At a Glance
- Top South American airport operator was facing inefficiencies across maintenance, operations, and security functions.
- Challenges included unbalanced workloads, ineffective monitoring routines, and outdated procedures.
- With Renoir’s support, the airport achieved a 4:1 return on investment while building a culture of continuous improvement.
- This case study examines how Renoir Consulting assisted the client in streamlining operations, reducing costs, and enhancing productivity.
Key results
- Maintenance team productivity increased from 40% to 68%
- 4:1 return on investment
- 10% reduction in maintenance management headcount
- 8% reduction in operations management headcount
- 5% reduction in security management costs
- 58% reduction in the cost of the slot management contract
- 14% reduction in internal passenger transport contract costs
- 8% reduction in the Civil Aviation Protection Agent contract
Background
Airport operations involve synchronizing numerous interdependent activities, including air traffic control, ground handling, baggage processing, security checks, and passenger services. Effective coordination is essential to minimise delays and ensure smooth flow of aircraft and passengers. Effective leadership is needed to foster collaboration, manage staff turnover, and align management performance with organisational goals.
The client is a prominent airport located in a region known for its technological infrastructure and strategic economic importance in a South American country. Operating both passenger and cargo terminals, the airport spans over 81,000 square meters and is one of the country’s largest logistics hubs. With a vision to become Latin America’s most advanced airport, the client embarked on a transformation journey to modernise its operations and organisational effectiveness.
The client approached Renoir Consulting because they had identified a series of significant improvement opportunities and were facing challenges in several operational and managerial areas.
Analysis
Despite its scale and recognition, the client faced several systemic challenges:
- Workload imbalances across departments
- Inefficient operational and maintenance routines
- Outdated performance monitoring practices
- Disconnected planning and scheduling workflows
- Inadequate resource management in the security division
- Poorly defined service level agreements and contract management
These inefficiencies hindered productivity, inflated operational costs, and impacted the agility of decision-making across critical airport functions.
Project Approach
Renoir initiated a time-bound transformation program to address these issues with a structured, outcome-focused approach.
The project was delivered through Management Action Teams (MATs), each targeting key operational areas:
Maintenance Management: Enhance asset availability and team productivity
Operations Management: Introduce performance metrics and optimize resource use
Security Management: Improve monitoring systems and streamline staffing structures
Renoir’s methodology was rooted in building ownership, integrating multidisciplinary teams, and establishing sustainable management systems tailored to the airport’s unique needs.
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“The project exceeded both quantitative and qualitative expectations. It’s great to see the areas communicating and helping each other, and this was key to the project. I emphasize the importance of having a method and goals; today, managers have the necessary information to make more accurate decisions.”
-Chief Operating Officer
Implementation
The transformation program began with the Renoir Focus Process® phase. Renoir designed this specific phase to help foster ownership and ensure that the changes would be sustainable.
Collaboration: A key element was close collaboration with the client’s team members. This partnership continued during the subsequent implementation stage to ensure the planned opportunities were delivered.
Process Review and Design: During the Focus Process® phase, teams mapped, reviewed, and critically analysed the existing processes, procedures, and the essential components of the Maintenance, Operation, and Security Management Control System.
Goal Setting and Training: This review led to agreement on new performance indicators1. Importantly, the entire execution team was trained on how to successfully implement these performance improvements.
Building Commitment: The collaborative nature of the review process, involving a wide group of individuals, helped them understand the scale of the improvement opportunities and participate in defining the necessary changes1. This participation was crucial in helping them commit to the financial targets of the program.
Integration into Routine: As a result of this structured approach, sustainable changes were implemented. These changes were designed to be integrated into the daily routines of the teams involved.
Role of MATs: While the implementation phase started with the Focus Process®, the broader transformation program was structured through three Management Action Teams (MATs) for Maintenance, Operation, and Security. These multidisciplinary teams, composed of various roles from the client’s organisation, significantly contributed to both the development and the successful implementation of the management system element.
“The project generated empathy between all areas. Fundamental indicators for management were implemented. Communication today is very fluid and effective.”
– Security Manager
“Throughout the project, we integrated ourselves into the new organisational model. The operation area collaborates with other areas, and the reciprocal is true.”
– Operations Manager
Results
The collaboration between Renoir and the client yielded significant, measurable outcomes. Maintenance productivity surged from 40% to 68%, driven by a preventive and reliability-focused structure. Headcount in operations and maintenance was optimized without compromising service levels, resulting in significant cost savings. In the security division, revised staffing models and clearer KPIs contributed to a 5% reduction in management costs.
The transformation also generated less tangible—but equally vital—benefits. Teams embraced a culture of continuous improvement and change management. Cross-departmental communication improved significantly, enhancing day-to-day coordination and responsiveness. With streamlined procedures and better planning capabilities, the client now operates with greater visibility, efficiency, and agility, paving the way for its long-term growth ambitions.
*We have intentionally omitted client-specific details to maintain strict confidentiality.
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