To be sustainable, you need to learn to manage uncertainty.
SkyUpTM is an international brand with Ukrainian roots, founded in June 2017 by the Alba family, whose greatest passion in life is traveling. SkyUp made its first flight in 2018. A year later, they were among the 10 most dynamic European airlines according to The Anker Report, and in 2021, they received the “Heart of Aviation” award from the Ukraine Tourism Awards and became the second largest Ukrainian airline in terms of traffic volume.
However, in 2022, the skies of Ukraine were closed to civilian flights due to the full-scale invasion. SkyUp began operating in Europe. The main areas of activity were ACMI contracts, as well as charter flights ordered by tour operators, funds, associations, sports clubs, etc.
The need to quickly adapt the business to the conditions of the new market forced the company to reconsider the approach to goal management in achieving its ambitious results. At this time, there was a need to find an effective goal-setting system. As a result, the company chose the Viva Goals solution, which we share in a new success story from SMART business.
Why it was necessary to implement the Viva Goals goal-setting system
According to the industry media ch-aviation, last year SkyUp Airlines became one of 20 airlines that performed most flights under ACMI contracts in Europe. ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) is an agreement between two airlines, under which one provides the other with its aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance in exchange for payment for a number of block hours. Usually, such agreements, in addition to the standard set of rules, have their own additional norms and requirements. Accordingly, if an organization leases its aircraft to several companies, it must learn to quickly adapt to their standards and develop separate strategies for each team. Therefore, the system of organizing flights and running a business becomes more complex and multifaceted than when a company performs regular flights, as was the case in Ukraine.
In response to these challenges, the SkyUp team decided to combine all processes in one framework and implement a new strategy system, which was helped by the Viva Goals solution.
The new strategy immediately highlighted the gray areas (or reserve areas). They had a number of issues that were not critical before, but with the changes in the company they entailed some “turbulence”. The organizational design underwent the greatest changes, because in connection with the revision of areas of responsibility there was a need to create new departments and positions. It happened like this: first, a goal was set (for example, it was discussed that by the end of the financial year it was necessary to implement, say, three critical points). From the goal, the company “descended” to methods, determining how to achieve the desired results. After this stage, it became clear what was missing to implement these results: for example, it was outlined that there was a need to establish the use of artificial intelligence for processing requests. The method is new, so an IT department was specially created for it, dealing with this issue. That is, changes occurred not only at the “highest” level: it was a complex scheme for restructuring all processes with the involvement of new competencies to fulfill a certain plan.
Of course, goal setting had been a part of the company’s work before, but it needed to be optimized and automated to reduce the response time to challenges, the number of which increased proportionally to the development of the organization. One of the solutions for optimizing activities is the digitalization of processes. For this, we chose a modern Viva Goals solution – a comprehensive goal setting system for automating business processes.
There are no issues that cannot be solved. You just need to find the root of the problem and build on it, gradually transforming all the processes associated with it.
Choosing a solution: how SkyUр searched for a goal-setting system that suited its challenges through trial and error
SkyUр’s partners, Strategic, helped them choose the methodology. SkyUр’s main request was to implement a visionary strategy based on the OGSM system (Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures). The system combines OKR and KPI elements, which was ideal for implementing the company’s vision in a focused, transparent and fast manner. There are not many solutions using the OGSM system now, and Viva Goals turned out to be the most relevant to SkyUр’s needs. The customer highlighted the following key advantages:
- A frame that unites all blocks: Viva Goals is a business plan on one page. The solution integrates different divisions of SkyUр through a single goal management system. This approach reduces the number of information gaps between teams, facilitating better communication and coordination between departments (e.g. sales, marketing, maintenance and ground operations).
- Efficient setting of long-term goals: Building a strategy is a painstaking and usually time-consuming process. To speed up this process, the artificial intelligence built into Viva Goals creates possible strategies immediately after the “coordinates” of the long-term goal have been defined. This way, strategists can choose the best sequence of actions and adjust it to their processes. Or perhaps adjust the goal so that the methods it needs fit better into the annual plan.
- Hybrid methodology involving all teams: Viva Goals uses OKR and KPI methodologies, combining them into one system. However, unlike other similar solutions, Viva Goals is available to cross-team specialists at all levels. The solution offers maximum employee engagement and full transparency of progress in achieving results. Firstly, it allows you to quickly adapt to dynamic changes in the business arena, and secondly, it supports the team spirit of the company.
- Data security: The reliable level of security of Microsoft technologies and compliance with regulatory requirements provides the company with maximum protection of confidential information. Viva Goals uses the Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) protocol to ensure data security.
- Stream and domain system: to better structure the strategy, Viva Goals offers a system for distributing tasks into groups and defining individual goals for each team.
The stream and domain system was what SkyUр was most interested in in Viva Goals. Structuring into groups and subgroups allowed the company to define the main areas of work and effectively distribute tasks among cross-teams. The company identified three unique streams for itself:
- «Blue Ocean» — A stream of new business developments in the aviation sector: innovations, the latest concepts and approaches.
- «Freedom & Effectiveness» — A stream of operational excellence: a course to abandon the outdated and unnecessary and to look for ways to improve the quality and efficiency of operational processes.
- «Team & Energy» — A stream of the team, internal culture and synergy: the goal is to strengthen teamwork for better implementation of the company’s strategy.
Each stream includes two or three domains, determined at the beginning of the financial year according to the long-term goal for this period. Thus, the company can build a visionary strategy down to the smallest tasks.
We believe that any transformation in the world, society or business occurs through the development and openness to change of a person. It is through the building and development of a team that the transformation of the system as a whole becomes possible.
How SkyUp helped its employees adapt to a new goal-setting system
Changes are always difficult. Employees may have numerous questions and difficulties when adapting to a new system. Therefore, it is very important for the team to unite and adjust the further course to the destination. It should be understood that it will not be perfect right away: the first year will probably be a “pilot” year and the company will have to face predictable challenges. However, everyone learns. SkyUp shared with us several tips and examples of how the company facilitated the process of adaptation to work under the new OGSM system:
- Demonstration of effectiveness: you need to make sure that all the company’s specialists understand why the new system was implemented and what positive results it should lead to
- Comfortable pace: it is advisable not to throw people into unusual processes immediately and without alternatives. The implementation of a new system should take place step by step, with a gradual migration from old, familiar processes to new ones.
- Teamwork: it is necessary to identify “ambassadors” — leaders who will be the first to master the new solution and show by their own example that it works effectively. For example, during a weekly call, you can ask the ambassador to share their experience of using the new solution: what problems and questions they had, and what, on the contrary, turned out perfectly. Usually, 1-2 leaders are identified for each domain, who have top-level responsibility for the team’s results
- Safe space: it is critically important to create an atmosphere for employees in which they will feel comfortable enough and will be able to ask questions or openly ask for help with new and unusual processes without fear or hesitation.
The SkyUp performance team did a tremendous job of attracting all the specialists to the new system. The thing is that sometimes you need to spend some time to understand why an employee is not satisfied with a new solution and find an individual approach. Some people are embarrassed to a help or do not want to admit that they do not understand something – and this is quite normal. The main thing is to treat specialists with respect and patience. For example, you can set aside an hour a day in the specialist’s calendar to leave time to deal with the problem without additional pressure. After all, it is better to spend this time in the first weeks than later during active use of the system.
The most important thing is to create a safe space for employees so that they are not afraid to explore the implemented solution and ask for help with unclear moments. And help is task No. 1. If someone asks me for help, I cannot refuse, because if I do this, the person will not ask a second time, and the system will never work.
At the same time, customization of the solution for SkyUр played a key role in the adaptation of employees. Thoughtful customization of modules to the specific needs of the company made it possible to integrate both familiar and new processes into the platform, providing a user-friendly interface and automation of a wide range of tasks.
As a result, just a year after the implementation of Viva Goals, the system became fully integrated into the company’s processes: all employees easily use the same terminology and effectively track both their own progress and the achievements of the entire team.
What results the implementation of Viva Goals brought to the company
I don’t think there is another airline in the world that opened shortly before the pandemic, coped with this challenge without external support, then managed to survive in a full-scale war, and now continues to develop its own brand and launches a new air carrier in the EU countries. What else is this if not the Ukrainian character, capable of any achievements?
It has been about a year and a half since the adoption of the Viva Goals solution by SkyUр companies. During this time, it has become clear that the tool fully justifies hope: the company managed to build its own ecosystem and create a strategic board in which all colleagues are involved: from CEO to managers.
The results speak for themselves:
- Strategy implementation – 61%.
- 10,528 flights were carried out, which is 36% more than in 2022.
- 1,546,432 passengers were transported, which is 24% more than in 2022.
SkyUр continues to provide jobs for Ukrainian specialists in the aviation industry, maintain valid licenses of highly specialized personnel and maintain the airworthiness of aircraft. The company contributes to the preservation of the aviation industry in Ukraine, so that civil aircraft can return to their native skies as soon as possible after the victory.
SkyUр has finalized its vision of the future and is on course for innovation in the aviation industry. The company has ambitious goals: to transform the travel industry by building a global and successful ecosystem in this area. SMART business always supports such initiatives and is ready to provide your company with modern tools for goal-setting navigation. Viva Goals will facilitate rapid takeoffs and opening up new horizons of success, and your development strategies will become clear, coordinated, controllable and effective. So, it’s time to set a goal, spread your wings and rise into the sky.
