This teaching case discusses the challenges being faced by the technology supervisors at Indian Railways (IR) in the current scenario of a resurgent national economy coupled with rising customer expectations. In the face of growing competition from road and low-cost airlines, to retain its customers, IR has reacted by altering its business rules. The old PRS, which is time-tested and dependable, and has been serving the customers' needs for almost two decades, is now proving to be comparatively inflexible to fit the fast changing business requirements.
Modernization Of Passenger Reservation System Indian Railways' Dilemma Case Study Solution
Although the present scenario of a constant demand to alter the programming logic of PRS has been making care more demanding for CRIS officials, they have realized that PRS is a time tested, proven, and reliable technology. Though they'd be happy to replace the old PRS with a new state-of-art system that would provide greater maintenance flexibility to them, the repercussions associated with possible failure of the new system are much too serious. The instance exhibits the current dilemma being faced by the head of CRIS, the umbrella agency for information technology (IT) implementation in IR: whether IR should continue using the old PRS technology with its inherent shortcomings, or should it take the risk and go in for a sweeping replacement with a fresh state-of-art technology which would provide greater maintenance flexibility?
PUBLICATION DATE: December 01, 2007 PRODUCT #: JIT016-PDF-ENG
This is just an excerpt. This case is about LEADERSHIP & MANAGING PEOPLE
Related Case Solutions & Analyses:
Han Solar and the Green Supply Chain
Financial Strategy At BAA PLC (A)
Liberal Government of Ontario’s Eco-Tax Fiasco
Peter Schultz at the Scripps Research Institute
Scooter Lindley: The Formation Call
Weathering the Storm: Awarding an Honorary Degree to Canada’s Pioneer Abortion Doctor (B)
Ben Bernanke: Person of the Year?
When a Pandemic Hits: Treading H2O and the Possible Pox (E)
John and Andrea Rice: Entrepreneurship and Life
Coca-Cola Company (A): The Rise and Fall of M. Douglas Ivester (Abridged)
