Canada

A recent review of any business magazine will often reveal that the secret to the success of many companies lies in their ability to not only generate profit for their stockholders but also in being able to improve the lives of their employees.

Over the years, more and more companies are investing in the development of their human resources departments in the hopes of taking advantage of this trend.

There are some companies, however, who have long taken advantage of this by making sure that not only are their employees well motivated, driven and well compensated but that these factors show well in the customer service that is provided.  One of these companies is Air Canada.

As Canada’s largest and oldest airline, this company has a rich history as both an outstanding employer and airline.  Founded in 1937, Air Canada has grown immensely since then is now the world’s 11th largest passenger airline in relation to fleet size (Milton 2005).

The flag carrier for Canada, Air Canada, has consistently held the record for having the best service in the world and this was affirmed on January 19, 2007 when it received the award for Best Airline in North America (Milton 2005).

This founding member of the Star Alliance has time and again prevailed over the challenges and tests that the growing aviation market has presented over the years (Milton 2005).  This is a testament to the good management practices and upstanding record that this company has developed in its 70 year history.

Air Canada has always emphasized that Flight Attendants are ambassadors of the customer experience onboard each Air Canada flight (Milton 2005).

Air Canada has also prided itself in the fact that the flight attendants of Air Canada play many roles such as safety professional, caregiver and service provider.  These are the qualities which set Air Canada flight attendants apart from any other flight attendants from other airlines (Milton 2005).

The fact that they are considered as Ambassadors of the customer experience does more than just add a dignified label to flight attendants but rather emphasizes the fact that customer experience also comes first aboard any Air Canada flight.

Perks and salary not included, Air Canada also differs from other airlines in that the employee advancement program offers a more stable future than others.

Air Canada prides itself in improving the quality of all in its employ including Flight Attendants (Milton 2005).  These are the reasons why Air Canada is far superior to other airlines for anyone wanting to pursue a career as a flight attendant.

On a personal level, I feel that I have developed the skills to become an Air Canada flight attendant because I am a hard working and driven individual.  All my past working experiences have equipped me to dealing with all sorts of people.  Being the frontline at a Pizza Hut is not exactly a dream job for most people.

Yet for some reason I found that it was in this type of environment that I was able to thrive and flourish.  The going gets tough when the people start coming in at rush hour.  To make matters worse, no other people in the world are more irritable than hungry people.  I also pay close attention to detail and make sure that I get things done.

The job gets done faster and more efficiently as and when the objectives are clear, the strategies acceptable, and the resources are available such as in this company. My language proficiencies are also quite excellent as I am fluent in both English and Spanish.

I am very methodical with my work.  I take charge and own up to my responsibilities.  With regard to co-workers and subordinates, I am very demanding, meticulous but I also believe that I am fair and considerate.  These character traits and abilities are the main reason why I believe that I have the necessary skills to become an Air Canada flight attendant.

The rich history that Air Canada has had in the aviation industry is truly something to behold.  To be voted the best Airline in North America is no easy feat and I am quite sure that the outstanding performance of the flight attendants had much to do with that fact.

As such, to be part of that elite core of flight attendants who have made a mark in the aviation industry, would constitute the fulfillment of one of my career goals.

References:

Milton, Robert (2005) Straight from the top; the truth about Air Canada Greystone Books, [c]2004 266 p.

Marketing and promoting new technology has always been undemanding due to the growing trend in business and commerce of going electronic. However, not all technology is successful in their entry into the world of business.

One very good example of this incident is that of Integra and Intex’s Banking and Loan Insurance Software System (BLISS) project. Although the software was completed, it was never introduced to credit unions. What happened then? How come such a very innovative project became a wasted product?  What were the mistakes made? Most significantly, what can the two businesses do to cope with the damaging effects the project has brought about?

Case Background

The BLISS project was spearheaded by two firms, namely, Integra Financial Corporation and Intex Consulting. Integra Financial Corporation, a life insurance company based in Quebec, Canada, is active in insurance, trust services, securities brokerage and asset and portfolio management (Roy, 2003, p. 445). The corporation is responsible for approximately 8 billion dollars of assets while the work force consists of more than 2,200 permanent employees (Roy, 2003, p. 445).

On the other hand, the partner company, Intex Consulting is a firm that specializes in the installation and design of information systems. It is actually a Canadian branch of a large international information system integration firm who wishes to gain its prominent place in Canadian banking business (Roy, 2003, p. 445). The firm is widely known for its expertise in the U.S. banking industry concerning system integration and development (Roy, 2003, p. 447).

Although Integra has a competitive share in the insurance banking business, it does not have the whole of Canada. The company only emerges in Quebec due to one of its unique insurance plan. This plan is the Loan and Mortgage Insurance plan, also called the corporation’s “cash cow” (Roy, 2003, p. 446).

What makes it different from plans of other insurance corporations is its special software that enables a customized calculation of the expenses per client and directly links Integra’s database with the participating banking institutions. However, the software is limited for use only in Quebec where the banking institutions have somewhat similar structures. When it comes to the national market, Integra cannot venture into it since the different banking structures and institutions are diverging and dissimilar. Thus, the loan insurance plan was inapplicable.

This very challenge has allowed the search for a way to penetrate the loan insurance business in the national network. It is in this situation that contact was made with Intex Consulting regarding Integra’s dream software. Thus, after the meeting of the two business establishments, the BLISS project was born and launched in the beginning of 1996 (Roy, 2003, p. 448).

The primary goal of the joint project was to develop an appropriate technology solution to connect Integra’s loan insurance systems with its prospective clients’ banking and loan systems, particularly, a software system that can bridge the differences of the different structures of the diverse banking institutions and loan systems (Roy, 2003, p. 447).

Key persons in both companies were then appointed for the project’s completion. Everyone was eager to see the results and was very optimistic because at that time, the project was a major endeavor and a promising success.

Everyone saw the proposal as a means to expand the company. In addition, everyone was confident with the decision of pursuing the project. One would actually ask why but why not? Everyone believed that Integra is capable of doing so, due to its very long and successful experience in loan insurance business and that Intex has the guts of designing and developing an error-free software system since the firm is known for its competitiveness (Roy, 2003, p. 448).