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36 Integrating Airport Information Systems
and budget use. Unless the timekeeping system is integrated with the payroll system, this infor-
mation is tracked manually. HR systems can be used to provide additional information, such as
the number of vacant positions and turnover rates. Frequently, this information, as well as griev-
ance information and significant personnel actions, are manually tracked and reviewed regularly
by senior management. The Human Resources division tracks DOT and FAA training require-
ments. Drug testing results of safety-sensitive employees and those with commercial drivers
licenses are recorded, tracked, and transmitted to the appropriate senior manager for any required
follow-up or disciplinary action. Annual budgeting for personnel costs can result from manual
entries or might include downloaded data from the HR systems.
Data regarding use and performance of IT and telecom resources is tracked, usually by auto-
matic reports generated by those systems. The status of efforts by unauthorized persons to access
secure or confidential information is increasingly monitored by airport staff and transmitted to
senior management.
The Properties division manages and tracks concessions and tenant lease information and
transmits the lease and revenue data necessary for billing and financial reporting to Accounting.
Some airports have lease management systems that track the data, but frequently, the data are
transferred manually for billing purposes. Commercial development may need land and infra-
structure information from Engineering; such information is available from a computer-aided
design (CAD) system and from sophisticated financial return-on-investment analyses using data
from the Accounting division.
Throughout the Finance and Administration functional area, information is entered into one
system and is frequently re-entered in another system. Unless these systems can integrate or feed
data to the airport's overall Financial Management System, much of this critical information
must be manually re-entered by airport personnel. Self-reported data increases the chance of
error or underreporting and requires additional auditing. Delays in receiving critical informa-
tion, such as traffic statistics or accounts receivable data, increases the risk of financial loss--
especially in the event of a tenant airline's bankruptcy.
It is essential that accurate statistics be kept for mail and cargo shipping, especially when air-
field projects are federally funded. Accurate and timely reporting of cargo and mail metric ton-
nage is important to an airport in many ways. Airports that are heavily engaged in cargo and mail
handling have a financial stake in accurate reporting because the AIP criteria allows for federal
funding. Additionally, cargo movement statistics serve as valuable data points for future devel-
opment of cargo facilities. Finally, this type of data is important when presenting a marketing
plan to potential new domestic and international airlines.
Although RFID technology has become quite common in the past few years, it is just
now emerging as an important tool for software applications in airports. Cargo, in particu-
lar, could use RFID technology to collect data important to an airport, such as aircraft
and cargo weight, aircraft destination, and content of the cargo and its origin. As the FAA
and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continue to place greater security
responsibilities on airports, these applications and integrated technologies will facilitate the
secure movement of cargo and mail.
Significant Metrics from Finance and Administration
Business-Critical Information
Metrics developed from business-critical financial information are frequently used by airport
management to gauge the financial health of the airport. Typical calculations that use various
airport financial and traffic data include cost per enplanement, cost per passenger, cost per
