Automation and Efficiency – on the ground and online

The world of aviation, ground handling and logistics requires a laser focus on safety, efficiency, and performance. Players in this space are racing towards a technological future which can support the demands of the industry in a quickly evolving landscape, by incorporating systems which enhance and augment their operations.

Our client, Swissport, the leader in aviation logistics, was confronted with the challenge of modernising their core platform, Aeronet; a highly respected and critical component of their Australia and New Zealand operation.

Partnership with Antero

Swissport approached Antero for a strategic technology review and rapid modernisation project, seeking to enhance system performance, scalability, security, and data integrity – inevitable requirements given the unrelenting cyber security landscape, COVID-19 related industry challenges and region-specific human resource considerations.

Their existing core platform, Aeronet, provides the backbone of Swissport’s Australia and New Zealand operations. It automates and supports many facets of Swissport’s business including Human Resourcing (Rosters, Timesheets, Shift management, Performance Reviews), Operations (Flight schedules, KPIs related to flight movements OTP), Compliance (Safety reporting, Incident management, Training controlled communications) and Finance (Billing, Payroll data).

Unfortunately, Aeronet was suffering issues related to outmoded software architecture, increased maintenance costs, system slowdowns, heightened security risks and lack of flexibility. With some key resources leaving Swissport, the situation warranted immediate attention.

The inevitable requirements for elasticity, microservice architecture style, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD), highly available computational power, data encryption and general performance, necessitated uplifting the core highly successful components of Aeronet, beyond the existing legacy platform.

Following Agile methodologies and rock-solid DevOps practices, our team embarked on this digital transformation journey, focusing on delivering increments, fostering transparency, and maintaining constant communication with cross-functional teams from Swissport’s local and global teams.

FROM THE CLIENT

“As the Head of Business Optimisation and IT for Swissport Australia, I have had the privilege of working closely with Antero on the biggest uplift to our core system in the past decade, and I can confidently say that their expertise and dedication to excellence are unparalleled. Antero’s team has consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of our business needs and has delivered solutions that have greatly enhanced our operational efficiency and effectiveness. Their proactive approach to problem-solving and their commitment to delivering high quality and on time actions have made them a valuable partner to Swissport.”

Matt Pang-Way

Head of Business Optimisation, Swissport Australia

Meeting challenges head-on

Despite the enduring challenges of uplifting core components built over a decade ago and a tight timeframe, Antero was able to modernise Swissport’s Aeronet to meet the cutting-edge standards of 2023 within a span of six months. Achieving this rapid transformation required strategic planning, expertise, and dedication – setting a true example of our company’s ability to deliver complex projects under challenging conditions.

Our solution encapsulates seamless scalability, enhanced security, better performance, and robust adaptability, and leaves Swissport in a better position to continue investing into the newly uplifted core platform, knowing there is a solid foundation for growth.

This partnership and resulting success was made possible thanks to Agile methodology – delivering continuous and incremental value by fostering cross-collaboration between organisations, sustaining a productive rhythm, and maintaining high-levels of executive stakeholder engagement.

A runway for growth into the future

This journey reflects Antero’s ability to transform existing software applications into powerful, modern tools that can support accelerated business growth and remain consistent with modern technological advancements. By leveraging Agile methodologies, cross-organisational teamwork, executive stakeholder engagement and a dogged determination to show value, we are able to breathe new life into legacy systems, transforming them into strategic assets for improved growth and performance.