NAME OF COURSE: MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS

NAME OF LECTURER: PRINCE K. SENYO

STUDENT ID: 10551139

CASE STUDY 2
SCHIPHOL INTERNATIONAL HUB

Question 1
How many levels of complexity can you identify in Schiphols Baggage Conveyor Network?
Answer
There are at least four layers of complexity. Each of them is intermingled with others. The layers
include the following:
System complexity the first layer of complexity is System Complexity which is the systems is
rigged to enact a co-operation between many technological layers both at software and hardware
levels (e.g. conveyor bwlts, scanners, security checkers, etc);
Physical complexity the conveyor network is large and complicated or detailed. It must
therefore envision specific logic to track, maintain, store and retrieve location of items, people
and actions;
Business complexity there are many companies fixed to operate with the network in its own
peculiar way. The conveyor network must be able to cope with the presence of different baggage

governance policies. Also, the conveyor network is an effort of three large industrial
corporations. Each of these companies has its own agenda in terms of revenue from the conveyor
network, and
Social complexity the systems must be ready to support and aid the work of humans (e.g.
human baggage handlers) and also human-to-human relations (e.g. security officer with conveyor
network).
Question 2
What are the management, organisational and technology components of Schiphols Baggage
Conveyor Network?
Answer
Management components comprise at least the following: governance of people; storage and
inventory management; down-time management; priority management, safety management;
Organisation components comprise at least the following: scheduling and allocation of moveable
hardwrae (e.g. trolleys), scheduling and allocation of flight-unloading units, scheduling and
allocation of transit areas to flights, scheduling of trolley traffic, scheduling of robotic units;
Technology components comprise at least the following: transport trackers, check-in machines;
automated check-in, security scanners; safety screeners, storage capacitors; dynamic coldbaggage buffers, baggage make-up units, sensors, actuators, destination-coded vehicles (DVCs)
automatic bar code scanners, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and sorting machines.

Question 3
What is the problem that Schiphol is trying to solve? Discuss the business impact of this
problem.
Answer
Schiphol is trying to increase the revenue stream by optimizing customer experience while
reduing costs per baggage without increasing wait-times. Achieving this goal has a great impact
on Schiphol revenue stream for two reasons:
1. Schiphol ia an international transit hub flight transfers are more likely to take pace
at Schiphol if its efficiency and customer experience increase;
2. Schiphol serves a large user base (about 51 million passangers) increasing direct
customer experience increases traffic of people.
Increase efficiency in baggage handling in the Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands. Mishandled baggage causes the industry $2.5 billion every year and this
phenomenom is estimated to affect 51 million passenger using the Schiphol Airport alone. With
the new baggage control system, the management of Schiphol estimate a 99.99% operation times
while minimising loss and damage in that 0.01% of time. The system is very expensive, however
when implemented successfully, it can save $0.25 billion (0.1% of $2.5 billion).

Problem and business impact

PROBLEM
Mishandled baggage

BUSINESS IMPACT
-Loss of $2.5 billion revenue every year.
-About 51 passengers affected annually.

Question 4
Think of the data that the network uses. What kinds of management reports can be generated
from the data?
Answer
Data items of circulation across Schiphol Conveyor Network comprise of four items; namely
scheduling data; hit/failure reports; dalays; usage information. All of this data was designed to
allow plotting of cost per baggage reduction progressions. Schiphol constantly uses the reports to
steer completion of the project described.
DATA NETWORK
Number of baggage
Total Loss
Defect system-minimum loss and damage

REPORTS
Total number of business handling every year.
Profit and Loss report
Risk management report / improvement

Capacity of the baggage

Automatic data scanner

system
Actual capacity for the baggage
Efficiency of the data scanner