Understanding the project portfolio is a must for today's airline industry organizations. Strong competition, rising fuel prices, and investors' concerns are factors that organizations must take into consideration when managing their portfolio of projects. Challenges faced by these organizations require that projects must undergo tough management analysis and, hence, the necessity to view the portfolio of projects and the resource pool grouped by various characteristics. Some of the most representative outline codes for projects and resources are presented in the following sections. Project Portfolio SectorMany organizations operating in the air industry sector tend to group their portfolio of projects by the sector of activity. An example of potential values for grouping projects by sector is as follows:
Project by Aircraft ManufacturerMost airlines operate with a mix of aircrafts that allows them to operate on different routes in the most effective manner. When grouping the portfolio of projects by aircraft manufacturer, an airline can easily identify the required skill set for operations, maintenance, and commercial activities. As such, projects can be classified according to the manufacturer:
Project Portfolio by Global AlliancesSome organizations may need to group their portfolio of projects by global alliances as illustrated in the following example:
Projects by Aircraft TypeCommercial operations involve strict management of network routes with the aim of maximizing the load factor. Having the right mix of aircrafts allows airlines to deploy the appropriate aircraft on each route. As a result, the need to group the projects by aircraft type is essential in management of route networks. For example
Resource Skill SetJust as airlines need to understand the project portfolio by aircraft type, most resource managers need to understand what skill sets are needed and what is the appropriate mix needed to achieve maximum efficiency of operations. An example of the resource skill set needed for an airline is as follows:
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