why each of organization must start to deploy KM strategy from now, if not those organizations will become the empty system, poor and fail in market

If SIA solve all these above challenges, it will make more balance and sustain for Singapore Airline in running business. It also increases in productivity and an increased ability to meet the demand from customer as well as their staff.

Recommendation:

Based on this analysis, socialization for knowledge discovery has the highest cumulative priority score ( 5.0) and socialization for knowledge sharing (4.0) . Besides, the combination,, externalization, direction and routines are at an intermediate level of priority with score of (3.0), whereas the exchange and internalization have low scores. Therefore, the Singapore airline should focus its KM efforts primarily on socialization for knowledge sharing as well as knowledge discovery because they were making little use socialization. SIA should try to enhance the socialization through celebrate more frequent meetings, brainstorming retreats and so on

With a large size company as Singapore airline, they are not need to apply the strategy with low cost anymore, that’s why SIA was use the differential strategy as their top strategy. The differentiation applies through service excellence and innovation, together with simultaneous cost leadership in its peer group.

With their suitable strategy, SIA get a bit better in everyone of its functions and offerings than other competitors. It mean Singapore airline try to make total innovation – innovation in everything and everytime. Importantly, this also supports the aim of cost-effectiveness. In addition to incremental improvements, SIA also implements many measures to sustain service excellence.

Besides, Singapore airline need to implement some policy to enhance such as:

The policies and KM process must be draw up as clearly document to avoid the misunderstanding, besides it still help Singapore airline easier in realize the trouble as well as mistake at each period time

Build up the synchronous documents system to capture knowledge. As we knew , the knowledge of each person can’t communicate to another person. In other words, knowledge only can present by write down the document, exchange and so on. Through there, Singapore airline will improve the document system and general store of knowledge.

In addition to, Singapore airline need to attach special importance to training and knowledge transfer. The cultural sharing is very necessary in training process. The senior persons should be encourage and have responsibility in sharing and guiding the person with less experience. Besides, SIA can use the volume of knowledge of other organizations if that knowledge didn’t use right way, but anyway SIA must know how to keep and develop their own knowledge.

The information must be update frequently and try to learning the experience from the job’s done and from other organizations

Especially, SIA need to attach special importance to human factor. Human can create knowledge and only human can apply those knowledge to create the new knowledge. Organization need have policies in recruiting for young and potential employees. Besides, creating condition and arranging the experienced persons work with the new employee. The appropriate treatment and compensation package are also an important factor, that’s why SIA need to take note

Nowadays, the technology plays an important role in each organization. Therefore, the technology is not only help operation effectively but also support for sharing, storing, update and using knowledge are easier in implementing. Furthermore, the knowledge is created continuously, the volume of knowledge of SIA become more and more with the bulky knowledge and only the technology can store, classify all of them. It really is a useful tool in build up store of data system and knowledge of organization

Conclusion:

Obviously in the modern economy towards knowledge, the role of knowledge management is extremely important things. If we are not aware them correctly, the risk of knowledge loss will likely to occur and bring the damage for each of organization. Knowledge is also as human resources, it is a vital factor for the survival of all organization. All organizations need to actively research and creative application. Knowledge management mean that we understood ourselves, know the strengths and weaknesses from which to devise measures to succeed in the knowledge economy.

REFERENCE LISTS:

(2008)Singapore Airlines and IBM Announce IT Services Agreement. Retrieved 25/10/2010 from http://www.crm2day.com/content/t6_librarynews_1.php?news_id=112102

(2010), Knowledge Management Challenges. Retrieved 26/10/2010 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Knowledge-Management-Challenges&id=352953

3. (2010) Singapore airline, a star alliance member. Retrieved 26/10/2010 from: http://www.staralliance.com/en/about/airlines/singapore-airlines/

4. (2010) Singapore airline and ground service. Retrieved on 27/10/2010 from http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/exp/groundservices/index.jsp

5. Loizos Heracleous Jochen (2009), Wirtz Strategy and organization at Singapore Airlines: Achieving sustainable advantage through dual strategy. Retrieved 27/10/2010 from: https://www.bschool.nus.edu.sg/Departments/Marketing/Jochen%20papers/jatmheracleouswirtzstrategyorganizationsingaporeairlines2009.pdf

6. Martin Roll (2004) Singapore Airlines flying tiger. Retrieved 24/10/2010 from: http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=209

7. (2010) Edwards, Donna, Wolff, Jim. Top 10 KM challenges. Retrieved 26/10/2010 from:http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5362/is_200801/ai_n21303252/?tag=content;col1)

8.(2010).Retrieved on 25/10/2010 from: http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/content/general/legal/privacy.jsp

9.(2010). The ABCs of knowledge management. Retrieved on 25/10/2010 from: http://www.stcsm.gov.cn/learning/lesson/guanli/20020416/20020416-2.asp

10.( 2010) Singapore Airlines introduces electronic version of magazines on IFE system. Retrieved on 26/10/2010 from: http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flight-international/2010/08/singapore-airlines-introduces.html