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What is the key to efficient airport facility management and high service quality? Learnings from Berlin Brandenburg Airport's Technical Control Centre transformation
Journal of Airport Management,
16
(3),
256-267
(2022)
Abstract
Terminal and airport facilities are highly intensive in terms of capital expenditure (CapEx) and operating expenses (OpEx) and have a substantial impact on airports' carbon footprint as well as their operational stability. Despite that, technical operations receive little attention in today's airport ops discussions, which is quite counterintuitive. Technical control centres (TCCs) are the epicentres of technical operations. The case study of Berlin Brandenburg Airport's Technical Control Centre demonstrates the steps of a successful transition. Four dimensions (people, processes, organisation and systems) are considered to achieve the objectives of a premium customer experience and technology leadership while operating under growing cost pressure. Three key factors supporting the development towards a smart control centre are identified: IT to ops integration, smart work environment and supply–demand alignment. The case study concludes with an outlook on upcoming challenges and chances to unlock the full potential of a state-of-the-art technical control centre, as Berlin's journey continues.
Keywords: Facility management; operations; technical systems; IT; data utilisation; workforce; organisation; customer service; building automation; incident management; multi-campus operations; transformation; smart airport
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Michael Jahn is a senior consultant with M2P, based in their Frankfurt office. At M2P, he is part of the airport industry group and has delivered multiple projects, ranging from strategy development and organisational development to digitalisation and facility management. As an IT project manager, Michael supports several airports and airlines in Europe in implementing new systems for incident management and cargo management. Before moving to the aviation industry, he was working for various automotive OEMs as a project manager for the conception and automation of automotive production. Michael holds a Master's degree in industrial engineering with a major in project management, human–machine interaction and automation from the Technical University Darmstadt in Germany.
Jan-Henrik Reber is a senior consultant with M2P, based in Hamburg, Germany. As an aviation and operations enthusiast, he works with airports, airlines and ground handlers on managing the industry ramp-up (or crisis, depending on when you look) and improving their operational performance. In the airports field, he has recently helped clients in developing organisational strategies and governance frameworks, but also supported ORAT for BER, Berlin Brandenburg's new international airport. Realising the opportunities that smart facility management holds, he is currently looking for new ways of further leveraging its potential. Prior to joining M2P, Jan was part of EY's (Ernst & Young) operational transaction services department, driving major IT transformations in complex production environments. Jan holds a Master's degree in business administration with a major in logistics and supply chain management from Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg, Germany.
Ralph Struck is the Vice President for Facility Management at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) and serves as member of the airport's supervisory board. In his position, he is also the nominated postholder for maintenance operations according to EASA regulations. He has a long-standing history of working in the aviation industry, especially at major European airports, and is skilled in negotiations, operations management and facility management, as well as airport management. He holds a Diploma degree (Master equivalent) in civil engineering, construction industry/construction business management from the University of Karlsruhe (TH), Germany.
