Airline Reservations Systems: Lessons From History.

Author List: Copeland, Duncan G.; McKenney, James L.;
MIS Quarterly, 1988, Volume 12, Issue 3, Page 353-370.
This article discusses the evolution of airline reservations systems--from their inception as manually maintained inventories of seat availability, through their description as "anticompetitive weapons" used "unlawfully" to obtain and exercise monopoly power. The evolutionary perspective reveals interdependent industry, company, and technology forces that shaped the pattern of competition. Although many facets of the airline experience are unique to the air transport industry, the authors identify three features with broad implications for the strategic use of information technology. First, large installed processing capacity can be a source of economies of scale and scope. Second, established technical competence is a necessary requirement for gaining competitive advantage. Finally, sustainable advantage need not be the result of extraordinary vision, but the result of consistent exploitation of opportunities revealed during the evolution of adaptable systems.
Keywords: business history; competitive advantage; reservations systems; strategic information systems
Algorithm:

List of Topics

#36 0.222 competitive advantage strategic systems information sustainable sustainability dynamic opportunities capabilities environments environmental turbulence turbulent dynamics key quest create sustained ability
#162 0.177 structural modeling scale equation implications economies large future framework perspective propose broad scope resulting identified leading analyzed second interviews analysis
#119 0.145 implementation systems article describes management successful approach lessons design learned technical staff used effort developed organization experiences large managing discusses
#163 0.133 critical realism theory case study context affordances activity causal key identifies evolutionary history generative paper events lead mechanisms evolution change
#29 0.090 industry industries firms relative different use concentration strategic acquisitions measure competitive examine increases competition influence result characteristics mergers industry-level functions
#246 0.070 strategic benefits economic benefit potential systems technology long-term applications competitive company suggest additional companies industry operating costs difficult substantial total
#159 0.055 systems information objectives organization organizational development variety needs need efforts technical organizations developing suggest given effective designing lack help recent