Qatar Airways initiates an Oracle based e-business strategy

The project will centralize its financial and human resources operations through an Oracle E-Business Suite implementation that will cover Qatar Airways and its group of subsidiaries.

Qatar Airways new e-business initiative will complement other projects such as the expansion of its fleet, the launch of new destinations, and the passenger capacity increase of Qatar's international airport. The Oracle implementation will enable Qatar Airways to have an up-to-the-minute view of its business, allowing the organization to make informed decisions during this period of critical development and investment.

"Having immediate access to accurate information is imperative for Qatar Airways as we embark upon the most comprehensive growth initiative ever in the history of Qatar's transportation sector," stated Mr. Akbar Al Baker, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Qatar Airways.

Al Baker added, "To become a truly world-class airline, we require a world-class IT infrastructure, and our relationship with Oracle will enable Qatar Airways to achieve a number of key business objectives. As the aviation industry becomes increasingly competitive, Qatar Airways will remain a leader through decisive actions such as our e-business project."

As part of its new strategy, Qatar's national airline has set measurable financial goals, such as reducing finance and administrative costs, while cutting IT-related expenses and improving internal efficiencies. The Oracle E-Business Suite will enable Qatar Airways to 'manage by fact' through the provision of consistent, accurate, and enterprise-wide data. An enhanced understanding of the organization's financials is particularly vital in light of Qatar Airway's plans to double its fleet from the 18 aircraft currently in operation.

Since Qatar Airways also intends to raise the number of destinations to more than 50 in the next couple of years, the human resources component of the company's e-business strategy is key to the project's overall success. Initially, more than 4000 Qatar Airways staff will benefit from the self-service and payroll components of the Oracle E-Business Suite. The Oracle solution's Web accessibility will enable greater connectivity for Qatar Airways' widely dispersed staff, as they travel to destinations throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

"The extremely slim margins witnessed by the aviation industry mean that airlines must optimize their technology investments, and drive down operational costs wherever possible. Qatar Airway's e-business strategy is on course to increase the organization's profitability by reducing expenses, benefiting the bottom line at a critical time within Qatar Airway's corporate evolution," noted Husam Dajani, Vice President, Oracle Middle East.

"The ability to make faster, more informed financial decisions will further enable Qatar Airways to capitalize on new opportunities as the company expands its market reach. After a competitive bidding process, Oracle Middle East is delighted to partner with Qatar Airways to realize its e-business transformation," Dajani concluded.

Following the implementation of Oracle Financials and the Oracle Human Resources Management System (HRMS), Qatar Airways will deploy additional modules of the Oracle E-Business Suite as part of its long-term vision. Oracle partner Macrosoft is providing implementation services during the comprehensive installation.

In addition to Qatar Airways, a number of Middle East-based aviation organizations, including Emirates Airlines, Gulf Air, and Royal Jordanian, are reaping the business benefits of the Oracle E-Business Suite.