Fortitude-Prospect Aviation

Fortitude-Prospect is an Ahnslen transnational corporation that designs, manufactures and sells planes on an international scale. It was founded in 1936 and has operated out of its current site in Port Blaxland in the late 1970s. Sebastian Melrose is the current owner of the company, with Elijah Calwell the Chief Executive Officer. They specialise in creating small to medium sized aeroplanes and operate within the intermediate mass market, but also caters to private plane niche markets with its FP-2 variations.

Operations
Globalisation has enabled the business to expand into new markets, as well as form a global supply chain, utilising manufacturing centres in Kotapura (Samudera), Lundenwic Alteran republics and Wallenstein Dormill and Stiura whilst using its testing facility in Menindai, Ainslie and the Logistics Centre and Business Headquarters of Port Blaxland, Ainslie.

The business seeks to employ a cost leadership strategy with their products, whilst also maintaining differentiation between FP products and other products. Inputs such as materials and consumer interactions are transformed using human resources and the aforementioned factories in order to create the output of the small-medium sized aircraft that Fortitude-Prospect produces. They produce in low volume yet have quite a variety for a small business, indicative of the ability of the company to use similar parts throughout their aircraft. The business does not experience significant variations in demand but rather has to contend with the generally price elastic nature of its consumer niche market whilst providing products of exceptional quality. Similar processes are batched together in order to reduce the movement of components and the process of producing one unit is divided between the different factories which specialise in different roles in the production of these aircraft. The business is not an active participant in new product or service design and development. Logistics is a significant component of the business, as large parts need to be transported along relatively large distances. The business was an early adopter of e-commerce and utilises global sourcing through the purchasing of various parts from another aircraft company, Jaculus Aircraft Corporation. The business utilises an order fulfillment approach and does not use inventory management in a particularly large manner. The business prides itself in research and development which is a cornerstone of the business as a result of its collaboration with various technology firms, including Ahnslen firm Mussen Limited.

Marketing
FP’s typical market includes national governments such as those of Ainslie, Dormill and Stiura, Orsandia, Keverai and Townside, large airlines such as HabAir, Airvoma, Polaris Transport, Elang Air and Kenaris Airlines as well as large corporations and defence forces such as Fortitude Logistics and the Air Forces of Townside and Ainslie.

Fortitude-Prospect employs a modern marketing approach, which seeks to produce goods and services tailored to the consumer. The business operates in the intermediate market but also attracts a consumer niche market. Fortitude-Prospect is subject to statutes such as the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (UE) and its relevant provisions on deceptive and misleading advertising, price discrimination and implied conditions. The business is also subject to the Corporations Amendment (Community and Societal Interaction) Act 2003 (UE) which mandates the practice of Corporate Social Responsibility in the business and the Misuse of Resources (Human Resources) Amendment Act 2014 (UE) which dictates the treatment of workers.

The business utilises market segmentation through dividing its overall market in order to target a consumer niche market and an airline mass market. The business typically utilises a competition-based pricing method yet the company struggles with a balance between price and quality. The business uses advertising and relationship market and is not a significant participant in the communication process. It utilises a producer to agent to consumer distribution channel and complex logistical endeavours are a major cost for the business. The business uses a standard global pricing approach, taking into account exchange rates. Its branding is similar worldwide and its products are standardised across the world.

Products include the:

• FP-1 "Night Glider" medium haul (4,537km range), low-medium capacity (104 economy) aeroplane

• FP-2 "Desert Joey" short haul (4,289km), low capacity (16 economy) aeroplane

• FP-3 "Soaring Eagle" long-medium haul (6,100km range), medium capacity (160 economy) aeroplane made in collaboration with Alteran Aerospace of the Alteran republics
  

Finance
The business is based in Port Blaxland of Ainslie and is a public company with the following major shareholders:

• 52.56% - Melrose Estate

• 21.24% - Prospect Engineering

• 10.23% - Fortitude Investments

• 2.13% - Kenaris

• 1.52% - The Government of the Unified Electorates of Ainslie

• 0.43% - Polaris
  

It was primarily a private company until its initial public offering in 2007.

Human Resources
Fortitude-Prospect does not outsource any of its major business functions except for marketing, with human resources being a complex and delicate issue within the business. There has been a move towards offshoring in an attempt to lower labour costs but this has been heavily lobbied against by the Aviation Workers Union (AWU). Despite this, there has been increased usage of contractors and the increased offering of research grants to Ahnslens amidst the latter now becoming eligible for benefits under the Corporations (Social and Community Involvement) Amendment Act.

A major focus of human resources in Fortitude-Prospect is the influence of different stakeholders on the business. There is extensive historical disagreement with the major union which Ahnslen FP workers belong to and thus negotiations often lead to arbitration. Another influence is governments, whom FP is ultimately subject to the legislative power of. As far as is known, FP abides by the basic obligations of employers to pay, provide work and maintain a duty of care to employees. Much of Fortitude-Prospect's staff in Ainslie are covered under awards in an attempt to avoid union confrontation. The business has not been influenced greatly by changing work patterns in Ainslie, as offshoring production facilities to lower-income economies is becoming common practice in the business. Fortitude-Prospect has been a major beneficiary of globalisation and technological change with private investment in the firm being quite high.

The business does not outsource its human resource functions with acquisition being handled by a section of the business. There is adequate induction and training in an attempt to maximise employee performance and prevent accidents. Fortitude-Prospect does not offer significant employee participation since the high proportion of unionised workers already means there's a strong voice for the workers influencing the business. Production workers in lower-income countries typically do not participate in their businesses with FP's contracting to these companies shielding the aviation company from potential lawsuits over unaddressed safety concerns. The business increasingly so is evading Ahnslen regulations by offshoring its production facilities. Separation of workers remains to be handled by the internal human resources department.

The business typically recruits externally in an attempt to dilute the current animosity between Ahnslen employees and the company itself. The business does not have a wide scope to undertake job design and as such does not do so. The business utilises its training and development in order to prevent further legal action and ensure maximum performance from employees. Performance management is used to highlight weaknesses and respond to them whilst performance pay is largely ignored out of concern for possible industrial action. Rewards management is also not extensively explored as a strategy because of this. The business utilises global strategies such as labour costs and supply in an attempt to upscale their production whilst lowering cost per unit. This is done by finding workers with the appropriate skills and utilising more relaxed industrial relations systems in other countries. Fortitude-Prospect remains to have a grievance procedure despite the dispute resolution system having little effect.

The business overall has a somewhat healthy corporate culture and worker satisfaction is quite high, often attributed to the strength of the aforementioned AWU. Turnover is relatively low and absenteeism is similar. The rate of accidents is quite low and disputes are widespread and prevelant as a result of an active and strong union. FP is the major aviation company in Ainslie and thus remains the central focus of the AWU.

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Corporate Affairs
Fortitude-Prospect is based in Port Blaxland, Ainslie and has a business model based on focusing on a market segment. . The business has multiple shareholders:

• 52.56% - Melrose Estate

• 21.24% - Prospect Enginerring

• 10.23% - Fortitude Investments

• 2.13% - Kenaris

• 1.52% - The Government of Ainslie

• 0.43% - Polaris
  

Gallery
FP-1
Artistic reproductions by Great Altera

FP-1 70

FP-1 90

FP-1 100

FP-2
Artistic reproduction by Great Altera
FP-2

FP-3
Artistic reproduction by Great Altera
FP-3 160