1. Making project management indispensable for business results ®
Welcome to the
October 2008
Chapter Meeting
Project Management Institute
Queensland Chapter

2. October 2008 presentation
Project Management at FlightCentre
The presentation is about
Project Management at Flight Centre. It will discuss how business and
technology fit into the Flight Centre structure and how the Project
Services PMO works within the business and technology spheres.
It will also touch on the different types of projects that the PMO is called
upon to support.
Matthew Tati
Matthew has a travel technology background and moved into Project
Management in 1999. He has managed projects for the Federal
Government and various travel distribution companies. He is Secretary
of the Australasian Chapter of the International Federation for IT in
Travel and tourism (IFITT).
PMIQ (http://www.qld.pmichapters-australia.org.au/) is the proud sponsor of
tonights Bar Tab for the September 08 Chapter Meeting
Project Management Institute
Queensland Chapter

3. Technology Supporting Business
Some insights into Flight Centre Technology group
Project Services Office

4. Flight Centre’s History
• Top Deck Travel: founded in 1973
• Australian retail travel agency: opened 1980
• Common branding from 1987
• Including a common operating philosophy
• Today: 1500 shops in 10 countries.
• plus FCm global network
• Total transaction value (TTV): $8.9b in 2007

5. 10 Key Philosophies linking a
very strong company culture
• Our People • Standard Systems: 1 Best Way
• Our Customer • Family, Village, Tribe: Structure
• Profit • Taking Responsibility
• Ownership • Egalitarianism & Unity
• Incentives • Brightness Of Future

6. Key Brands
Retail
✈Flight Centre ✈Escape Travel
✈Travel Associates ✈Student Flights
✈ Flight Centre Travel Money ✈Flight Centre Hotels
Flight
✈Cruiseabout
Corporate
✈FCm Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events ✈Campus Travel

7. Local Structure:
Australian Operations
Retail Brands Corporate Brands
Front End
✈Flight Centre ✈Escape Travel
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Travel Associates ✈Student Flights
✈Flight Centre Hotels
Retail
✈Cruiseabout
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events Corporate Travel
✈Campus
✈Flight Centre Travel
Money
Ticket Centre
Back End Support
Product & Wholesale
Support
Peopleworks (HR)
Global Operations
TECHNOLOGY
Marketing
Finance

8. Local Structure:
Australian Operations
Retail Brands Corporate Brands
Front End
✈Flight Centre ✈Escape Travel
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Travel Associates ✈Student Flights
✈Flight Centre Hotels
Retail
✈Cruiseabout
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events Corporate Travel
✈Campus
✈Flight Centre Travel
Money
Ticket Centre
Back End Support
Product & Wholesale
Support
Flight
Peopleworks (HR)
Global Operations
Centre
Marketing
Technology
Finance
Project
Services
Office
(PMO)

9. Technology supporting
the business
Purpose of the Flight Centre Technology ‘Nation’:
Effectively support the goals of FCL
Achieved through:
• Business Alignment
• Technology (Enterprise Architecture)
• Functional capability development
• Risk Mitigation

10. Challenges for the
Technology ‘Nation’
Challenges
• Standard systems & Incentives • Governance
• Change management is critical • Senior Management & business buy-in
• Entrepreneurial culture promotes variance • Prioritisation & funding initiatives
• People & Capability • Delivery
• Attracting & retaining the right people • Capability
• with the right skills • Managing expectations
• who ‘fit’ the culture & team • Partnerships with providers
• Business “ownership” &
Structure (Family, Village, Tribe)
• Each team “owns” their P&L / profit
• Teams commitment achieving goals

11. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
Retail Brands Corporate Brands
Front End
✈Flight Centre ✈Escape Travel
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Travel Associates ✈Student Flights
Retail
✈Flight Centre Hotels
✈Cruiseabout
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events Corporate Travel
✈Campus
✈Flight Centre Travel
Money
Ticket Centre
Back End Support
Product & Wholesale
Support
Peopleworks (HR)
Global Operations
TECHNOLOGY
Marketing
Finance

12. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
IT Manager - Retail Corporate Brands
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events Corporate Travel
✈Campus
Ticket Centre
Back End Support
Product & Wholesale
Support
Peopleworks (HR)
Global Operations
TECHNOLOGY
Marketing
Finance

13. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
Ticket Centre
Back End Support
Product & Wholesale
Support
Peopleworks (HR)
Global Operations
TECHNOLOGY
Marketing
Finance

14. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
IT Manager – Product & Ticketing
Back End Support
Support
Peopleworks (HR)
Global Operations
TECHNOLOGY
Marketing
Finance

15. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
IT Manager – Product & Ticketing
Back End Support
IT Manager – Business Services

16. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
IT Manager – Product & Ticketing
Back End Support
IT Manager – Business Services

17. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
IT Manager – Product & Ticketing
Back End Support
IT Manager – Business Services
Development: Project Services Office:
Global Solutions Project Management
.NET, JAVA, Web Technology Business Analysis & Testing

18. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
Enterprise, Architecture & Service
Enterprise, Architecture & Service
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
IT Manager – Product & Ticketing
Back End Support
IT Manager – Business Services
Development: Project Services Office:
Global Solutions Project Management
.NET, JAVA, Web Technology Business Analysis & Testing

19. How Technology’s direction
aligns with key challenges
Standard People & Business
systems Incentives Capability “ownership” Governance Delivery
Business Alignment
Technology
(IT Architecture)
Functional capability
development
Risk Mitigation
strategies

20. Key IT drivers for Flight Centre
Technology ‘Nation’
• Provide support for rapid & sustained business growth
• Minimise the cost/time of delivering business initiatives by
leveraging internal & external knowledge/resources
• Provide a comprehensive single view of all FCL customers
• Provide enhanced connectivity among systems/suppliers to facilitate
business interactions
• Minimise the complexity of the technology systems

21. Flight Centre Technology:
Risk Mitigation
Focus on 4 key areas:
• Security
• Disaster recovery
• Business continuity
• Project Governance

22. Flight Centre Technology:
Focus Areas
Focus on 4 key areas:
• Security
• Disaster recovery
• Business continuity
• Project Governance

23. Technology supporting the business
through Business Alignment
Enterprise, Architecture & Service
Enterprise, Architecture & Service
IT Manager - Retail IT Manager - Corporate
Front End
✈FCm✈FCm Travel Solutions
Travel Solutions ✈Stage and Screen
✈Stage and Screen
✈Ci Events
✈Ci Events
IT Manager – Product & Ticketing
Back End Support
IT Manager – Business Services
Development: Project Services Office:
Global Solutions Project Management
.NET, JAVA, Web Technology Business Analysis & Testing

24. Project Services Office: Role
Project Services Office Role
• Facilitation
• Direct report to IT Leadership
• Works on both business and IT projects
• Focus on collaboration and
• Delivery to customers via internal Customers.
• Internal customers represent Flight Centre’s customers

25. Project Services Office:
Structure & Size
• Project Services Office Role
• 16 team members comprising:
– Project Managers
– Business Analysis & Software application testers
• Mix of backgrounds and experience:
– Business - including FC and travel industry
– Information Technology
– Career Project Management
• Matrix structure

26. Project Services Office:
Methodology & Approach
• Methodology based on PRINCE II
• PM’s manage multiple projects
• FC internal billing = responsibility
• Strong team = family, village, tribe
• Relationships to internal businesses = service internal
customers

27. Project Services Office:
Types of projects
Business Focussed Projects:
• Change Management
• Business Integration (i.e. new acquisitions)
• Supporting regulatory and compliance work

28. Project Services Office:
Types of projects
IT Projects: Software application focus
• Enhancement of existing systems
• New systems
• Bespoke / in-house development teams
• Vendor management
• Mixed
• Vendor Selection / business needs based RFP
• Release Management

29. Project Services Office:
Main types of IT Systems
Types of IT Systems
• Corporate systems:
• Desktop inc. email and infrastructure services
• Financial management systems
• Corporate systems: Point of sale (front and mid office)
• Different businesses use different POS according to type
• Point of Sale accounting systems (back office)
• Internet: web sites inc ecommerce and info sites

30. Project Services Office:
Main types of IT Systems
Types of IT Systems
• Airline Global Distribution (GDS):
• Links at many levels for booking & managing bookings
• Ticketing systems:
• Issue tickets on behalf of the airlines and other travel services
• Industry specific business intelligence
• Class of systems pulling data from the GDS
• Internet: specific extranet systems

31. Future Direction
Continued globalisation of Flight Centre Limited
supported and enabled by technology
Keeping focus on the basics that still hold
true, even in today’s world…

32. November 2008 presentation
Managing Relationship Risk in Projects
The presentation …
… highlights the need for effective management of relationships in
projects. It covers relationships from a risk management perspective
and shows how to develop a rigorous planned approach that will impact
on delivery outcomes through effective group dynamics; interface
management and good leadership methodologies.
Graham Scott …
… is an Organisational Psychologist with Masters qualifications. Prior to
studying Psychology Graham worked in the Construction Industry at
trade and Management levels. For the past thirteen years Graham has
being working in Projects mostly in recovery around “communication”
and “people issues”.
OrgConsulting.com will be the proud sponsor of a
Bar Tab for the November 2008 Chapter Meeting
Project Management Institute
Queensland Chapter

33. Thanks for coming
Enjoy the Networking
at the bar
Project Management Institute
Queensland Chapter