Avelo leads US airlines in OPEX & experts ask if BPM can prevent burnout
AEIC launches Center for Operational Excellence and Avolta’s head of OPEX champions mystery shopping in enhancing operational standards
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PEX Network’s weekly news bulletin rounds up the latest from the process community including operational excellence (OPEX), digital transformation, business process management (BPM), process mining, artificial intelligence (AI) and much more.
This week includes:
- Avelo Airlines leads US carriers in OPEX
- AEIC launches Center for Operational Excellence for North American electricity industry
- Experts discuss how BPM can prevent burnout
- Mystery shopping enhances operational standards, says Avolta’s head of OPEX
- Condor Flugdienst drives process excellence and digital transformation
- Davidson Hospitality Group strengthens leadership team to propel OPEX and growth
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Avelo Airlines leads US carriers in OPEX
Avelo Airlines is leading the US airline industry in operational reliability heading into the busy December holiday travel season, according to aviation data services company Anuvu. Avelo ranks number one in on-time performance and is achieving the lowest flight cancellation rate in the industry. Through the first 11 months of 2024, 85.2 percent of the airline’s flights arrived at their destinations within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines ranked second and third with on-time arrival rates of 82.1 percent and 78.7 percent, respectively.
Avelo’s 0.45 percent flight cancellation rate also leads the industry by a significant margin, with the company outpacing the average rate of 1.39 percent. Southwest Airlines and Delta Airlines trailed Avelo with flight cancellation rates of 0.85 percent and 1.16 percent, respectively.
"As we enter the busy December holiday travel season, our customers can count on Avelo to get them where they want to go on time and with their bags,” said Andrew Levy, founder and CEO of Avelo Airlines. “Few things are more frustrating to travelers – especially during the holidays – than long flight delays and cancellations. At Avelo we understand this and have a shared passion across our team for uncompromising OPEX.”
Watch Cathy Gu, deputy divisional director at IQPC, preview OPEX Week Business Transformation World Summit 2025
AEIC launches Center for Operational Excellence for North American electricity industry
The Association of Edison Illuminating Companies (AEIC) launched a new non-profit organization called the Center for Operational Excellence (Ops Center), described as a “one-stop resource” for authoritative information to empower the electric utility industry to overcome operational challenges and harness new opportunities.
Through strategic workshops, AEIC member projects, publications and other resources that are interconnected, the OpsCenter aims to enable OPEX across the North American electricity industry, according to a press release. It will focus on holistic approaches to data-driven decision-making, coordination and impactful results that support the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Integrated System Planning and Operations Data Strategy Framework.
“All aspects of the electric industry, from regulations to the grid itself, are evolving at a rapidly increasing rate, and utilities are responding with creative, advanced solutions,” said Steve Hauser, CEO of AEIC. “It’s imperative that industry stakeholders have access to this information so they can make informed decisions. We see that as a key role for the Ops Center.”
This effort will broaden DOE’s ability to reach key stakeholders in this area by leveraging AEIC’s existing member network and expertise in hosting and facilitating workshops, added Joe Paladino, a senior advisor in DOE’s Office of Electricity. “This initiative aims to ensure more effective operational coordination and to drive actionable results in utility management.”
Watch Pradheep Kileti, a director at National Grid, discuss balancing operations and innovation
Experts discuss how BPM can prevent burnout
The role of BPM in preventing employee burnout was the topic of conversation in the latest episode of the New Process Podcast. Host Mirko Kloppenburg was joined by Dr Yevgen Bogodistov, full professor of strategic management and organizational behavior at MCI Innsbruck in Austria. The pair discussed what process owners, managers or architects can do to prevent workers from reaching high stress levels in processes.
Bogodistov explained that, by listening to the feelings of the people working in the process as early as possible, leaders can minimize the stress level of their daily work, which can prevent burnout at an early stage. He also shared practical tips that can be applied to work.
“One of the most important takeaways was that we should pay attention to the human resource energy: each person working in the process has a limited amount of energy per day and if it is not replenished in the long term, it could lead to burnout in the worst case,” said Kloppenburg.
Watch Ekaterina ‘Katie’ Curry and Donald Kuk discuss using BPM and automation
Mystery shopping enhances operational standards, says Avolta’s head of OPEX
Alec Denby, head of global OPEX at travel retailer Avolta, shared insights on how mystery shopping – where a company measures its own quality of sales and service by having a researcher pose as a customer and report their experience – enhances operational standards and improves customer satisfaction.
Speaking alongside Florian Wimmer, client services director at ISC-CX, Denby discussed why mystery shopping is a powerful tool for maintaining high service standards and delivering on Avolta’s customer-centric approach. “Within our CX-measurement mix, mystery shopping helps us refine processes and ensure we meet our customer expectations at every step of their journey,” he said.
Watch Ryan Mayer, head of Healthineers Performance Systems at Siemens Healthineers, reflect on leading transformation in OPEX
Condor Flugdienst drives process excellence and digital transformation
Condor Flugdienst, a prominent German airline, partnered with Interfacing Technologies Corporation to refine its processes, enhance governance and accelerate digital transformation. By integrating AI and data-driven solutions, Condor aims to optimize operational performance, improve business agility and create significant value for its customers and stakeholders, according to a press release.
“We are excited to partner with Interfacing for their robust platform and unmatched expertise in process management and digitalization,” said Heiko Holm, CTO at Condor Flugdienst. “Interfacing’s Enterprise Process Center© (EPC) solution will enable us to enhance process efficiency, maintain the highest standards of compliance and drive sustainable growth in an increasingly digital world.”
Davidson Hospitality Group strengthens leadership team to propel OPEX and growth
Hospitality management company Davidson Hospitality Group announced two new leadership hires to drive OPEX and growth in the hospitality industry. Brad Barnett was named SVP of sales for the company’s lifestyle operating division, Pivot, while Michael Yousif was promoted to SVP of acquisitions and business development. Both appointments are part of Davidson Hospitality Group’s broader strategy to enhance its operational capabilities as the hospitality industry continues to evolve in response to new trends, including increased demand for unique lifestyle experiences, sustainable tourism practices and heightened focus on personalized guest services, according to the firm.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of the Davidson family and we are delighted to continue strategically enhancing our corporate team,” said Thom Geshay, CEO and president of Davidson Hospitality Group. “True to our core values, we remain confident that in their roles, both Brad and Michael will create exceptional value in all that they do in order to bolster and drive superior performance while also serving their teams with love.”
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