b'Reagan National is one of the 79 U.S. airports 26 MKE|TPA BAGGAGEthat received self-service bag tag printers. PHOTO: J. A. WATTS, INC.Working in Waves Intentional Design, Minimal FootprintAlaska Airlines structured its deploymentAlaska Airlines and its project partners went through multiple design initiative in waves, with each team completingiterations to achieve the right blend of efficiency and simplicity. installations at up to 10 airports per trip. ThisSaving space in airport lobbies and easy on-site assembly were strategy demanded precise orchestration ofalso key requirements. airport approvals, contractor arrangementsWhen the airline deemed an early prototype to be too big, and project management. [Alaska Airlines]Architectural Casework cut the footprint roughly in half by had a good partner in Reliant for theRYAN HOUSTON stacking components and compacting the overall design. implementation and installation, says Ryan Houston, programA stainless-steel base was added to provide stability for the manager with J.A. Watts. I think that was really critical to theslimmer-profile unit.success of this project.The company worked directly with Alaska Cathie Attebery, director of Airport Development at AlaskaAirlines to meet the carriers expectations for Airlines, directed the project team to build flexibility into thefunctionality and aesthetics. The kiosk had deployment schedule. The nature of work in each wave would beto accommodate a scanner unit and bag similar, but the number of stations, project duration or route couldtag printer, with routing out on the backside change as each airport bag tag station was completed. The airlineand a flush front. That was all very time-also worked with its own policy and procedure team and trainingconsuming, but in the end, we were able to team to coordinate with the planned waves. It was really gettingmake it happen, says Dan Beamish, general DAN BEAMISHeverybody on board with this flexible approach, Reimers recalls.manager of Architectural Casework Inc.That set the groundwork for making adjustments when oneBeyond operational performance, accessibility was also waves work was completed early, so additional stations could beimportant to Alaska Airlines. The final design exceeds added to it. It was a massive collaborative effort, but it really startedTransportation Department requirements and is completely with Cathies idea of not locking us into a rigid schedule, he says.compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The airline This flexible approach allowed Alaska Airlines to maintain some rigorworked with an external agency to perform accessibility testing in scheduling but adjust stations earlier or later as needed. and incorporated feedback from individuals with varying degrees In addition to wave scheduling, the project team benefited greatlyof abilities into the design process. We were fortunate enough to from the ready availability of equipment from Architectural Caseworknot only have the right inputs to make decisions around this, but Inc. and the willingness of crews from Reliant Corp. to live out ofwe also have in-house expertise and a passion for it, Reimers a truck for weeks at a time when deploying the bag tag kiosks.comments. Weve innovated in a way that is inclusive for anyone By strategically planning and integrating new airport additions intowho needs to use the bag tag station.their existing scheduled waves, J.A. Watts was able to completeUsing 3D software and CNC-operated machinery, Architectural closer to 10 airports per wave rather than three or four as originallyCasework created models to test each new design, ensuring that expected, helping the whole project finish ahead of schedule. July | August 2024AirportImprovement.com'