With no prior airline industry experience, Southwest co-founder Herb Kelleher's entrepreneurial approach and niche strategy disrupted the airline industry while traditional players were in difficulty. Southwest's "fighting spirit" and competitive advantage allowed it to fend off constant attempts, both by competitors and political forces, to shut down the airline. Southwest must evaluate how it can maintain its competitive advantage, while maintaining its core culture, reliability, and customer focus. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essaySouthwest's competitive advantage focuses on its culture, employees, and productivity, all resulting in a model more efficient and profitable operating system (low prices, short films). transport flights and streamlined operations). Its low costs (20-30% lower than major airlines) and faster turnaround times (on average 20 minutes faster than competitors United and Continental) can be attributed to the extraordinary drive of employees at intervene when needed, such as pilots offering to help. clean airplane cabins between flights. Southwest embodies congruence through initiatives, like the “Day in the Field” program, that foster collaboration across all facets of the business. Interdepartmental communication and empathy influence employee morale, improve processes, and ultimately create positive customer experiences that affect the bottom line. Currently, travel agents are reluctant to book Southwest due to its non-standard booking experience; agents must call Southwest directly to issue tickets. This will become increasingly problematic as competitors undercut prices and impact Southwest's profits; Southwest will need an effective way to make the booking experience smoother. The industry is also entering the Internet era, from which early adopters and investors in technology will benefit. By investing in technology infrastructure and creating a dedicated website, bookings will not only be more accessible and efficient for travel agents, but also for customers. As technology replaces the traditional role of travel agents, Southwest can use its centralized website to capitalize on web-based strategies to generate revenue. In addition to customer experience, Southwest's employee experience is a fundamental aspect of its business. If employees enjoy their work, that attitude will be reflected in their performance, resulting in positive experiences for customers. Currently, Southwest only offers in-house training, which may be short-sighted, especially since creativity is encouraged. Southwest should establish a policy that allows employees to participate in external training and programs of their choice to diversify perspectives and spark new ideas. Thanks to Southwest's new technology infrastructure, online training modules can also be made available to all employees, regardless of their geographic location. This new training policy will strengthen the culture of innovation sought by Southwest and increase employee loyalty by investing concretely in their development. As Southwest grows, it must establish a succession plan. Management philosophy.