Airport Operators
Airport Security Team Performance Improvement
Airport Security Team Performance Improvement
Working with one of the UK’s leading international airports, Develop Consulting were asked to review the current passenger security screening operation in the context of a forecasted increase in passenger volumes expected in the summer peak period.
This airport, along with the majority of UK airports were also going through significant change in the months ahead with the change in security regulations in June 2024. So the demands on the security team were challenging. Develop Consulting developed an integrated, hands-on practical approach to deliver solutions at pace but sustainably.
Whilst our support was tactical in the short term, addressing improvement opportunities in teamwork, processes and operational tools in order to gain ‘grip and control’, we were also asked to provide advisory support to their longer term strategic planning.
Results
- No significant queue breaches
- No queue breaches before and during Easter peak period, and throughout the summer 2024 peak period
- 6 New Generation Security (NGS) lanes operational
- SOPs created and all team members trained and moved over to NGS
- Additional newly trained resource – 4 cohorts
- Team re-organised
- Daily Management Meeting and KPIs introduced
- 18-month strategic roadmap developed
About the Programme
With an expected increase of passenger volume through the security area in 2024, coupled with the parallel introduction of next generation security lanes, Develop Consulting supported an initial program to:
Review the current ‘people and processes’ performance to gain insights as to where improvements could be made, with a particular focus on getting the team ‘match fit’ and ready to transition to the new lane technology. This involved identifying and making improvements to:
- Planning
- Establishing and visualising measures and targets
- Performance management routines
- Standards and consistency in processes
- Team based working and creating a CI approach
Share our knowledge and expertise of airport security operations to help the airport leadership team define their ‘way forward’ and develop their strategic plan for the next 18 months to achieve:
- Security best practise
- How leadership could best support the operation
- Clear measures and targets
- Teamworking
Solutions
Rather than simply advising, our consultants took a hands-on approach to train and coach the airport security team at all levels, in order to demonstrate and then embed improved working practices, and especially in readiness to transition over to the new security lanes.
In the scope of ‘People, Processes & Tools’, we led and managed a programme of analysis and improvement activities:
- First wave process observations and tray reject analysis to determine baseline performance
- Confirmed lane design condition and defined takt time for each station
- Introduced and coached a new Daily Management Meeting (DMM)
- Introduced daily huddles during ‘Golden Time’ after first wave peak (Toolbox Talks) to train and coach the team on SOPs
- Created a detailed skills & versatility matrix
- Defined and delivered the Easter demand profile and lane plan
- Queuing grid analysis and introduced visual management with tensator toppers
- Identified key roles and processes requiring SOPs
- With security officer engagement created SOPs and training roll out
- Improved SDM shift handover to improve communication
- Ran various lane and new equipment trials to verify capability
- Power BI dashboard for daily performance analysis
- Rapiscan performance data and tray reject analysis
- Detailed breakdown log
Staff rostering tool
