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Student Symposium 2021

Design Plan

Proposed Solution

The selected proposed solution was the Customer Experience Overhaul. The Indianapolis International Airport’s main priority is to increase profitability while prepping its processes for post-COVID-19 consumer behavioral changes. The best option to meet the company’s criteria is to implement a solution that addresses the public's newfound health concerns. Consumers will now be aware of the steps taken by the airport to ensure their safety. This solution, when implemented correctly, will address poor search engine optimization, increasing customer engagement, provide customer feedback, and provide intuitive wayfinding signage. In addressing this opportunity, the airport will increase market share by providing a competitive edge over parking competitors. The Indianapolis International Airport will not only see an increase in the utilization of parking services at a faster than projected rate, but it will also retain customers who switched parking providers because of a negative customer experience. This solution excelled in the success criteria with, its lowest score being in process disruption, maintenance, and upfront costs. This is because of the cost and disruption associated with training employees and updating the overall process. The proposed Customer Experience Overhaul will increase parking profitability, boost customer satisfaction, and highlight that the Indianapolis International Airport cares in these difficult times.

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To-Be Model

This diagram shows the pre-airport experience of a customer of the Indianapolis International Airport under our purposed solution. 

  1. The customer decides how to get to the airport – The To-Be process begins with the customer’s decision regarding how they will arrive at the airport.  
  2. Dropped off by friend or family - This is a yes or no decision process that is the beginning of an elimination process.  If the customer is dropped off by a friend or family member, the next step is process 5.  If the answer is no, the next step is process 3. 
  3. 3rd party ride-sharing service - This is a yes or no decision process regarding whether a customer utilizes a ride-sharing service to travel to the airport.  A yes leads to step 7, and a no moves the process to step 4. 
  4. Drive/Park –   This is when the customer drives themself to the airport and utilizes parking services. This is a desired outcome for the airport. Following this step’s conclusion, it leads to a yes or no process in step 8. 
  5. Customer dropped off in Terminal Garage – Step 5 is a result of a yes outcome in step 2. This is a yes or no scenario, a yes results in a traveler being accompanied by their ride into the airport’s terminal, step 6. A no results in step 7, the passenger being dropped off at the terminal entrance. 
  6. Customer pays at cashier booth or pay station - The customer makes either a credit/debit or a cash payment for parking.  
  7. Drop-off at the terminal - This step is the result of either step 3, 5, or 6. This step results in the customer being physically dropped off at the terminal entrance and is followed by step 14. 
  8. Economy lot - A no in the previous step indicates that the customer is in the economy lot. This step has a yes or no outcome, yes resulting in step 12.  A no results in step 9.  
  9. Park and Walk – As a result of a no in step 8, the customer finds themselves in the Park and Walk Lot.  This is a yes or no outcome scenario with a yes resulting in step 13.  A no here results in step 10.  
  10. Premium Self-Park – This option is the adapted valet in the post-COVID-19 airport experience. This is a yes or no outcome scenario with a yes resulting in step 13.  A no results in step 11. 
  11. Terminal Garage Parking - This is the last possible step in the process of elimination when determining where the customer parks. Following this is step 13.  
  12. A shuttle transports customer – As a result of a yes in step 8, during this step, the customer is transported from the Economy lot to the terminal. 
  13. Customer Parks Car – Following a yes result of steps 9, 10, and 11, the customer decides to utilize a parking option offered by the airport. 
  14. Arrives at Airport Terminal – The final step in the pre-airport experience is the customer arriving at the airport terminal. 
  15. Takes Survey – The final step in the pre-airport experience is the customer taking a digital survey regarding their parking experience.