Finnish airline Finnair will deploy radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to streamline ground operations at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport. Finnair Group's Northport division, responsible for ground handling services, will outfit staff with RFID-enabled Nokia phones and install RFID tags at key work locations.
The new RFID-based system lets managers know when and where staff is available, and transmits work assignments automatically to employees' mobile phone screens. Earlier, employees had to call a service centre and enter a password to get their next assignment and work location. According to Northport officials, the real challenge lies in assigning personnel to all the tasks taking place at any given moment and better information would enable a better management of the workforce. The deployment would allow easier management of last-minute changes in arrival schedules of aircraft, which necessitate changes in the allocation of tasks. Nokia's Field Force Service Manager software connects the mobile phones and RFID tags to IBM's WebSphere middleware and the airport's work management software. The system routes information on the location of the phones and the status of each task to Northport's management.
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