Measuring market orientation of Muscle Pharm Corp. (MSLP:US) REAL LIFECASE STUDY – REACHING NEW HEIGHTS | Page 15
Reaching new heights - Open source software application SabreSonic® Res.
Complexity – SABRE operating platforms have been used by American Airlines since 1953
and 1999, respectively (US Airways, 2014). Thus the complexity will emanate from merging
the operating procedures rather than using the ERP/CRS platform.
Adherence to standards – Current operating standards are built around SABRE platforms
and this will not be an issue for the new software.
Software Satisfaction – End users have been using the platform for several years and hence
it should not pose a problem.
Software enhancements – SABRE has a modular design to their software applications and
hence upgrades and adaptations will be added to the systems as requirements change.
In terms of costs, management should be aware of and manage the following areas:
License – SABRE offers proprietary solutions built on open source code. The various licensing
implications of the underlying code do not have direct licensing costs for the American
Airlines group.
Implementation – There will be change management costs as the merged entity seeks to
harmonise operating procedures. However these costs are not as a direct result of the
application of the SABRE ERP/CRS.
Maintenance – The American Airlines group will require dedicated internal capacity to
maintain the system and for vendor support. The nature of the industry requires that
maintenance capacity is always available.
Secondary direct & indi rect – There will be secondary costs in terms of lost productivity due
to training for the new system. There are also significant indirect switching costs associated
with the system. Given that SABRE has been used by both airlines for several decades, it
would be a prohibitively expensive exercise to move away from SABRE and hence there is a
drive to ensure the project’s success.
5.2 Skills and vendor considerations
User skills – The graphic user interface will not be drastically different; therefore, the
operational users will not require additional skills.
Technical skills – The OSS code at the heart of the system does not require additional
technical skills from the users or maintenance staff. There might be additional technical skills
required to manage the increased scale of the system.
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