An In-Flight Connectivity Pioneer Was Transforming Air Travel. Its Back-Office Systems Were Still Grounded.
A high-growth aviation connectivity company had built the first commercially viable in-flight internet service for both business jets and commercial airlines, secured contracts with carriers representing more than half of the North American mainline market, and was managing a significant backlog of aircraft installations. Its technology was leading the market. Its back-office systems were not.
Industry: Digital Infrastructure & Telecommunications / Aviation Technology
Size: 300+ employees; rapid headcount growth stage
Ownership: Private; venture-backed, ramping to IPO
Business Challenge
The company had crossed a threshold that many fast-growing technology companies hit: the systems and processes built for an earlier, smaller version of the business were struggling to keep pace with the scale of what it had become. The connectivity platform was leading the market. The back-office systems were not.
Two problems converged. The billing system underlying the business aviation segment needed to be migrated to a platform that could handle growing transaction volumes and support a more complex product portfolio. At the same time, leadership needed a clear IT strategy and roadmap to guide the next phase of technology investment across a company that was simultaneously managing two distinct market segments, a commercial airline rollout, and rapid headcount growth.
Legacy billing system not designed for the transaction volumes and product complexity of a commercially-scaled aviation connectivity business
Billing migration required structured business analysis to define requirements, manage risk, and coordinate across the program
No IT strategy or roadmap aligned to the company's dual-market growth trajectory across business aviation and commercial airlines
Quality assurance function needed stronger leadership to support system changes in a fast-moving, customer-facing environment
Our Approach & Solution
CIO Source engaged in two phases. In the first engagement, CIO Source provided principal-level QA leadership to strengthen the company's quality assurance capability during a period of rapid system change. The work focused on ensuring that new and modified systems were delivered with the rigor appropriate for a company serving airline passengers and business aviation customers at commercial scale.
In the second engagement, CIO Source provided a senior business analyst embedded on the Business Aviation Billing Migration project, supported by principal-level IT strategy advisory services. The BA role covered requirements definition, stakeholder coordination, and program delivery support for the billing platform transition. The IT strategy work developed roadmaps aligned to the company's growth plans across both market segments.
Business Results & Outcomes
Developed IT strategy and roadmap guidance aligned to the company's dual-market commercial growth
Provided QA leadership during a critical period of system change, reducing delivery risk in a customer-facing environment
Delivered senior BA resources to support the Business Aviation Billing Migration from requirements through delivery
Supported a technology organization managing simultaneous large-scale airline rollouts and expanding business aviation installations
Provided executive-level IT perspective during a period when the company was transitioning from startup to established market leader
Executive Takeaway
When a company grows as fast as this one did, the systems and processes that supported its earlier stage rarely survive the transition intact. CIO Source provided the QA leadership and business analysis capabilities needed to manage critical system changes without disrupting operations, while also helping the company establish the IT strategy foundation it needed for the next stage of growth.