What companies must do to prevent debacles like Southwest Airlines

After Southwest Airlines canceled two-thirds of its bookings over the holidays, some reports said the flight disruption was the worst industry meltdown in memory. Two-thirds of his passengers are stranded, and his business leader complains that the disruption at Southwest Airlines is a prime example of how outdated technology problems can hurt businesses. . Companies like Southwest will have to make drastic changes if they want to beat their competitors in 2023, sources say.

Problem description

WorkForce Software CEO Mike Morini discusses the issue. “The struggles we’ve seen in the Southwest are just the latest high-profile example of business challenges emerging from the weaknesses of the outdated underlying technologies and systems used by today’s large enterprises,” he said. told me “Despite millions of dollars being spent on technology investments and upgrades, in most cases these investments are in customer-facing or production systems, and back-office systems are in business operations. This sort of catastrophic outcome can result: once weaknesses in these systems become apparent, it can take a long time before modern technology solutions designed for rapid response are implemented. customers are frustrated in the short term and businesses struggle to respond quickly.”

Morini said it first became apparent when organizations discovered their inability to keep up with change and communicate with their employees during the global pandemic, but many organizations are still facing business disruptions. I feel that I don’t have enough technology to avoid . He attributed the high volume of cancellations in the Southwest partly to his outdated scheduling software and lack of automated communication tools, adding: Not only is it disruptive, but it is also necessary to provide information to employees who need to interact with customers. Both customers and employees in such a difficult situation suffer. ”

With job stress and workplace mental health issues on the rise, the last thing passengers and airline employees need is unnecessary stress. “I read about employees at Southwest who were unable to reach their managers and were doing their best to manage customer relationships on the ground,” Morini told me. An example of disruption where employees did not have the information and tools they needed to manage change. “Employees across industries are looking to the Employee Experience His technology, which includes enabling employees to communicate with headquarters and connect with each other to solve problems faster and work more efficiently. It includes tools for doing so,” he points out. “In an increasingly digitally-native workforce, workers struggle to reconcile their personal experiences with their ability to find, collaborate, and respond to information that is so different from their workplace experience. increase.”

Morini says the balance of power in organizations has already shifted in favor of workers due to ongoing labor shortages and lower barriers to career change in virtually every industry. “Employees have higher expectations of what is important to employers,” he says. “It’s not that companies often don’t want to improve or offer this technology, but they just can’t do it based on current technology solutions.”

some simple automation solutions

Morini identifies technology solutions that provide capabilities that can be quickly implemented to support automated employee communications. But he recommends that companies plan for them now rather than wait for the crisis. It’s about making sure your employees are available. These employees are frequently called upon during business disruptions and are at the same time the least served by the company’s system. We know that less than 1% of corporate technology spending is spent on these employee systems, and that by 2023, 83% of frontline and deskless workers will not have a corporate email address. Given this, organizations should prioritize investing in technology for this workforce. Be prepared for the future. ”

Morini said that when communication solutions are not implemented by companies, employees look to their own strategies to fill the void using unofficial, insecure and vulnerable third-party applications such as WhatsApp and social media. I emphasize that I often turn. “These seemingly quick fixes can be very noticeable to customers and prospective employees, and are a significant drawback given that they do not support the compliance requirements governing corporate use at all,” he said. say.

Morini says other ways automation can help employees include monitoring hours worked, tasks performed, breaks taken, and vacations scheduled to flag employees at risk of burnout. Smart technologies such as fatigue management systems that can He said the technology could automatically send real-time notifications to keep employers informed of potential employee health issues, especially when people are working overtime. said.

Why Modern Technology Matters

“The latest technology in the workplace is critical to a company’s ability to respond effectively and positively impact the employee experience as it prepares and supports employees in times of change,” said Morini. Emphasize “Supporting change relies heavily on communication and the ability to adapt the systems that enable operations.” He added that they are starting to understand the importance of listening to what employees really want and investing in technology to automate and improve their communication, flexibility and ability to continuously adapt. .

Many companies use systems that were designed 20 years or more ago, often with many manual processes and workarounds that can hinder their ability to adapt quickly and make changes easily. , he points out. He advises: ”

Influence of the latest technology

Modern technology can have a direct and positive impact on an employee’s experience at work and on a company’s bottom line, said Morini, noting that employees today demand more from their employers. , adding that research has repeatedly shown that employees are demanding more. He often cites schedule control and flexibility as more important than compensation.

Employers can identify and provide support to employees’ personalized needs through modern technology. He cites the example of airline employee scheduling as a complex and complex process that must take into account things like union rules and federal regulations. Technologies already exist to automate and optimize scheduling that can adapt to each organization’s needs and provide the scheduling flexibility that employees demand, supporting business requirements, ensuring compliance, and meeting employee demands. He explains that it needs to be recruited to meet

“As more organizations look to connect their talent investments to business outcomes, smart employee technology can support both rapid change and positive employee experiences,” said Morini. and shows that it leads to a more positive culture, increased engagement and increased productivity. Additionally, it helps reduce turnover, which has a negative financial impact on businesses. He concludes that technology can be a key factor in the success of any company, but only if employers seize the opportunity to meet employee needs and provide meaningful solutions for their business. is limited to