- About Iberia Nostrum
Iberia Nostrum, a leading regional airline in Spain, operates a robust network of domestic and international flights, serving millions of passengers annually. Known for its commitment to reliable service and customer satisfaction, Iberia Nostrum relies on its flight reservation system to manage high volumes of booking transactions and ensure a seamless travel experience.
The Challenge: Modernizing a Core System for Evolving Needs
Iberia Nostrum faced increasing demands on its COBOL-based flight reservation system as customer expectations and operational requirements evolved. The existing system, while foundational to the airline’s operations, required enhancements to improve functionality, meet customer needs, and support future growth. Specific challenges included:
The flight reservation system, built on COBOL, had grown increasingly complex over time, requiring regular and costly maintenance to prevent operational issues. As new features were added, the system’s architecture became more intricate, making it challenging to implement changes quickly and safely. This complexity also increased the risk of introducing new bugs during maintenance updates.
Passengers and partners increasingly expected more sophisticated features, including more granular booking options, real-time flight status updates, seamless integration with mobile apps and other digital platforms, and personalized travel experiences. Iberia Nostrum needed to enhance its reservation system to stay competitive and meet these evolving customer demands.
The airline’s system comprised over 50,000 lines of COBOL code, presenting a significant challenge for optimization and modernization. Iberia Nostrum required a partner capable of efficiently navigating this complex codebase, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing enhancements that would boost system performance, reliability, and scalability.
Iberia Nostrum engaged COBOLpro, recognizing their specialized expertise in legacy COBOL systems, to optimize their reservation system, introduce new functionalities, and ensure long-term operational stability.
COBOLpro's Solution: A Phased Approach to Maintenance & Enhancement
- Comprehensive Code Review and Optimization: COBOLpro performed a thorough review of the reservation system’s 50,000 lines of COBOL code, leveraging static analysis tools and manual inspection to identify inefficiencies, areas for enhancement, and potential security vulnerabilities. This included:
- Code Structure Analysis: Evaluating the system’s architecture and identifying opportunities for modularization and improved code organization.
- Performance Bottleneck Detection: Pinpointing performance bottlenecks related to database access, I/O operations, and algorithmic efficiency.
- Code Quality Assessment: Assessing code readability, maintainability, and adherence to coding standards.
- System Maintenance and Stabilization: Addressing the core system’s stability, COBOLpro carried out necessary maintenance, including:
- Bug Fixing: Resolving existing bugs and preventing the introduction of new ones through rigorous testing.
- Performance Tuning: Optimizing system resources, database queries, and code execution paths to improve transaction processing speeds and reduce response times.
- Security Hardening: Implementing security best practices to protect the system against unauthorized access and cyber threats.
- Feature Enhancements Based on Customer Feedback: Based on specific customer and partner requests, COBOLpro developed and implemented new functionalities within the COBOL system, including:
- Enhanced Booking Options: Implementing more granular booking options, such as flexible date searches, multi-city itineraries, and ancillary service selection.
- API Integration: Developing APIs to enable seamless integration with mobile apps, online travel agencies, and other third-party platforms.
- Improved Reporting Capabilities: Enhancing reporting functionalities to provide Iberia Nostrum with real-time insights into booking trends, revenue management, and operational performance.
- Future-Ready System Improvements: To prepare Iberia Nostrum’s system for scalability and future enhancements, COBOLpro implemented structural updates, including:
- Modularization: Breaking down the system into smaller, more manageable modules to improve maintainability and simplify future development efforts.
- API-First Architecture: Designing the system with an API-first approach to facilitate integration with new technologies and platforms.
- Automated Testing: Implementing automated testing frameworks to ensure the quality and stability of future updates and enhancements.
The Results: A Foundation for Continued Growth and Innovation
COBOLpro’s engagement delivered significant results for Iberia Nostrum:
- Increased Operational Reliability: System stabilization and performance tuning resulted in a more reliable and robust reservation system, minimizing downtime and improving operational efficiency.
- Enhanced Customer Experience: New features and improved functionalities provided a more user-friendly and versatile reservation experience for Iberia Nostrum’s customers.
- Improved System Efficiency: Code optimization and performance tuning led to faster transaction processing speeds and reduced resource consumption.
- Reduced Maintenance Requirements: Improved code quality and system architecture simplified future maintenance and reduced the cost of ongoing support.
- Future-Ready Flexibility: System modularization and the implementation of an API-first architecture provided Iberia Nostrum with the flexibility to adapt to evolving customer needs and industry trends, enabling them to integrate new technologies and expand their service offerings more easily.
By partnering with COBOLpro, Iberia Nostrum successfully modernized its core reservation system, achieving significant improvements in reliability, efficiency, customer experience, and future scalability. This project demonstrates COBOLpro’s expertise in helping organizations leverage their existing COBOL investments while preparing for the future of travel. This case study highlights how COBOLpro’s targeted and technically proficient approach can unlock the full potential of legacy systems, enabling them to thrive in the modern digital landscape and support the airline’s strategic objectives.
