Fiji Airports taps CG Tech for major transformation project to overhaul manual processes

A staged, business-led project will modernise systems and support staff in digital uplift.

Fiji Airports has partnered with digital transformation consultancy CG Tech to overhaul its major business systems and processes across finance, HR and safety management.

The airport has opted for a full-scale digitalisation process, which includes adding AI, rather than incremental improvements. It aligns with the organisation’s 10-year plan to become a major aviation hub for the Blue Pacific.

With investment and growth expected over that time, Fiji Airports needed integrated systems and modern, scalable digital processes.

Following a tender process, it selected CG Tech, looking to harness its regional understanding, experience with regulated sectors and its ability to support diverse workforces through significant digital uplift.

The airport initially looked at point solutions for each business area, according to David Long, director, strategy and transformation, CG Tech.

However, as it went through the planning and prioritisation it became apparent a broader transformation was required.

Only an enterprise-wide transformation would ensure systems work together and the required data visibility and integration could be achieved, said Long.

The first task is to move the business away from paper-based processes and manual data entry, which has become a major pain-point hampering efficiency. Financial reconciliation, for example is a cumbersome, time-consuming task.

“It currently requires a lot of manual effort to create departmental and organisation-wide reporting, which limits visibility for timely decision-making,” he said.

Business-led governance and staged delivery

The project kicked off with discovery, stakeholder engagement and current-state assessment and future requirements. It includes a review of how information is exchanged between corporate systems and broader business functions to ensure data is timely and available across the organisation.

One of the goals is to create a foundation for analytics and AI with data captured in structured, connected systems. This also allows automated audit trails, proactive alerts and clearer reporting.

The goal is to improve reporting, trend analysis, predictive analytics and risk identification through alerts and traceability.

“It significantly improves transparency and risk control across the organisation,” Long said.

The project is structured in stages tied to business‑led decision points. At each milestone, it will be necessary to confirm readiness, risk management and alignment with organisational goals, not just technical progress.

“This ensures value and outcomes remain central throughout delivery,” Long told CRN Australia.

Human uplift important to success of digital transformation

The project won’t overlook staff training and includes practical guidance for people as new systems and ways of working are introduced.

“We recognise the need for training and capability uplift across the business, supporting different generations of employees through transformation,” Mesake Nawari, chief executive, Fiji Airports said.

Long’s advice for critical infrastructure and regulated organisations is to start with executive alignment and invest in thorough discovery to establish what matters most for the organisation.

Transformation projects should also focus on improving process and uplifting capabilities (not just technology) to avoid the trap of building old, inefficient processes into new systems.

“These steps will help ensure that people, processes and data can work together to support long‑term strategic objectives, resilience and decision‑making,” he ended.