CASE STUDIES: FINNAIR • DELTA TECHOPS • WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES WHITE PAPERS: ICF • APSYS • ReMAP
MAY-JUNE 2021 • V10.2
Where next following the recovery? After COVID comes the need for net zero carbon
The right tool for the job
Finnair implements a new tool management solution
Working together in partnership Benefits for Delta TechOps from an IT partnership
MRO IT delivered as a service
NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY UPDATES • MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
Western Global Airlines learned the value of a new approach
AMOS. © DRF
AMOS – the best fit for helicopter operators. AMOS complies with the special requirements of the helicopter maintenance industry by providing dedicated functions in the system only relevant for helicopters, such as vibration monitoring to identify early stages of helicopter component degradation, complete suite of engineering requirements, dynamic counter options to optimise maintenance control and performance, mission logic or in-depth effectivity rule logic to track fleet uniformity or customer preference.
© UTair
“The fact that the very first AMOS customer was also an air rescue company - who still relies on AMOS after almost 30 years – reflects the versatility of AMOS to cater for the unique needs of rotary wing as well as fixed wing aircraft.” says CEO Swiss AviationSoftware Ltd
SWISS-AS.COM © Heli-One
AIRCRAFT IT MRO: WELCOME
COMMENT Aircraft IT MRO: Looking to the future and to how ne IT solutions will support new paradigms and processes in aircraft maintenance and MRO
AIRCRAFT IT MRO Publisher/Editor Ed Haskey E-mail: ed.haskey@aircraftit.com Telephone: +44 1273 454 235 Website: www.aircraftIT.com Chief Operating Officer Scott Leslie E-mail: scott.leslie@aircraftit.com Copy Editor/Contributor John Hancock E-mail: john@aircraftit.com Magazine Production Dean Cook E-mail: deancook@magazineproduction.com AircraftIT MRO is published bi-monthly and is an affiliate of Aircraft Commerce and part of the AviationNextGen Ltd group. The entire contents within this publication © Copyright 2021 AviationNextGen Ltd an independent publication and not affiliated with any of the IT vendors or suppliers. Content may not be reproduced without the strict written agreement of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of their companies or of the publisher. The publisher does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.
W
e are long past the stage where IT is optional or even exceptional in a business environment. Today, IT and its associated technologies are the business environment; there are few, if any, processes, functions or decisions that do not rely on some degree of technology involvement, informing or support. In fact, some business requirements, such as regulatory compliance, audits and data driven processes, could not be completed without IT and technology, However, while everything uses IT and technology, there is not, as yet, any single source of solutions to cover all tasks and processes. Therefore, a key requirement is for solutions able to work together and for systems to manage those solutions that manifest in many places. These might be EFBs, ELBs/ETLs… in fact any multiple use applications. An important factor in any application or solution today is its ability to integrate with other systems and there is a growing interest in systems that can manage other systems and solutions. All of this is happening in an environment where the sector is not only trying to discern the best way out of a major disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic but is also faced with a potentially existential challenge posed by the need to reach carbon net zero by 2050 or earlier. All of these are facing the sector with huge challenges: thankfully, there is strong evidence that the developers and vendors of various software and technology related solutions used by airlines and operators are not only up to the job but are also already coming up with novel and innovative ideas to underpin the future of commercial aviation. Nothing better illustrates this
than your Aircraft IT MRO for this issue. There is an excellent case study from Western Global Airlines on how the implementation of a ‘Managed MRO IT as a service’ solution has brought enhanced efficiency with a solution that is seamlessly integrated with other systems in the business. Our interview case study from Delta Airlines TechOps offers further evidence of how a good partnership between an MRO business and the right IT solutions provider can bring huge benefits to both parties. From Finnair, we have a case study on the critically important matter of tool management and ensuring that engineers are able to get the right tools, in the right condition and when they need them. The white papers in this issue are all about looking to the future. From APSYS we have the first of two articles on how the sector might emerge from COVID in a manner and condition that will launch it towards the next challenge of achieving carbon neutrality. From ReMAP we have an excellent paper looking at the requirements that would enable condition based maintenance (CBM) to become the norm and the benefits that would confer on the sector. Finally, there is part 2 of Allan Bachan’s three-part paper on systems adoption and ideas to improve technology adoption and exploitation to optimize processes. All of this, with our regular round-up of news and technology developments and the comprehensive ‘MRO Software Directory’. Aircraft IT MRO: using IT to better manage the complexity in your business and to get ready for the future.
Ed Haskey
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 3
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO: V10.2
CONTENTS 06 Latest News and Technology updates Keeping up with what is happening in a complex and evolving business world is a challenge. At Aircraft IT MRO or here in the Aircraft IT MRO e-journal the latest developments are sorted and ready to read.
26 CASE STUDY: Finnair enhances aviation safety Kjell Skogberg, Manager, Production Support, Technical Operations for Finnair How a new tool management system helped Finnair to achieve more visibility and better control of tools while making it easier for engineers/mechanics to access the tools they needed, when they needed them, using their mobile devices.
30 WHITE PAPER: IT systems adoption Part 2 Allan Bachan, VP, Managing Director, MRO Operations, ICF Airlines and MROs have taken advantage of the COVID break to analyze the performance of maintenance and engineering processes. How can they capitalize on that and what models can they use to optimize processes and technology adoption? A series of three articles.
36 WHITE PAPER: Sustaining aviation after recovery Part 1 Gesine Varfis, Marketing Manager APSYS and Gabriel Godfrey, Product Owner – Sustainable Aircraft, APSYS COVID is just one challenge that aviation has faced but issues associated with the environment promise to pose even greater challenges: how will the industry manage to tackle these even greater challenges as it emerges from COVID?
42 WHITE PAPER: A paradigm shift to more efficient aircraft fleet maintenance Christine Windmeijer, ReMAP’s Public Relations A new way for planning maintenance events that will ensure that airlines get more value from their assets, greater safety, and reduce the aircraft on ground costs and delays of unplanned maintenance events.
46 CASE STUDY: Improving resource utilization and efficiency at Delta TechOps An interview with Rick Uber, General Manager Base Maintenance, Delta Airlines and Dinakara Nagalla, CEO of EmpowerMX Rick Uber and Dinakara Nagalla talk about why the partnership between the two businesses came about and what benefits it has delivered to the partners.
52 CASE STUDY: Managed MRO IT as a service at Western Global Airlines Jim Buckalew, SVP Technical Operations and Technology, Western Global Airlines This case study covers a recent implementation and what organizations need now to establish a more efficient operation plus how unique licensing, hosting, integration and the right team can meet these new demands.
60 MRO Software directory A detailed look at the world’s leading MRO IT systems.
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 5
NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
ReMAP joins Aircraft IT Vendor Panel
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It’s always a pleasure to welcome a new member to the Aircraft IT Vendor Panel. The latest addition, ReMAP, will contribute to reinforce the European leadership in aeronautics by developing an open-source solution for aircraft maintenance, the Integrated Fleet Health Management (IFHM) system. By replacing fixedinterval inspections with adaptive condition-based interventions, ReMAP will offer an estimated benefit to European aviation of more than 700
million Euros per year. This is due to a direct decrease in maintenance costs, reduced unscheduled aircraft maintenance events, and increased aircraft availability. Welcoming ReMap to the Vendor Panel, Aircraft IT CEO, Scott Leslie, said, “It really is inspiring how far and how fast MRO and engineering IT is progressing. We feel very lucky at Aircraft IT to have access to the best minds in the sector and ReMAP will perfectly enhance that strength.”
Air Alliance goes for AMOS Air Alliance GmbH confirmed in mid-March 2021 that they have decided to award their M&E software contract to Swiss-AS. The AMOS MRO Edition will be implemented during 2021. This is the fully integrated, high-end version of the software suite, tailor-made for the requirements of modern MRO organisations. The German aviation service provider has selected AMOS for increased efficiency across its entire maintenance business and more concise control of day-to-day operations. The underlying business processes in AMOS are industry-bestpractice and enable a lean and streamlined approach to operations whilst maintaining the safety and quality that Air Alliance stands for. “AMOS is a platform that brings all elements of the MRO business together
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 6
and enables informed business decisions. We welcome Air Alliance to the AMOS Community and are proud to see the ever-increasing number of MRO providers among them,” Ronald Scherer, CEO of Swiss-AS. “AMOS is the solid basement on which Air Alliance GmbH is going to develop and grow in the future.“ said René Petersen, Managing Director of Air Alliance GmbH. Air Alliance GmbH: Air Alliance GmbH is a midsize aviation service provider, located at Siegerland Airport in Germany. Air Alliance GmbH is authorized dealer for Pilatus, Garmin, Rockwell Collins and other known manufacturers. The maintenance provider focuses on single- and multi-engine piston and turboprop aircraft, business jets and helicopters. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website
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Air Alliance collaborates with EXSYN as part of digitization strategy
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Germany based aviation service provider, Air Alliance GmbH, announced in mid-February 2021 that it has decided to collaborate with EXSYN as part of its digitalization strategy. Cornerstone for this digital journey will be the adoption of the MRO software system AMOS by Air Alliance. Within that, EXSYN will support the aviation service provider with the implementation and on boarding of AMOS as well as the migration of all critical MRO data. Once the system is up and running, EXSYN will continue to provide AMOS Competence Centre (ACC) services to Air Alliance GmbH to ensure a continued adoption and digital best practice for the Air Alliance GmbH MRO activities. “It is exciting to see that aviation companies of all sizes trust us to support them in their digital journey. This clearly shows a widely accepted push within the aviation industry to further digitalize. With Air Alliance GmbH now on boarding we welcome a customer who is widely respected by Pilatus operators and has a significant maintenance capability on business jets and private owned aircraft.” said Sander de Bree, CEO of EXSYN. René Petersen, Managing Director of Air Alliance GmbH added: “With EXSYN we trust to have a reliable, experienced and competent partner for introducing and maintaining such a large scale MRO software system like AMOS” EXSYN Aviation Solutions: EXSYN Aviation Solutions is specialized in the field of aircraft data, analytics and processing. Their portfolio of technology focuses on aircraft data and airworthiness management. These include tools for aircraft reliability management, predictive maintenance, system integration, aircraft records archiving and managed services for data migration, aircraft data optimization, and robotic process automation. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 8
NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Aero K goes live with Rusada’s ENVISION In late April 2021, South Korean start-up Aero K, went live with Rusada’s ENVISION software in time for its maiden flight. Aero K initially signed up for ENVISION in December 2019 but was unable to proceed with its original launch plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The carrier is now looking to take advantage of easing travel restrictions and a pent-up demand for travel. Aero K conducted it first scheduled flight on April 15th, flying an Airbus A320 from its base in Cheongju to popular travel destination Jeju. It will look to add international destinations such as China, Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam as the situation improves. Rusada worked closely with Aero K throughout the pandemic to get them up and running on 9 of ENVISION’s modules in time for their first flight. Due to the constraints of the pandemic, Rusada used an array of collaboration tools to remotely configure the
system, load aircraft data and train staff. Aero K are now using the software to manage their airworthiness, maintenance, inventory, and support activities. “We are very grateful for Rusada’s support during this implementation, as it has ensured a smooth and successful start to our operations. Going forward, ENVISION will provide us with an intelligent, flexible platform on which we can grow our business.” said Mike Byungho Kang, CEO at Aero K. “I would like to congratulate everyone at Aero K following their initial flight. Our worlds have been turned upside down since they initially signed up late in 2019, so to get to this position in the current climate is a huge and impressive achievement.” added Julian Stourton, CEO at Rusada. About Rusada: Rusada is a global aviation software provider established in 1987 and
headquartered in Switzerland. With operations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Americas, Rusada supports 100+ major customers worldwide with software that manages 2,000 aircraft in over 40 countries. The company’s ENVISION software provides key management information and operational process control for aircraft operators, maintenance and repair organizations (MROs), original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and aviation service organizations. INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
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NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Nigeria’s leading aviation and marine logistics player, Caverton Helicopters Limited, goes live with Ramco
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Global aviation software provider Ramco Systems announced in early March 2021 that it has gone live at Caverton Helicopters Limited, a Nigerian aerospace company serving the Nigerian and West African offshore oil and gas industry and other business sectors, with its Aviation M&E MRO Suite V5.8, thereby integrating and digitally transforming Caverton Helicopters’ business processes. With modules for Engineering & CAMO, Maintenance, Supply Chain Management, Safety, Compliance & Quality, Flight Operations, MRO Sales, Employee Master and Basic Finance, Ramco Aviation Suite V5.8 enables Caverton Helicopters with a number of solutions. They will be able to track transactions and execute work packages. They’ll also have online visibility of Aircraft Utilization, generate flight contract billing, track employee certification and skills, track
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 10
procurement transactions from Material requisition to Goods Receipt, Material Demand Planning for effective planning and provide a centralized hub for CAMO to review and verify the compliance and configuration of aircraft and components. Ramco V5.8 will be seamlessly integrated with Caverton’s Finance legacy application for touch points of Supplier Master, Exchange Rate and GL Posting. The provision of accurate data will eliminate the risk of release of aircraft that are not airworthy. Rotimi Makanjuola, Managing Director, Caverton Helicopters Limited, said, “We are delighted to announce the successful go-live of Ramco Aviation Suite at Caverton Helicopters Limited. With the advanced visibility and tracking provided by Ramco’s integrated Aviation Suite, and Caverton’s extensive aerospace expertise, we are now ready to digitally transform the Nigerian Helicopter
NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Sector and Aviation industry”. Virender Aggarwal, CEO, Ramco Systems, said, “Infused with state-ofthe-art artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, Ramco’s Aviation M&E MRO Suite has been successfully bringing about transformation for our customers in the Aviation, Aerospace & Defence space. We are happy to offer Caverton Helicopters a platform that will help them maintain their position as an innovator in the nation.” Caverton Helicopters Limited: Caverton Helicopters is a subsidiary of the Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc, which is a fully, integrated offshore support company providing aviation and marine logistics services to businesses operating in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria and across West Africa. Caverton Helicopters is the largest indigenous aviation logistics support company in Nigeria, with over 18 years’ experience providing fixed wing and rotary wing services to the oil and gas industry. The company currently operates a mixed fleet of 28 aircraft across multiple locations in Nigeria and West Africa. Since inception, Caverton has successfully operated for major International Oil Companies with a combined contract
value of over (US) $2bn. Caverton’s capabilities extend to the provision of third-party rotary and fixed wing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services at its facility in Lagos. The company is also an Approved Training Organisation and provides flight simulator training with its newly acquired Level D, helicopter full flight simulator training device. Ramco Aviation, Aerospace & Defense is trusted by 24,000+ users to manage 4,000+ aircraft globally. Accessible on cloud and mobile, Ramco Aviation & Defense Software continues to innovate with ‘Anywhere Apps’, significantly reducing transaction time both during aircrafton-ground (AOG) conditions and critical aircraft turnarounds. Ramco is changing the paradigm of enterprise software with Artificial Intelligence based solutions, powered by cool new features such as digital task cards, offline capability, chatbots, mail bots, HUBs and cognitive solutions. With 80+ Aviation organizations onboard, Ramco is the solution of choice for top heli-operators, leading defense companies, space launch vehicles, UAS/Drones, eVTOL and multiple MROs around the world. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website
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Vistair and flydubai consolidate 10-year DocuNet™ document management relationship operations team throughout this period. flydubai has one of the world’s most modern fleets primarily operating Boeing 737-800s a key factor in the longstanding relationship with Vistair. Boeing provides regular aviation manual updates and DocuNet™ incorporates a comparison tool which speeds up the regular Boeing manual revisions, a feature which will be increasingly critical as the Boeing 737-MAX aircraft returns to service. Speed of updates can often be a critical operational compliance factor and the comparison tool is a critical part of the service Vistair is able to provide. flydubai, the UAE headquartered international airline, announced in mid-April 2021 that it is to maintain its long-standing relationship with Vistair, ensuring continuity for its essential document management requirements. With operations commencing in 2009, flydubai is now the second largest carrier operating out of Dubai International. The organization has developed with the support of the Government of Dubai and flies to over 90 destinations in 48 countries worldwide. Vistair has worked alongside the organization’s flight
Flight operations document management support
Throughout a particularly turbulent period for the aviation industry, Vistair’s document management publishing team has maintained a regular dialogue with flydubai’s flight operations team. Vistair’s DocuNet™ publishing team has worked as an extension of this unit thereby ruling out the need for any redundancies due to COVID pressures. In addition, and of particular importance to flydubai, the DocuNet™ full-service
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platform has supported the organization’s desire to move to a contactless working operation. Vistair’s solutions are cloud-based, automated and flexible, with military-grade security. This has supported efficient home working in what has been a seamless transition.
On your side communication support
The relationship between both parties has flourished over the years which over the past 18 months has been critical. The on-going and regular communication between Vistair and flydubai’s respective publishing teams has ensured all aviation document updates and all deadlines have been met, a claim very few in-house airline publishing teams can match. The DocuNet™ managed service is a unique package of support. It provides incredible value as it combines publishing and distribution technology with the assistance of a trained publishing team that is expert in the use of XML editing, along with the experience of handling aviation manuals from airlines throughout the world.
IOSA Audit — Compliance matrix
Over the course of the relationship, compliance requirements have increased for all airlines and it is essential for airline governance that all standards are not only met but regularly checked and documented. DocuNet™ has supported this requirement
with the introduction of the ‘Compliance Matrix’ which automates evidencing that aviation manuals support IOSA and UAE GCAA regulations. In recent months, the flydubai team have been using the Compliance Matrix for their IOSA audit. Paul Smylie, Senior Manager Flight Operations, flydubai commented: “We have a close working relationship with Vistair which has progressed steadily over the past ten years. They have been on our side when we need them and adjusted the DocuNet™ service to support us when times have been tough. This has especially been the case over the past 18 months when flydubai had to adjust flight operations but still needed to maintain a full suite of compliant aviation manuals.” Ian Herbert, CEO, Vistair commented: “It has been a great pleasure supporting flydubai over the past 10 years and to see a young and ambitious carrier grow to become a recognized and reputable international airline. DocuNet™ is a service no other company in the world can provide with a team of specialists very difficult to match. My aim is to ensure that we continue to innovate which in turn helps the aviation sector and our clients become safer and much more efficient.” flydubai is one of over 30 airlines using the DocuNet™ service to support aviation documentation management. During the past 18 months Vistair transitioned to home working in order to ensure that the needs of all clients could be met thereby allowing them to focus upon other core operational issues. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 13
NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
US-Bangla Airlines chooses Rusada’s ENVISION At the end of March 2021, Bangladeshi carrier, US-Bangla Airlines announced that it has selected Rusada’s ENVISION as its Airworthiness and Maintenance software. US-Bangla Airlines, based in Dhaka, is the country’s largest private airline with a growing fleet of Boeing 737’s, ATR 72’s, and De Havilland Q400’s. Current destinations include India, China and Singapore, with flights to Saudi Arabia, Japan and the United Kingdom planned for the near future. US-Bangla have selected Rusada’s software to manage their day-to-day airworthiness and maintenance activities, as well as their long-term planning and forecasting. The airline has selected seven of ENVISION’s modules including Line Maintenance, Inventory Management, and Technical Publications to further drive efficiencies into their operations. Rusada will begin work on the
implementation project immediately, with Go-Live planned for the third quarter of this year - 2021. Sikder Mesbahuddin Ahmed, CEO at US-Bangla Airlines commented: “As we began to resume our pre-pandemic growth and planned for the demanding developments of these times, it became clear that an upgrade to our maintenance infrastructure would go a long way in facilitating our goals. ENVISION will unify our teams on one
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 14
platform and save countless hours when planning and executing maintenance. This will ultimately enhance safety and reliability, while ensuring passenger comfort.” “I’m grateful for the opportunity to play a key part in US-Bangla’s bright future. We will work closely alongside them to ensure they get the most out of our system, and that it has a genuine impact on the efficiency of their operations. We are very pleased to be welcoming US-Bangla to the ever-growing Rusada client base and look forward to many years of fruitful cooperation. Despite the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic we are still seeing plenty of demand for ENVISION, as organizations realize that in order to thrive, they will have to be more productive with less resource. Expect to see more announcements from us soon.” said Julian Stourton, CEO at Rusada.
NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
MRX Systems feature highlights and latest onboarding Excellent customer service is at the heart of the MRX Systems support team values, which includes highly qualified engineers who are dedicated to helping customers achieve maximum performance and value from the Blue EYE Suite. Used to guiding users to the best solutions, they have gathered their strength to provide instant responses to customers’ needs. In line with this vision and as announced in early April 2021, new features are regularly developed such as Auto-print, multi-currency rating and billing, and multi-threshold management.
Auto-print feature
Time-saving, human error-risk minimizing, always up-to-date, the automatic printing function is the ultimate resource for logistics coordinators, but what exactly is it? When Auto Print is activated and a technician removes a part and mentions it in the JobCard, the system checks every 40 seconds if a new part is added to the inventory and automatically prints the label. How to start using it? The hangar computer must be connected to Blue EYE and to the label printer.
When using iPad, the technician must select the option to re-enter in stock when removing a part from the aircraft.
Quotation and billing in multiple currencies
Blue MRO expands the scope of possibilities and introduces the multicurrency quotation and invoicing for those who have been used to have a single currency to manage their maintenance projects and wanted to select any currency to complete orders, process quotes, execute the maintenance project.
Multi-threshold management
Recently, a new user-friendly and game-changing feature has been launched and Blue EYE’s users are already loving it. Multi-threshold management makes it possible to make an unlimited number of actions interdependent. In other words, it is now possible to configure different trackings and link them to each other so that they are automatically activated once a repetitive or a one-time action is completed. In the last few months, MRX Systems has been chosen, among competitors in the market, to be the maintenance and operations software solution for Excellent Jet Service, Avionord and European Aircraft Private Club. INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 15
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Commsoft launches Customs Tracking module for OASES to aid post-Brexit MRO logistics Commsoft’s OASES, the leading MRO IT software system for supporting airlines and aircraft maintenance organizations has introduced a new Customs Tracking module to specifically address challenges faced by MROs and airline operators when transporting parts across customs borders. The new module, announced in early April 2021, provides tracking data for both imports and exports, ensuring demonstrable customs compliance through robust data audit trails. OASES customers can now track materials in transit from supplier/manufacturer source to point of receipt of goods, and from one location to another cross-border location. “Wherever material or equipment moves from one country to another, the relevant data is captured within OASES and this works for both incoming
orders and shipments. With the continuing uncertainties of a post-Brexit Europe, we feel this is a timely addition to enable our customers to manage the step increase in customs-qualifying shipments they now have to deal with.” commented Paul Lynch, VP New Business Development OASES. User-friendly dashboard views provide real-time insight as customs information is captured at the point the shipment clears customs, rather than only on receipt of the goods in the warehouse. By specifying the customs territory against each address, OASES Customs Tracking allows users to view journey progress between warehouses or to and from a supplier, and ensure the relevant customs information is captured. Adam Frost, Product Manager OASES, explained:
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“The Customs Tracking module is one of the first new developments in OASES that has benefited from the continuously deployed nature of our Cloud-enabled portfolio. This facilitated rapid agile development between our aviation customer collaborators and the MIT Labs engineers, who provide the developer resource for Commsoft. We were able to make changes to the UI and UX in real-time which was pushed to all customer’s UAT environments, simultaneously. This is a step-change for OASES and was crucial in delivering this new value feature to our customers with a ‘no surprises’ end game, following the UK’s exit from the EU.” Key features of OASES Customs Tracking include: • Interactive table displaying list of stock/material crossing customs territories;
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information directly into the data table; • User’s view preferences (filters, column order etc.) saved even between devices. Commsoft/OASES: Commsoft’s Open Aviation Strategic Engineering System (OASES) is the all-in-one software for airworthiness maintenance control, meeting strict regulatory requirements. It enables airlines, fixed wing and rotary operators, MROs, and CAMOs to increase efficiencies in the management and monitoring of every procedure or intervention. OASES is used by 130 aviation organisations — national carriers, large third-party maintenance providers, and independent operators — and supported in 55 countries across six continents. Commsoft is an MIT group company, part of the Valsoft Corporation portfolio.
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Efficiency, now more than ever
Easy data exchange with IQSMS Import APIs After releasing the IQSMS Export APIs in November last year, leading aviation quality and safety management software provider ASQS announced in late April 2021 that the IQSMS Reporting Module now also supports Import APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enabling customers to easily import data into IQSMS. When using the IQSMS Reporting Module to manage safety data collected by different departments in the company, the data often comes from different sources, which, combined with complicated data transfer, often results in safety data being either duplicated or not collected at all thus getting easily lost. With the new IQSMS Import API, ASQS is proactively addressing this issue by facilitating data exchange through an automated, secured and standardized import process which enables customers to compile data from different internal sources in the IQSMS Reporting Module. This will help clients to work more efficiently and, at the same time, improve the quality of their safety data, helping them to get a better view of potential threats or actual events that otherwise would partly possibly go unnoticed.
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Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores add Comply365’s ProAuthor for end-to-end content authoring and distribution
In late February 2021, Aviation software leader Comply365 was pleased to announce its two newest airline customers, Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores, who both will soon leverage the power of streamlined compliance management and improve collaboration and efficiency with Comply365 solutions. The airlines, both part of the SATA Group based in the Portuguese Autonomous Region of The Azores, recently acquired ProAuthor, Comply365’s end-to-end operational content and compliance management system that enables faster, more routine manual revisions, and enables airlines to always be audit ready. “We were looking for a manual authoring and delivery solution that would offer a better way to manage our compliance with EASA regulations and IOSA standards as well as provide our flight crews with a great mobile experience,” said Mário Chaves, COO of
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the SATA Group. “After thoroughly researching the market, it was evident that the value Comply365 would bring to our operations, as well as their innovative team, was the right solution.” Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores operate a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321, and De Havilland Dash 8-Q200 and Q400 aircraft, respectively, providing passenger and cargo services within the Azores and international flights to destinations in Europe, North America, and Africa. While airlines typically spend months preparing for audits using legacy systems, ProAuthor will significantly reduce that time by tracing the manual content with corresponding regulatory standards. By providing the ability to tag standards and automatically run reports, the airlines will always be prepared for audits. ProAuthor will replace rudimentary word processing solutions at the pair of airlines, where technical publications members will
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now save time during the authoring process by reusing shared content across manuals in both airlines. “We’re happy to welcome two Azorean airlines to our global Comply365 community, and we look forward to providing a great user experience for their crews,” Comply365 CEO Tom Samuel said. “We’ve proven the value of a unified system for our customers with multiple AOCs, so we’re excited for Azores Airlines and SATA Air Açores to realize the efficiency gains and increased collaboration they will see when they’re both operating within the Comply365 system.” Comply365’s solutions will provide a consistent end-user experience that reduces training and support, as well as increasing accuracy and safety by enabling frontline operators to navigate fewer systems for manuals and operational data. Pilots and flight attendants will receive more personalized and relevant content through effectivity tagging that enables filtering and searching based on aircraft, parts or other tags specific to the airlines’ operations.
About Comply365: Comply365 is the leading provider of enterprise SaaS and mobile solutions for content management and document distribution in highly regulated industries including aviation, rail, and energy. The business supports the world’s most mobile and remote workforces with targeted and personalized delivery of job-critical data that enables safe, efficient, and compliant operations. Every day, hundreds of thousands of pilots, flight attendants, maintenance technicians, rail conductors and engineers, as well as energy workforce rely on Comply365 for digital delivery of operational content, including OEM and internal company manuals. Having played an instrumental role in the regulatory approval of electronic flight bags (EFB) to replace the traditional, paper-based, pilot flight bags, Comply365 partners with clients to transform their industries. About Sata Group: The SATA Group has been involved in air transport, airfield management, and ground-handling services for all airlines landing on
Azorean soil since 1941. Its fleet is divided between SATA Air Açores and Azores Airlines, operating flights to the mainland and islands, Europe, Cape Verde, the United States, and Canada, with a combined network of codeshare and interline flights. Azores Airlines is now renewing its fleet with the Airbus 321neo and Airbus 321neo LR, airplanes able to substantially reduce the carbon footprint of each passenger, reduce costs per flight and continue the company’s growth strategy that contains the mission of taking the Azores to the World and the World to the Azores. The SATA universe is complete with SATA Gestão de Aeródromos, a company in charge of managing various airport infrastructures in the Azores. IATA members, SATA Group’s airlines, as well as its Maintenance and Engineering and Handling businesses, have seen their teams’ merit and professionalism rewarded with the sector’s most distinguished certifications. INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
“The system is one of the biggest advances in Line Maintenance, Engineering and Operations that I have ever encountered.” Andy Pyett, Line Maintenance Control British Airways CityFlyer
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Vistair Systems explains why MROs should go digital with technical documentation Today, digital transformation is a fundamental driver of change, presenting a unique chance to shape the future. For this reason, a large proportion of the airline industry is looking to digitize their technical documentation and maintenance operations to make for easier document management. However, the digital revolution, particularly for MRO (maintenance repair and overhaul) has been slow for a number of reasons, such as: • Complexity and size of the OEM manuals; • Legacy data standards such as I Spec 2200 and next generation standards such as S1000D; • Different countries may implement rules regarding digital techniques (i.e. electronic signatures) differently; • Rules regarding the ownership of data (e.g. how much data can be shared, with whom and what
kind of sharing policies should be put in place?). Whilst many organizations are still handling MRO the traditional way, using pen and paper, clipboards, spreadsheets or even fixed workstations, these practices don’t support the ability to deliver predictive maintenance and can only take an airlines operation so far in terms of reducing downtime, managing maintenance, assets and spare parts. Going digital is the only way forward for the aviation sector. There are more organizations than ever embracing the many benefits of technology, such as the cloud, looking into the potential of Blockchain for the aviation industry or even where digital technology like biometric data is being put to use in airports. Airlines that digitize and transform maintenance operations will be positioned for growth. They can gain visibility into the scheduling needs and
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compliance of maintenance requirements, maximize aircraft maintenance yields, improve agility to adapt to operational business process changes, increase the productivity and job satisfaction of their workforces, and offer a superior experience for passengers by reducing aircraft delays. So, for MROs, going digital may help form quicker, more efficient ways to review maintenance records. Here are just four benefits from going digital. 1. Reduced risk of human error: Human error is, well, human nature. Paper documents can often prove to be cumbersome, especially when you take into account the long maintenance history behind some legacy aircraft. It is highly probable that the maintenance history may not be complete, due to loss of relevant documents over time. The more operators that become involved over time can add
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to the risk of missing documents — however, digitising recordscould mitigate this risk 2. Diminish safety hazards: Aircraft technicians have the utmost responsibility for integrating maintenance instructions from manufacturer manuals, airworthiness directives, service bulletins and other sources. However, this is not always the case. In 2012, an analysis of the FAA enforcement database for actions taken against mechanics regarding 14 CFR Part 43 Section 43.13(a) showed that technical documentation is a challenge. More than 850 actions from 900 cases were taken against mechanics in 2010. 36% were associated with not using the proper technical documentation. The data revealed this to be the number one cause for Enforcement Investigation Reports (S. HodgesAustin, personal communication, April 4, 2012). Another analysis showed that 64% of all incidents registered in the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) are related to technical documentation or procedural challenges or both.
Digitising MRO documentation can make the steps towards a safer, efficient and more compliant aviation sector for everyone involved. 3. Improve maintenance delays: Inaccurate, incomplete or even missing documents could cause a whole host of issues. Specifically, without the correct and fully intact documents, there could be cases where components may be re-exchanged or repairs are done again. This results in delays and ultimately — unplanned expenses. Digitising MRO documents could change this significantly and introduce more standardised ways of containing all historic documents for aircraft in one centralised repository. 4. Improve information flow between departments and different parties: Silos of information between numerous parties can be problematic, especially where technical documentation is mixed paper and electronic. You could then have an issue with standardisation and legibility — causing delays, non-compliance and potentially risk serious safety risks. Digitising maintenance documentation, however,
would greatly improve how information is shared between different parties. The use of cloud systems and increased network security would also help contribute to breaking down these silos and make this sharing process much more effective, manageable and standardised. Additionally, unlike shipping large amounts of paper halfway across the world, digital documents can simply be sent with ease — a great advantage for when aircraft come off lease and get sent to another airline operator.
The Challenge for the Future
There are many things that currently stand in the way of updating current technical documentation, such as various organisational and regulatory processes. However, it’s up to the aviation industry, from aviation technicians (AMTs) and corporate executives to manufacturers, suppliers and regulatory bodies, to come together to tackle this challenge for a more standardized global industry. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
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There has never been a better time to go paperless with eTechLog8 Find out more +44 (0)333 888 4044
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 21
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AIRCRAFT FLEET VIEW
Data Migration Iberia Maintenance: Ramco and EXSYN sign Partnership
Aircraft Fleet View App: developed for airlines always up-to-date view on your fleet‘s status ■ easy-to-grasp view on events like current delays, cancellations and AOGs ■ specific views for flight operations and maintenance ■ customizable for airlines and users ■ ■
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In mid- April 2021, global aviation software provider Ramco Systems announced that it has opted to partner with EXSYN in the critical area of aircraft data migration, offering joint implementation services of Ramco Aviation M&E MRO Suite V5.8. With extensive footprints in the aviation industry, this partnership between both the companies will enable new clients onboarding Ramco Aviation Suite to trust and rely on the expertise and bespoke technology of EXSYN in order to smoothly migrate their data from existing systems into Ramco application. Sam Jacob, SVP & Head of Ramco Aviation, Aerospace and Defense, Ramco Systems, said, “With EXSYN’s global expertise on migration of aircraft data through their tested process and tools, we believe that our partnership will enable our customers to manage the complex data migration
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process efficiently. By addressing this critical element, our customers will be able to reduce the implementation time to reap the benefits of Ramco Aviation Suite faster.” Sander de Bree, CEO of EXSYN Aviation Solutions, added, “Ramco’s Aviation M&E MRO Suite is a MRO software used globally by many industry leading aviation companies. As EXSYN we are leaders in the migration of aircraft data. Combining our expertise only makes sense in order to ensure a robust data migration process as part of Ramco’s implementations.” The data migration for Iberia Maintenance & Engineering across 15+ different legacy applications to Ramco Aviation Suite marks the first project of this partnership, put to action. Ramco Aviation: Ramco Aviation, Aerospace & Defense is trusted by 24,000+ users to manage 4,000+ aircraft globally. Accessible on cloud
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and mobile, Ramco Aviation & Defense Software continues to innovate with ‘Anywhere Apps’, significantly reducing transaction time both during aircraft-onground (AOG) conditions and critical aircraft turnarounds. Ramco is changing the paradigm of enterprise software with Artificial Intelligence based solutions, powered by cool new features such as digital task cards, offline capability, chatbots, mail bots, HUBs and cognitive solutions. With 80+ Aviation organizations onboard, Ramco is the solution of choice for top heli-operators, leading defense companies, space launch vehicles, UAS/Drones, eVTOL and multiple MROs around the world. EXSYN: EXSYN’s Aircraft Data Management Platform focuses on the three main elements of aircraft data management: Data Migration, Data Integration and Data Analytics. Capabilities in the platform range from MRO system data migration capabilities for all commonly used aviation industry MRO software’s, building Spec 2500 compliant aircraft redelivery binders or transforming aircraft delivery binders to be automatically loaded into airline MRO software. The full range of analytics capabilities is provided by EXSYN’s market leading analytics solution, AVILYTICS, that caters for aircraft reliability management, maintenance costs optimization and prediction of upcoming aircraft component failures. Through tools available for data integration, airlines and MRO’s can automate business processes that make use of, or generate, the data available in their MRO systems. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website
IQSMS My Reports: Optimize the flow of information to strengthen your reporting and safety culture To proactively address hazards and risks, we must continuously learn from past safety incidents. Therefore, it is important that aviation organizations create an environment where occurrences of any kind can be reported, the management is properly informed of the actual risks, and the reporters receive timely feedback about the actions performed to their reports. Increased communication automatically improves safety awareness and can contribute to ensure that safety relevant information is even more deliberately shared. Announced in late April 2021, ‘My Reports’ is a new feature in the IQSMS Reporting App designed to improve communication between reporters and the relevant departments by providing them with information about actions taken on reported events. The feature allows reporters to access all reports they have created online and offline in IQSMS. As soon as any actions on a reported event have been entered into IQSMS, reporters can access the information including also status changes to their reports via the ‘My Reports’ functionality in the Reporting App. INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
MOBILE FORMS WHEREVER WORK IS BEING DONE CORENA Insight Mobile helps flight operations and maintenance staff replace PDF, Word, and paper-based forms with off-line for uses cases that include:
Training Assessments (AQP) Flight Crew Issue Logging and Submission Checklists and Acknowledgements Publication Change Requests (PCRs) Virtually Any Business Process that Requires a Form Get real-time data for quicker decision making and more agile, compliant operation!
Find out more! flatironssolutions.com/corena-insight-mobile
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 23
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Hong Kong Express takes off with AMOS
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A solution delivered by
Next generation asset management solution for all airworthiness documents from legacy paper records to e-Taskcards, e-Logbooks plus much more.
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Following an efficiency-driven working logic, the team of HK Express announced in mid-March 2021 that it has evaluated and signed for AMOS. The Hong-Kong based airline inked a deal with Swiss-AS in January 2020 to implement the AMOS Airline Edition to manage maintenance activities of a modern fleet of 24 Airbus 320, 320neo and 321 types. HK Express placed its confidence in Swiss-AS not only as a software product provider, but also as a cloud and operational services provider by subscribing to the AMOS Cloud Hosting Solution. This option also falls into a LCC business model since it relieves airlines from the requirement to operate a technical infrastructure on premise, which is not their primary domain of expertise, and provides an attractive and cost-effective alternative. AMOS Cloud Hosting Solution package comes along with the AMOS Operational Services (AOS) which covers all duties arising from the AMOS application server and database administration and has Swiss-AS taking responsibility for this broad range of tasks. Economies of scale allow Swiss-AS to provide customers with the possibility to outsource the operation of AMOS at a lower cost versus training and using in-house resources, a principle that also fits the LCC business model.
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AMOS Go-Live milestone achieved on schedule despite the difficult time
Thanks to its three decades of experience, Swiss-AS provided strong leadership throughout the AMOS implementation project to ensure the implementation stayed on time and on budget, while fulfilling the customers’ expectations. Even during this particular year, when Swiss-AS mainly supported HK Express offsite due to the worldwide pandemic, the business’s working principles and implementation methodology have proven their effectiveness. Thanks to the prompt response of the Swiss-AS Customer Services department to the contingency situation, the customer went live with AMOS only 10 months after project kick-off and within the defined time line. Achieving this important milestone on schedule was only possible thanks to the strong commitment of the project team and the (unprecedented) tremendous use of remote consulting, training and operational support services to keep the project up to speed with no interruptions. During the month following the system go-live, and to fulfil a mandatory requirement by the local Aviation Authority, HK Express ran a parallel between AMOS and the previously used legacy system. During the parallel run, HKE QA collected evidence of the designed AMOS
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procedures’ reliability in a productive environment – especially concerning those relevant to the Continuous Airworthiness Management – and submitted it to the Authority for their official approval for use. The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Authority provided HKE with its final approval of AMOS data and processes on 18 December 2020, at the same time closing the parallel run with the legacy system.
Fast(-tracked) Go-Live anticipating full AMOS adoption
Due to time constraints and the specific support strategy adopted by HK Express, the decision has been made in view of the go-live milestone, to initially focus project activities on the implementation of AMOS features and business processes that are essential for the management of the airline’s maintenance activities. Both Swiss-AS and HK Express teams have identified the next post go-live steps in terms of increased AMOS adoption and related business development. The HK Express team is now looking forward to expanding its adoption of AMOS to allow the airline to reap all of the benefits of a proven, comprehensive, and future-proof system. The AMOS adoption expansion plan started immediately in November, and is ongoing with the continued support of the Swiss-AS APAC team. “Already from the selection process, the HK Express team showed a tremendous commitment and professionalism” noted Pierluigi Calù, Head of the AMOS APAC outstation
Another fast-growing Asian LCC puts its trust in Swiss-AS
located in Singapore. He continued “The extremely tight implementation timeline required even closer cooperation, and both companies worked as a single team. HK Express was the first AMOS customer to receive our ‘Virtual Instructor Lead Training’ and our first Asian airline to have a 100% remote Golive support from Singapore. With the forecasted fleet growth of more than 30 additional aircraft, welcoming HK Express to the AMOS community will strengthen AMOS’ position in Hong Kong and East Asia. We are excited to help another successful airline in achieving its challenging growth plans!”. “It has been a very challenging project from the start, with the AMOS team we overcame many difficulties and together we achieved a successful launch within a year. Amazing result indeed and HK Express will continue to maximise the potential of AMOS.” Said Mr.Alan Tang, General Manager of Maintenance and Engineering
Department, HK Express. Hong Kong Express Airways: HK Express is Hong Kong’s only low-cost carrier (LCC). With its first flight on 27 October 2013, HK Express has added many new destinations to its route portfolio. HK Express offers convenient and reliable air travel to destinations around Asia, including many top cities. The airline currently operates a fleet of modern Airbus A320, A320-neo, and A321 aircraft. As the list of destinations increases, HK Express’ fleet continues to expand. To match the overwhelming demand for new destinations and more flights throughout their existing network, HK Express has been constantly hiring new staff to strengthen their service. Swiss AviationSoftware and AMOS: AMOS is a comprehensive, fullyintegrated MRO software solution being developed and distributed by Swiss AviationSoftware. Swiss-AS, a 100% subsidiary of Swiss International Air Lines, has more than 190
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customers worldwide and is one of the industry-leading MRO software providers. The loyal customer base includes pure operators of all sizes, major low-cost, regional and flag carriers, large airline groups, and MRO providers. In the Americas and Asia, AMOS is distributed through a partnership with Lufthansa Systems. A Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) follows an airline business model that uses the latest technology, from the IT solutions through to its aircraft, operating at high utilisation, to eliminate those costs that do not add to the customer experience. This enables an LCC to maintain a high level of safety whilst offering the lowest fares to the markets that it serves. AMOS takes on its full meaning in such a business model as the software allows airlines to optimise their maintenance, engineering and logistics needs while assuring their compliance with a complex system of aviation regulations. Read the full story on Aircraft IT Website
CASE STUDY: FINNAIR
Finnair enhances aviation safety
Kjell Skogberg, Manager, Production Support, Technical Operations for Finnair shares the experience of working with QOCO Systems to implement a digital tool management solution AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 26
CASE STUDY: FINNAIR
F
innair, one of the world’s oldest operating airlines, is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland. With its subsidiaries, Finnair dominates both domestic services and international traffic with services to Asia. The airline is one of the safest in the world, having had no fatal or hull-loss accidents since 1963. Nineteen new Airbus A350 XWB aircraft are on order from Airbus, of which 16 have been delivered. In addition to the A350 XWB fleet, Finnair has also completed the delivery of seven new A321 aircraft. At the end of 2020, the fleet comprised more than 80 aircraft. Finnair’s Technical Operations division is capable of managing the most challenging situations. Digitalization and new ways of working are also reflected in the work of the division, which is continuously improving operations. Finnair Technical Operations offers line maintenance services for Airbus aircraft types (A320, A330 and A350), Embraer 170/190 aircraft and ATR aircraft types. QOCO Systems Ltd helps the aviation industry to succeed by creating new ways to work, to communicate, and to utilize data, having been a trusted partner of airlines, MROs, and aircraft OEMs for over ten years. Solutions provide significant improvements to the industry’s complex processes. They enable customers to achieve more by doing less and to realize time-savings in labor-intensive tasks. They also bring visibility to customers’ operations to support decision-making based on real-time information. QOCO’s solutions includes a number of SaaS (Software as a Service) products: MROTools.io for tool management in aircraft maintenance and EngineData.io for intelligent data exchange between different operators in the aviation industry. There is also a wide range of consulting services for customers’ unique needs in the areas of digitalization, process improvement, data analytics, and more.
THE CHALLENGES THAT FINNAIR FACED
Finnair has two traditional warehouses and one automated one in their hangars which are used by Technical Operations. Airline mechanics use the warehouses to sign out tools and material. The need to work with a software solution provider came mainly from the complexity of the tool handling process for which Finnair wanted to find a cost-effective solution. For example, the airline needed
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MROTools.io sales@mrotools.io +358 10 501 4001
LEADING TOOL MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR AIRLINES AND MROs Smarter MRO
Key benefits
MROTools.io is a leading tool man• Streamlined tool management proagement software designed to simcesses minimise the non-productive plify the process of borrowing, retime of maintenance employees turning, reporting and tracking tools. • Improved safety enabled by full It was originally developed in close transparency, control, and audit of collaboration with a client to fulfill all tool transactions their requirements for centralized tool management and optimized us- • Optimal utilisation of tools and lowability. er related costs
“Finnair’s Technical Operations division is capable of managing the most challenging situations. Digitalization and new ways of working are also reflected in the work of the division…” AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 27
CASE STUDY: FINNAIR
to know how to automate tool management processes in the Technical Operations’ warehouses. Finnair had an objective to streamline the tool handling process and wanted to find a cost-effective way to automate the management of tool handling. Also, the previous tool handling program didn’t communicate with AMOS, Finnair’s MRO IT system.
FINDING AND SELECTING THE RIGHT SOLUTION
The initial requirement was to develop a solution that would enhance and extend the basic functionality of the existing MRO system for tool management. The MRO system would be used as the back-end system for common functions such as master data management, resource planning, purchasing, receiving, etc. Usability of the solution in the tool warehouses needed to match and exceed the usability of the previous software solution for finding, borrowing and returning, and tracking tools.
In addition, the solution needed to be extendable to fulfill future requirements already in the roadmap. MROTools.io solution was developed using agile methodolgies to deliver value quickly and efficiently. The first version with key functionality for tool warehouses went live within six months from the project kick-off in June 2018. In parallel QOCO delivered the migration project to transfer tool data from multiple legacy systems to the MRO system. Since go-live, each subsequent release of MROTools.io has extended and enhanced the functionality of the solution: • Defect reporting and management for production support resources; tools, equipment, vehicles, facilities, etc.; • API based integration to automated store system Agilon enabling seamless data exchange; • Mobile application for technicians/mechanics including tool handover functionality; • Kiosk-mode for MROTools.io enabling self-service
for special tool stores in hangar;
• And much more…
MROTools.io was designed to be offered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution from the start. Running the solution in AWS (Amazon Web Services) cloud ensures scalability, high availability and low operating costs allowing QOCO to deliver even more value for their customers.
Making the selection
A high-level roadmap was already in place at Finnair and it guided development activities from the start. With agile methodoligies, requirements and specifications are drafted in small iterations, sprints. Finnair was familiar with QOCO’s way of developing / tailoring programs for an airline’s needs and had a good view and idea for what we needed for best support of our production. The solution was found in MROTools.io software designed by QOCO Systems.
“Finnair was familiar with QOCO’s way of developing / tailoring programs for an airline’s needs and had a good view and idea of what we needed for best support to our production.” AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 28
CASE STUDY: FINNAIR
HOW THE SOLUTION WORKS
The cooperation between QOCO and Finnair consists of a range of information system integrations. One of the key purchases was the MROTools.io management software which QOCO Systems customized for Finnair. It also enabled the creation of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for other tool management systems. Finnair’s expectations of what QOCO might deliver were quite high because their expertise in the aviation industry and information systems associated with it was already known to the airline. Those expectations have been more than realized inasmuch as Finnair has received exactly what was ordered and expected. The implementation of MROTools.io has significantly improved tool management processes at Finnair by giving an easy access for management and production personnel to follow up tool loan process and report possible defects in tools and GSE. Also, the loan history data is easy to find — a useful enhancement to safety and a time saver (see below).
GAINS AND BENEFITS FROM THE NEW SOLUTION
Safety is the single most important factor in aviation. It is also the focus in Finnair’s new tool handling solution, MROTools.io, which has gained them vast amounts of positive visibility among other airlines and the aviation industry in general. The solution has significantly speeded up borrowing and returning tools from and to the warehouses so that mechanics get the right tools for the job in hand. With MROTools.io Finnair mechanics can find tools really fast and can see, from their lending history, who has used the tool in question and what it has been used for. This is especially important to Finnair for safety reasons. On top of that, it is also possible to report and process tool defects in the solution. The cooperation has brought concrete added value; e.g., by gaining increased positive visibility to Finnair. Finnair is now considered as a digitalization forerunner in the field of aviation and that’s a really big deal. The loan history data is also a big improvement as is the capability to extend the program to every PC and mobile device. And the defect reporting management is excellent, especially with the possibility to include pictures in reports.
FUTURE PLANS
Development of the MROTools.io solution is a continuous process. Each new release delivers new and enhanced functionality to streamline airline’s or MRO’s production support processes. Agile development is guided by customer requirements that QOCO is constantly refining with their current and future customers. MROTools.io solution enables airlines and MROs to embark on the digitalization journey by fast tracking the digital transformation of production support tasks. Complete aircraft maintenance digitalization will be easier to roll-out after tangible benefits have already been proven by introducing MROTools.io.
SUMMARY
Mobile devices are now actively used by technicians/mechanics at Finnair because MROTools.io delivers valuable information and functionality to all devices and that saves time. The new tools management solution has given Finnair production support flexibility with controlled tool handovers in hangars to minimize work interruptions, self-service tool stores near production, automated store systems serving tools 24/7, mobile defect reporting and management. This has resulted in production efficiency; minimized waiting/ queue times in tools stores, tool availability information accessible from any device as well as safety with full tool tracking and traceability features. Having seen the improvements that the solution has helped Finnair to achieve, I can absolutely recommend the services of QOCO Systems to all aviation and MRO.
KJELL SKOGBERG
Kjell joined Finnair in the technical department in 1994, working with towing aircraft to different positions. From 2006 he was appointed manager of vehicles, other ground equipment and Finnair’s fuel station. Then, in 2007, responsibility for the production of workwear, tools and all related was added to Kjell’s responsibilities. From 2013, management of subcontractors related to aircraft maintenance was added to his Production Supports responsibilities.
FINNAIR
Finnair is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland. With its subsidiaries, Finnair dominates both domestic and international air travel in Finland and is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. The airline flies to over 100 European, 20 Asian and 7 North American destinations. As the sixth oldest airline in continuous operation and with no fatal or hull-loss accidents since 1963, Finnair is consistently listed as one of the safest airlines in the world.
QOCO SYSTEMS
QOCO Systems Ltd helps the aviation industry to succeed in the changing world by creating new ways to work, to communicate, and to utilize data, having been a trusted partner of airlines, MROs, and aircraft OEMs for over ten years. Solutions offered include MROTools.io for tool management, EngineData.io for intelligent integrations between collaborating players, and OpsMetrics.io for fully transparent collaborative decision making. As well as these SaaS solutions, QOCO offers a range of consulting services.
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IT systems adoption Part 2 Allan Bachan, VP, Managing Director, MRO Operations, ICF considers the rate of technology adoption through Covid-19 and how to optimize IT systems adoption AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 30
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I
In part 1 we looked at discovering how well processes in the business are IT enabled through an understanding of the current positions for business processes and the IT systems that support them. In this part we will continue with the adoption study, looking at the ‘as-is’ blueprint, measures and gaps, adoption improvement, and EPC support.
Building the ‘as-is’ blueprint
The ‘as-is’ blueprint is key in the adoption study: how each task is done, meaning the use of software in the performance of the task, is captured in the mapping. All dependencies as configured for each screen or program, including tables, workflows, settings, options, etc., contribute to the blueprint. It’s worth noting that this is also the way we recommend to design a ‘to-be’ solution when systems are being implemented. In this series of articles, we’re referring to a system that is already in place, already being used so it’s really reverse engineering what the blueprint is. Some configuration options may be mandatory and some may be optional; it is important to identify which are which. 3
Build the ‘As-Is’ [Solution] Blueprint
A. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ B.
Map all business tasks and decisions to the respective software ‘assets’ Apply the ‘how’ to the ‘who’ ‘does what’ question The response to the ‘how’ is using an IT system Ensure that all dependencies as configured are captured Include all system autonomous tasks and IT objects Flag unique settings as exists within configuration options
▪ Settings may be mandatory or optional. Identify which exists ▪ There may be user defined options. Capture these as built and used
C. Capture ‘as used’ rather than ‘as designed’ ▪ For example – if only 2 tabs are used on a screen having 5+ tabs; only record the 2 tabs used – Note: all 5+ tabs must be still be identified in the IT objects master inventory
Figure 9
Certain systems may also afford the ability for users to create their own fields, tables or attributes. These should also be used: for example, you might have a field that asks for ‘Check types’ — A checks, intermediate checks or line checks or so on — and these, again, are user customizable fields that you want to capture in the way that you use them and what you put in them. Because we are doing a GAP study of how many tasks are enabled by technology objects, even if only some features and functions are used, it’s important to make sure that all possibilities are recorded. Therefore, if, on an entry screen in the way that you are using it today, there are five tabs of fields that may be entered but only two are used in reality, the ‘as-is’ will only have two recorded but the master file will have all five that are available.
“Not all tasks can be enabled with existing software now, nor it is a wise idea to have technology for every task.” Internal measures and gaps
For the internal measures and gaps, now that we have mapped tasks and software objects, we can identify how many tasks are not enabled by technology. We can also identify how well, based on performance criteria, software assets might enable those tasks that are not currently enabled (figure 10). 4
Adoption study – internal measures and gaps An examination of internal gaps identifies the potential for improving adoption of existing processes and software tools A. ▪ B. ▪ ▪ ▪ C. ▪
How many of your MRO business tasks are enabled with technology? Either as a primary tool for the task doer or as a fully autonomous system task How well are these tasks fulfilled by the software assets in use? Dimensions include user satisfaction, system performance, data integrity, etc. Not all dimensions apply. Performance dimensions apply based on the object Ensure scores for critical, high risk and value add process objects How feasible is it to enable unenabled tasks with existing software? Not all tasks may be enabled. Those which are not, should be value enabling or value adding tasks with manageable waste ▪ Identify Waste: Can be categorized under Defects; Overproduction; Waiting; Not using talent; Transportation; Inventory; Motion and Excess processing [DOWNTIME]
Figure 10
This means that key performance objectives, measurements and dimensions should also be created and applied. One example can be response time of an entry screen where the expectation is no more than three seconds. In keeping with the theme of the important few versus the trivial many, critical high risk and value-added process objects should definitely be scored. Not all tasks can be enabled with existing software now, nor is it a wise idea to have technology for every task. This means, therefore, that waste can be acceptable: however, it’s a good idea to identify waste into different categories. There are several ways people do this and, as you’ll see in figure 10, we can use the acronym ‘DOWNTIME’ to describe waste processes — readers might have their own
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5
Adoption study – industry measures and gaps An examination of industry gaps identifies the potential for improving adoption of global processes and software tools
Figure 11
Illustrative only - not exhaustive
The study should be ongoing. Actions for scores and observations would be in the adoption improvement program
Industry
A. How available are external software assets for unenabled processes and tasks? ▪ Business processes may be more mature than available software tools ▪ Build or buy decisions may need to be made B. How well would these external software assets complement existing technology for the business processes? ▪ Platforms may be incompatible with the strategic IT and business objectives C. How well adopted (and adoptable) are the identified software tools? ▪ Based on maturity and experience ▪ By peers in the industry ▪ With minimal disruption to the business
Adoption study – scorecard example
Processes
The external view (figure 11) is very similar to the internal measures and gaps. It is very important to know what exists in the market place which can be potentially used for processes and tasks that are not currently enabled with technology.
Systems
Industry measures and gaps
It is advisable to note, however, that diligence must be paid to observe whether your own business processes are more mature than the available software tools. A common mistake is to assume that tasks which might be manually performed today, should be automated. Available software packages, however, might not be capable of fulfilling some robust business processes and tasks in the way that you do it. For example, we have seen some cases where systems have been implemented and productivity has, in fact, decreased. Where systems are identified as available, they should be checked for compatibility with your existing landscape now and in the future. Not only technical compatibility but also the ease of adoption specific to you staff and environment. There have been several projects that have grown from months to years because of these issues. In figure 12 is a simple example of what a scorecard might look like for a particular function.
Internal
versions of this. Typical waste will usually fall into one or more of the categories which might also impact performance measures, if there is waste then, naturally, performance measures will be lower. To summarize, therefore, tasks that are not enabled with technology might lead to lower performance tasks from a business perspective and may contribute to waste in different categories. These will most likely be low-hanging fruit or immediate candidates for improving business process or technology adoption
Topic
[Sample] Observations
Process catalog [Engineering]
Incomplete for the entire value chain
Process maps
Only some maps exist. Finance ok but other functions lacking
Tasks classification
Critical paths are not well known or identified
Systems inventory
Incomplete. Several data repositories observed which are not listed
Software assets inventory
As exists with the applications. Not easily searchable lists
Assets mapping to business tasks
Some documentation in procedural manuals. Not in process maps
Configuration dependencies
As exists within the applications. Not easily cross referenced
Technology coverage of processes
Many manual and paper-based tasks. Only emails for workflows
Technology enablement of tasks
Partial use of software only. E.g. open audit issues in system inaccurate
Opportunities to enable and cover
Existing software assets can be better utilized to cover and enable tasks
Availability on the market
Software is commercially available to fit the unenabled tasks
Complementary fit
A deeper study on the technical nature of available assets is needed Some adoption. Further studies to be done to assess success
Industry adoption Adoption health score:
<40%
>40%<70%
>70%
Unknown – cannot determine
Figure 12
“Where systems are identified as available, they should be checked for compatibility with your existing landscape now and in the future. Not only technical compatibility but also the ease of adoption specific to you staff and environment.”
There may be weaknesses with processes, how they are documented and how they are classified plus, there may be weaknesses with technology systems that support those business processes and how these systems are configured to fulfil business processes. You might, in fact, discover that you already have available technology assets that can fulfil business processes very well but that are not well adopted or for which key configuration options are not being used. Several other reports and measures of capability maturity will be available once this exercise has been completed. For example, where there are bottlenecks in processes because of timing and staffing issues or burdensome reporting or manual tasks.
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ADOPTION IMPROVEMENT
So now that we have completed this study, we can ask how then do we go about using that information to establish adoption and continuous improvement programs? But before we get into that, it is important to recognize issues relative to implementing IT systems. How many times have we seen announcements declaring success with going live on systems? Well, this article is not to devalue that achievement but rather to build on it. Systems are implemented to achieve business benefits and measurement of business benefit can only happen after go-live (figure 13).
Common IT [post-]implementation missteps ▪ Gauging project success should happen after go-live, not before ▪ IT plays a dominant role versus the business during the implementation cycle ▪ Handoff to the business almost never occurs or is not well handled ▪ Success measurements stop after post-cutover stabilization ▪ Overall commitment is decreased too soon after the cutover date ▪ Post-live project audits are more prevalent than adoption audits ▪ Measuring the effectiveness and uptake of training is almost non-existent ▪ Remedial programs stemming from user monitoring and feedback is lacking ▪ Validation and adjustments for realizing the original business case never occurs ▪ Reinforcement of new business processes is left to chance In steady state… ▪ Systems are treated as software rather than business solutions ▪ Business functions managers are deferent to IT for on-going management ▪ End-users are not well empowered with tailored software knowledge for daily tasks ▪ Roles training is not linked to business processes and is unavailable in real-time
see adoption audits, user support desks, log tickets and follow-up for resolving issues as they are reported. Few remedial programs and measurements of training uptake exist. Moreover, continuing evaluation of the initial business case is almost never done, and reinforcement of new business processes are left to chance. In some cases, the new system is just that: a new system — people end up doing the same things and getting the same results except on a different IT platform. Therefore, in steady state, systems should be business solutions and not just software. Departmental managers responsible for business objectives should own the benefits; this means that end-users should be empowered with roles and responsibility based on software knowledge — meaning process driven, step-bystep instructions using the software, not the other way around. That ends up being screen level software navigation only without true acknowledgement of role level responsibilities specific to your company. How then can we ensure a better adoption experience? There are several key characteristics we recommend in addition to the usual software management, which will encourage better adoption (figure 14). These are categorized in three broad areas: conditions, ownership and operations.
IT Adoption and Continuous Improvement model
An adjunct structure to conventional software management with key characteristics will foster better adoption and internalize improvement behaviors
Conditions ✓ Performance indicators ✓ Performance measures ✓ Adoption studies
✓ Program(s) managers
Figure 13
✓ Business process owners
IT typically and rightfully plays a dominant role during implementation but , after the go live, business users directly experience the results. Success measurements should therefore exist well beyond go-live and key user stakeholders should own performance indicators. If we look at a typical MRO system, it is estimated that the first three years are needed to achieve full adoption across all business functions. We have also seen many post-mortem project audits but we hardly
✓ Software assets owners ✓ Release managers ✓ Collaboration tools ✓ Processes repository ✓ Custom manuals repository ✓ Change management protocols
Ownership
Operations
• The business defines performance indicators
• Real-time learning and feedback
• Program managers are process and software asset owners
• Ongoing o Testing and simulations o Data adjustments o User manuals content o Functionality activations o Configuration adjustments o Releases analysis
• Release managers own project governance and change management protocols • The business maintains processes and manual repositories concurrently
• Business processes focused
• End-users strongly influence repositories content
• Active champions - #1
• Repositories are quality checked by governance delegates
• Seamless version transitions
• Help desk - #2 • Distributed CoE practices
Figure 14
“Systems are implemented to achieve business benefits and measurement of business benefit can only happen after go-live…”
We recommend having a check mark against all of the conditions applying the philosophy of ownership and operations as stated here. For example, do you maintain a processes repository or carry out adoption audits? How about performance indicators and measures for business tasks and the associated IT systems? Similarly, as we’ve already mentioned, are the system performance expectations owned and defined by the business? When patches and
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system releases are done, are these managed primarily by IT or jointly by user departments? Who refreshes user manuals, processes and procedures? This should be embedded in daily ways of working and not isolated projects. There should be a continuous loop of user feedback, improvement committees and ongoing collaboration across all stakeholders. Not every request should go to the helpdesk: there should be active champions close to the point of use as the first channel for assistance, then the helpdesk needs only to get involved if there is no resolution. The overall structure should engage center of excellence practices as a natural way of working; there should be a continuous activity cycle of testing and simulations, detailed adjustments and corrections, user manuals content, functionality activations, configuration adjustments, and releases analysis. Most software vendors are now doing at least two releases per year. Without a structure to manage these cycles, it is very easy to fall behind and become stuck with a large upgrade project after several missed updates, when that large upgrade project resembles a new implementation.
EPC SUPPORT
We will now highlight some of the features of the EPC (Enterprise Process Center) tool that supports the adoption study and improvement models presented earlier. There are seven key questions that we will address to show how the tool supports the adoption model — this is not an exhaustive list. 1. How do you populate EPC with processes and software objects? You may have pieces of this information available in several forms and places; processes or your procedures or, of course, your data as far as system objects and so on… transactions or screen lists. How do you easily bring that data into this model? My first question on populating EPC, you don’t want to have to manually do that. 2. How well are your business processes performing? Once the information is in the tool, how can you see the performance of your processes and how well they are performing? 3. How well are you using available systems and technology? 4. How well do users know the processes, procedures and systems? Users need to easily know and follow processes, procedures and of course, how they do this within the system; so how is that facilitated in EPC? 5. How well are you managing improvements to processes? How to go about managing improvements once the user is using it. They’ll have feedback and then, of course, there will be changes
6. How compliant are you with policies, rules and regulations? Most processes in maintenance are regulated, so, whenever policies change, procedures rules and regulations have to be affected. How compliant are you and how can you maintain compliance? 7. How up-to-date are you with system changes, revisions and updates? Last but not least, the environment is very dynamic so how up-to-date are you with systems changes, revisions and updates and how does this tool allow you to do that? These seven questions are very relevant. This is not exhaustive but the above copy has all been looking at all the different things that you do for an adoption study and, of course, adoption improvement. This is how EPC facilitates you being able to do that. In part 3 we will consider the seven key questions above in detail with some suggestions as to how users might be able to deal with each one. We’ll then summarize the Adoption Study and its potential to help users match software to functions, processes and tasks as well making full use of the IT assets already in the business.
ALLAN BACHAN
Allan is a Vice President at ICF with 32 years of industry experience as an Aviation M&E, MRO and Supply Chain solutions and systems domain expert. He is responsible for ICF’s MRO Operations and IT practice and he manages the Aircraft Commerce Consulting relationship with ICF. His experience includes managing application design, development, and full cycle implementation — from selection to go-live — for strategic clients in the MRO industry using different commercially available MRO IT products. In his career, Allan has fulfilled the following leadership roles: MRO IT practice and technical lead; MRO systems Product Principal; M&E and MRO Solutions Director and Manager of Technical Records, Maintenance Planning and Production Control.
ICF
ICF is a global consulting services company with more than 5,500 specialized experts, who are not typical consultants. They combine unmatched expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help clients solve their most complex challenges, navigate change and shape the future.
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MISSED AN ISSUE OF MRO?
CLICK ON THE COVER TO FLY BACK IN TIME NOW… CASE STUDIES: ETIHAD AIRWAYS • EAMS • ATSG WHITE PAPER: IATA HOW I SEE IT
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 • V9.3
WINTER 2020 • V9.4
Etihad Airways uses big data From e-enabled aircraft to predictive maintenance
Modernizing MRO IT at ATSG
Multiple airlines into one system
A better view of processes for EAMS A paperless and digital solution
CASE STUDIES: WESTJET • USA JET AIRLINES SOLUTIONS IN PRACTICE: KAEMS WHITE PAPER: IATA • ICF
IATA on digital maintenance
An update on the latest progress
NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY UPDATES • VENDOR JOB CARDS: SEABURY SOLUTIONS • RUSADA • ROTA • MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
AIRCRAFT IT MRO V9.3 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2020 CASE STUDY ETIHAD AIRWAYS • EAMS •ATSG WHITE PAPERS IATA
MARCH-APRIL 2021 • V10.1
Digital efficiency for WestJet’s engineers The benefits of moving from legacy paper to digital document management
USA Jet adopts Digital assets need digital signatures digital systems Moving into a paperless world
CASE STUDY: SABENA TECHNICS WHITE PAPERS: IFS • DA AVIATION • ICF
Using data that modern aircraft deliver
After the COVID pandemic IATA has a plan for the re-start
NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY UPDATES • VENDOR JOB CARDS: EXSYN • TRAX • MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
AIRCRAFT IT MRO V9.4 WINTER 2020
CASE STUDY WESTJET • USA JET AIRLINES SOLUTIONS IN PRACTICE KAEMS
After the pandemic comes the recovery Tools to help the return to service
Digital processes Tech-based inventory Leveraging value at Sabena Technics management from IT systems The project and the values gained
Addressing the spares challenge with the right tools
Understanding IT-enabled processes
NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY UPDATES • MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
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Sustaining aviation after recovery — part 1 Gesine Varfis, Marketing Manager APSYS and Gabriel Godfrey, Product Owner — Sustainable Aircraft, APSYS explain why the aviation recovery will be digital — sustainable, green and carbon neutral
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T
his first part of the article will look at the challenges that commercial aviation faces today and will still face after the pandemic has passed. We’ll look at how different parts of commercial aviation might be differently affected and we’ll take a first look into the future for the sector. In its latest economic impact analysis ICAO1 confirmed that international passenger traffic suffered a dramatic 60 percent drop due to COVID-19 in 2020, bringing air travel totals back to 2003 levels. In numbers: airlines faced financial losses of 370 billion dollars, with airports and air navigation services providers (ANSPs) losing further 128 billion dollars. This trend will continue for much, if not all, of 2021 with ripple on effects onto other industries. While being busy surviving, the next crisis is in waiting: climate change, with further drastic impact on aviation. The ways we do business in the future will need to change; it’s time to get ready for the new ways ahead. This article highlights what is at stake and what are the opportunities to emerge strong out of the crisis.
AVIATION AT THE CROSSROADS
Aviation experienced strong growth rates over recent decades producing sound profitability rates. This has come to an abrupt halt with COVID-19, and with recovery scenarios constantly being adapted, some airlines have taken the initiative and addressed their customers via surveys to get a grip on how traffic
will look after the crisis. The resulting picture of the future for international network carriers is devastating: corporate travel will not come back as strong as before while lower-yield regional leisure travel will gain in importance. With low-cost carriers already having an operating cost advantage and a focus on leisure travel, they could end up with a revenue advantage because their core market segment might recover faster. The pandemic has shown us how vulnerable our society, business, supply chains as well as our environment all are in terms of inter-relations and interactions. The big question is what will happen after the pandemic; what will the world look like? Can we rely on predictions that by 2024 we will reach pre-crisis traffic levels? Dealing with the pandemic and preparing to be in a good position after the crisis has shown that many companies have taken drastic actions in terms of mitigating the impact and to assure business continuity. At the same time sustainability, the environment and climate change have moved into the focus. IATA confirmed the industry commitment to a green aviation recovery, while Airbus revealed three concepts for the world’s first zero-emission commercial aircraft. Sustainability is not a ‘vegan’ way out of the crisis. Climate change is possibly an even greater risk than COVID-19, adding further uncertainty to the reliability of predictions on travel recovery and customer behavior. Flight shaming is a real threat to the airline industry. Citigroup estimates that carbon offset programs could INTERACTIVE Click here for full product details
S O L U T I O N S . C O N S U LT I N G . E X P E R T S . D ATA S C I E N T I S T S
Sustainable Excellence counts
Inspired by sustainable mobility
AN AIRBUS COMPANY
www.apsys-airbus.com contact@apsys-airbus.com
Apsys-03.20-220x68mm-V1.indd 1
co-creating sustainable breakthroughs: ࢝ make sustainability your competitive advantage ࢝ ensure regulatory compliance ࢝ move digital ࢝ lead in sustainable excellence ࢝ make environmental risks manageable ࢝ engage in shaping a net-zero emissions future
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cut industry profits by 44% by 2025. Human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) related change of travel behavior was already taking shape before COVID-19. In 2019 a global study found out that 14% of customers would switch to a lower carbon footprint mode of transport even if it is less convenient or more expensive. 29% of people stated they would switch to alternative modes of transport at the same cost and convenience. The global public is divided into three groups of similar size when it comes to trusting the ability of airlines to reduce their environmental impact. Frequent flyers are ones to trust the airlines’ ability to reduce their impact on the environment (3 in 5), but at the same time they would consider lower carbon footprint transport alternatives. The other groups are ‘fairly confident’ and ‘not confident’ at all that airlines will be able to contribute to net zero-emissions.2 To manifest the rising environmental risk awareness the World Economic Forum Global Risk Report (figure 1) ranks environmental risks as one of the top 5 risks we globally identified in 2020.
Climate change is striking harder and more rapid than many expected 2009
2012
2017
2019
2020
asset price collapse
income disparity
extreme weather
extreme weather
extreme weather
China economic breakdown
fiscal imbalances
involuntary migration
climate action failure
climate action failure
greenhouse gas emissions
natural disasters
natural disasters
natural disasters
cyber attacks
terrorist attacks
data fraud or theft
biodiversity loss
cyber attacks
human-made environmental disasters
chronic diseases global governance gaps deglobalization (emerging)
water crisis economic
environmental
data fraud or theft geopolitical
societal
technical
Climate moves from Greenpeace to McKinsey … now it’s a must to seek ways making sustainability a competitive advantage safety The Bank of England has warned that corporations in incumbent “dirty” industries can expect to go bankrupt if they fail to understand the risk of their business models becoming obsolete as investment flees to net-zeroemission alternatives*
ZEROe aircraft
environment
assessing the financial risk of climate change is becoming more mainstreamed*
Source: World Economic Forum 2007-2020, Global Risks Reports
Figure 1
*Source: World Economic Forum 2007-2020, Global Risks Reports
Climate change is no longer a matter for a small number of activists, not to sound disrespectful, but to demonstrate the broad attention climate change now has. Environmental risks have significant financial impact and have made it into the board rooms (figure 2). Financial investments are related to ‘green’ commitment and traceable environmental change. As an example, Etihad Airways got the first sustainability-linked bond in aviation in October 2020. The bond is linked to a reduction of 17.8% of its passenger fleet emissions by 2024. Times change with environmental commitment being a ‘must have’ embedded into a sound global risk management to stay in business.
Global Risk Management
factory of the future
sustainability hangar of the future
future mobility
security
airport of the future
Figure 2
According to ATAG the global aviation industry produces about 2% of all CO2 emissions3. On first sight, with all efforts already on the way, this sounds manageable. However, what puts aviation in the limelight are statistics like the one of the European Environment Agency: 20x more CO2 / passenger/km compared to a journey by train and about 5x more CO2 / passenger/km compared to a journey in a car occupied by four persons.4 While cars and trains
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“Before the COVID-19 crisis, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasted that by 2050 international aviation emissions could triple compared to 2015.” have been able to demonstrate that they are actively transiting to greener and renewable electric power allowing them to meet zero-emission targets air travel is expected to increase a massive sevenfold by 2050 without strong viable low carbon concepts. A new study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on fuel burn and CO2 emissions has found that emissions from US airlines increased by 7% from 2005 to 2019 and LCCs, while operating more fuel-efficient fleets, are growing much faster than fuel efficiency can offset emissions. Over the period studied, LCC traffic grew ~3.5x faster than fuel efficiency improved, increasing fuel use and CO2 by 64%.5 Before the COVID-19 crisis, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasted that by 2050 international aviation emissions could triple compared to 2015. Aviation also has an impact on the climate through the release of nitrogen oxides, water vapor, and sulphate and soot particles at high altitudes. Overall, the significance of combined non-CO2 climate impacts from aviation activities, previously estimated to be at least as important as those of CO2 alone has been confirmed by a study conducted by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) performed in November 2020. This moves aviation more and more into focus. In order to contribute to the net-zero emission targets in the years to come aviation needs to go beyond the continuous OPS efforts of fuel savings, bio fuels, plastics and weight reduction, CORSIA, etc. Green zero-emission recovery needs a radical change, the adaptation of new ways, innovation in aircraft design and fuels (from electrification to hydrogen), digitalization and cross-business, crossauthorities, cross-industry collaboration. It requires more than celebrating that an airline introduced e-boarding passes. We will have to work together for a sustainable future which, in turn, means more, faster and deeper collaborations than we are used to.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Under the Paris Agreement (2015) governments commit to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to limit the global temperature increase in this century to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, while pursuing the
means to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees. Countries individually commit to 2030 objectives as well as a long-term decarbonization vision (2050) via national climate action plans (nationally determined contributions, NDCs). e.g., the EU and its member states, are committed to a binding target of a net domestic reduction of at least 55% in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990. These national targets are translated into decarbonization objectives for aviation and other emitting parties. The aviation decarbonization schemes cover: • Strengthening of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA); • Application of fuel saving technologies & solutions; • Addressing non-CO2 effects through mitigation measures; • Revisiting aviation subsidies; • Developing new mobility solutions to support a modal shift; • Creating new business models for the aviation industry; • Investing in transformative, breakthrough clean aviation technologies. The translation of the national targets into action in an interconnected world will be a challenge. Civil Aviation Authorities, ICAO and IATA will need to play a strong role to provide a level playing field for all stakeholders. As of 2021 ICAO agreed to address CO2 emissions for international aviation. Airlines are required to monitor emissions on all international routes and offset
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doing business that will be needed to achieve the necessary changes. We’ll also consider the need for transparency and review some of the green revolution initiatives that will be needed. REFERENCES 1: 2020 passenger totals drop 60 percent as COVID-19 assault on international mobility continues. 2: Ipsos Report for the World Economic Forum. 3: ATAG: Worldwide, flights produced 915 million tonnes of CO2 in 2019. Globally, humans produced over 43 billion tonnes of CO2. 4: EEA 2019. 14 g of CO2 / passenger/km for the train, 55 g CO2 /passenger/km for a car with 4 persons and 285 g CO2 /passenger/km for a plane. 5: Low-cost carriers and U.S. aviation emissions growth, 2005 to 2019
GESINE VARFIS
emissions from routes included in the scheme by purchasing eligible emission units generated by projects that reduce emissions in other sectors (e.g., renewable energy). During the period 2021-2035, and based on expected participation, the scheme is estimated to offset around 80% of the emissions above 2020 levels. In the first phase, participation is voluntary with exemptions for those with low aviation activity. Implementing the Paris Agreement will depend heavily on climate finance to support decarbonization efforts while assuring fair competition. Bill Gates introduced the idea of Green Premiums on biofuels, which suggests that we need to find ways to either make renewable clean fuel cheaper or make jet fuel more expensive, or combine the two. Other discussions are around ticket taxes, while the IMF has suggested a general fuel taxation. In respect to technology innovation we are far away from applicable solutions. Today’s all-electric planes carry two passengers for three hours before recharging while the A350 accommodates between 300 and 350 passengers in a standard three-class configuration capable of flying over 20 hours non-stop. This demonstrates how far away we are from the innovations required compared to the car industry, which already produces e-cars and hybrid solutions and is addressing e-availability, batteries, recycling and clean renewable energy issues. In part 2 we will look at some of the ideas that are being deployed to support lower emissions and sustainability and whether they match up to the scale of the challenge. In particular, we’ll consider some of the technologies and new ways of
At APSYS Gesine is responsible for Airline and MRO Marketing including customer relations, ensuring the digital transformation in close cooperation with clients. Gesine worked as CIO and COO advisor for Aeroflot Russian Airlines engaged in the upgrading of Aeroflot’s OPS systems. Prior to Aeroflot she was a Management Consultant for Lufthansa Consulting focusing on cost cutting, operational excellence, performance management, Operations Control and Hub Control Center re-engineering, and IT speciation, verification and implementation projects.
GABRIEL GODFREY
Gabriel Godfrey spent more than 15 years developing and integrating electronic systems for large civil aircraft engine control and systems, acquiring a thorough understanding of aircraft and safety critical systems fundamental for safe sustainable aircraft. He is also involved in standardization as secretary of the SAE E-40 Electrified Propulsion committee. As product owner of the sustainable aircraft offer, Gabriel draws on APSYS’s risk management expertise to lead the aviation industry towards safe sustainability. .
APSYS
APSYS is a Consulting and Research Company specialized in reliability, safety, cyber protection and support of transport systems as well as industrial infrastructures, in compliance with environmental requirements. APSYS ensures safety, security and sustainability in design, manufacturing, operations and maintenance for aerospace, aviation and future mobility. APSYS offers digital risk management and aircraft maintenance solutions. INTERACTIVE GIVE US YOUR OPINION CLICK HERE TO POST YOUR COMMENT INTERACTIVE SUBSCRIBE HERE CLICK HERE TO READ ALL FUTURE EDITIONS
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 40
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WHITE PAPER: REMAP
A paradigm shift to more efficient aircraft fleet maintenance Christine Windmeijer, ReMAP Public Relations, shares the concept of ReMAP, a European project paving the way for the future of condition-based maintenance in aviation AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 42
WHITE PAPER: REMAP
E
stimating the ultimate benefit of conditionbased maintenance in an airline environment can be challenging because there is neither sufficient nor extensive experience with it. There is only one way to bridge the gap between ‘promises’ and ‘knowing’: do it safely and all the way.
WHY REMAP?
Most airplane maintenance is either pre-scheduled, according to fixed time-based intervals, or reactive, in which repairs are done when equipment has already broken down. The first method leads to over-maintenance due to the fact that parts that are replaced may still be in good working condition and health, and safe to continue in use; while the second method results in unplanned downtime that can completely jeopardize operations and incur higher costs. Today the point has been reached where technologies with big data and artificial intelligence are sufficiently mature to expand to the application of condition based maintenance. Now is the moment to test how this can be applied and generalized in a restricted and regulated domain such as aviation. The number of sensors installed on a modern aircraft, the accessibility and fast communication of the vast data obtained from these sensors, and the increasing capability of data analytics create the ideal context for condition based maintenance (CBM) in the aviation industry. It can be exploited far more by the aviation industry to make aircraft maintenance processes more efficient. One of the challenges of ReMAP is to support the industry in this new era of digital transformation.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Doing the maintenance only at the right time and in the most efficient manner, while respecting the highest standards of safety is the paradigm ReMAP wants to tackle. One of the main objectives of ReMAP is to explore the new operational concept based on these new technologies. For the first time, the use of health diagnostics and prognostics from dissimilar aircraft systems and structures will be used to create real-time adaptive maintenance plans, following appropriate regulations. A fleet level approach will be followed, since the potential of CBM can only be
realized by monitoring the health of all aircraft in a fleet, managing maintenance resources and operational needs. The reliability and safety of the resulting Integrated Fleet Health Management (IFHM) solution will be evaluated according to a safety risk assessment, ensuring its reliable implementation and promoting an informed discussion on regulatory challenges and concrete actions towards the certification of Condition-Based Maintenance. Economic viability will be demonstrated. ReMAP is paving the way for the implementation of CBM in the European air transport system.
“… the point has been reached where technologies with big data and artificial intelligence are sufficiently mature to expand to the application of condition based maintenance. Now is the moment to test how this can be applied and generalized in a restricted and regulated domain such as aviation.” AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 43
WHITE PAPER: REMAP
• Technology demonstration at KLM: This solution will be demonstrated in a
six-months demonstration during operational environment in two different aircraft fleets of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (wide-body and narrow-body aircraft — Boeing types 787 and 737). An analysis will be made of the impact that CBM can have on aviation if it is extended to more than the 12 systems to be considered. • Benchmark: Potential benefits of CBM need to be compared against a relevant benchmark. This benchmark is being established by conducting a state-of-practice study on aircraft maintenance. • Extrapolation to future CBM practice: Future benefits from CBM are addressed by simulating various future CBM scenarios as well as assessing the impact of CBM on airline operations and the future design of aircraft by studying whether design criteria could be relaxed in the case of a reliable and extensive CBM program.
OPEN IT-ECOSYSTEM WITH CLOUD SERVICES THE PLAN TO DO THIS
To fully exploit CBM benefits, a systematic and comprehensive approach is necessary: from sensor data to fleet maintenance planning. ReMAP does that. • Structural Health Management: For structures, health prognostics algorithms will be demonstrated in a laboratory setting, using representative structural composite subcomponents for the first time. Probabilistic data-driven machine learning (ML) techniques will be used to diagnose real-time damage and estimate the remaining useful life of structures using different sensing technologies. An intense two year test campaign has already resulted in a worldwide and unique open access Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Database. Models and test campaigns are as generic as possible to provide the aviation industry and the research communities with the possibility to learn from this database and adapt its outcome to their needs. • Prognostic Health Management for systems: Data from the sensors of aircraft currently flying will be used to train predictive health monitoring algorithms for real-time diagnostics and prognostics. A hybrid approach by combining data-driven algorithms with physics-based models will be followed on 12 different systems. • Maintenance scheduling: A machine learning approach will be used to learn how to schedule maintenance for a fleet of aircraft while dealing with uncertainty coming from structures and systems health predictions. A user-friendly user interface is being developed to help decision-makers to read the schedule proposed by the algorithm, while considering the uncertainty from the health predictions.
The ReMAP ecosystem will rely on an IT platform that will enable information load, data management, processing, visualization and sharing. The key principles of this platform are: open source licencing, multi-source big data approach, and data belonging to operators. Through this open-access IT platform, providers of new CBM technologies can use the ReMAP-models. To increase the accuracy of its models — and with that, a more efficient maintenance process — ReMAP uses data from aircraft run by different airlines located in different geographic locations. Advanced methodologies, such as federated learning, are being applied in order to guarantee that airlines’ data does not have to leave the airline servers and models are still company independent. It’s scalability guarantees the possibility for additional airlines to join the ecosystem and it’s modularity allows the creation of third party data-driven services for CBM including health monitoring algorithms or maintenance optimizing tools.
SAFETY IS KEY
The idea of condition-based maintenance is not new. The Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe (ACARE) envisages CBM to be the standard for all new airplanes by 2050. The application of CBM in aviation nowadays is still minimal and far from a systematic implementation. Safety concerns have been limiting the adaptation of CBM as a possible aircraft maintenance process. ReMAP will implement an integrated safety risk approach to assess the IFHM solution in two stages. • Identification of the main hazards associated with data acquisition: when a new technology is being introduced the effects of this technology on the safety of people, goods and environment is being examined. ReMAP defined this so called ‘hazard identification’ for the first time on AI and CBM in the
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 44
WHITE PAPER: REMAP
MAKING CONDITION-BASED MAINTENANCE A REALITY
There are a number of steps that will need to be completed in order for Condition-Based Maintenance to be implemented. ReMap Advisory Board member, Roberto Hirschmann of Embraer Aviation has refined those steps to seven conditions [CLICK HERE] that will need to be met in order for CBM to be a feasible way forward.
WHO ARE WE?
maintenance process of aviation by learning from the practice of KLM aircraft maintenance specialists and by reviewing the associated literature including investigation reports and health-monitoring normative documents (EASA, FAA, AAIB and AIBN). This ReMAP-document is of importance for users and technology providers of CBM-products, and could be seen as a first guide in the CBM-implementation in aircraft. • A dynamic safety risk assessment of the predictive technologies and aircraft maintenance planning will be developed. Safety bottlenecks, such as inaccurate predictions, will be identified through rare events system simulation and sensitivity analysis. Based on these results, safety metrics will be derived and discussed, so feedback can be incorporated at an early design stage in the development of the technologies. There is still a lack of a regulatory framework to allow CBM applications. ReMAP wants to provide a roadmap towards a safe implementation of CBM in practice and will prepare a White Paper for future CBM regulations
THE BENEFITS FOR AIRLINES AND PASSENGERS
ReMAP will pave the way for a paradigm shift in airplane maintenance and save up to 700 million euros in maintenance costs per year for Europe alone due to a direct decrease in maintenance costs, reduced unscheduled aircraft maintenance events, and an increased aircraft availability. Since scheduled inspections will only be done when needed and at the best opportunity, not only do airlines benefit but also everyday passengers are confronted with fewer unexpected delays.
The ReMAP consortium includes 13 members, from seven European countries covering the entire value chain of CBM: from an airline and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) industry (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines); aerostructures suppliers (Embraer Portugal, Optimal Structural Solutions); sensor technologies developers (CEDRAT Technologies, Smartec), two renowned research centres (UTRC-Ireland and ONERA), four universities (ENSAM; Delft University of Technology; University of Coimbra and University of Patras) and a technology transfer institute (Instituto Pedro Nunes). The consortium is also being supported by an Advisory Board drawn from established entities in the aviation industry, such as Airbus SAS; Embraer SA; EASA; Collins Aerospace; Prof. Fu-Kuo Chang (Stanford University); Royal Netherlands Air Force; Thales Avionics; and Dassault Aviation.
THE FUNDING SCHEME CHRISTINE WINDMEIJER
The whole consortium isNetherland being supported by Agency a research fromof As project a formerand press officer of the Aerospace and grant the Faculty H2020 Program, largest financial instrument dedicated to boostWindmeijer innovation in Aerospacethe Engineering of Delft University of Technology, Christine has expertise in writing about[CLICK aerospace. Originally R&Dus engineer, she switched Europe. Learn more about ReMap HERE] and an follow on Twitter —@ to communication in the nineties with a focus innovations in aerospace & h2020_ReMAP.EU, LinkedIn – h2020-ReMAP andon YouTube – H2020ReMAP. defense and energy & water. She is now PR-advisor to ReMAP for the duration of this project.
REMAP
ReMAP will support European leadership in aeronautics by developing an open-source solution for aircraft maintenance, the Integrated Fleet Health Management (IFHM) system. By replacing fixed-interval inspections with adaptive condition-based interventions, ReMAP will have an estimated benefit for European aviation of more than 700 million Euros per year from a direct decrease in maintenance costs, reduced unscheduled aircraft maintenance events, and increased aircraft availability.
INTERACTIVE GIVE US YOUR OPINION CLICK HERE TO POST YOUR COMMENT INTERACTIVE SUBSCRIBE HERE CLICK HERE TO READ ALL FUTURE EDITIONS
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 45
INTERVIEW: DELTA TECHOPS AND EMPOWERMX
Improving resource utilization and efficiency at Delta TechOps Rick Uber, Delta Airlines and Dinakara Nagalla, EmpowerMX share how the partnership between the two businesses has benefitted maintenance provider, Delta TechOps AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 46
INTERVIEW: DELTA TECHOPS AND EMPOWERMX
Aircraft IT Magazine had the opportunity to interview Rick Uber, General Manager Base Maintenance, Delta Airlines, and, for their technology partner, Dinakara Nagalla, CEO of EmpowerMX. Aircraft IT: Can you introduce yourselves and explain the background to this relationship between Delta and EmpowerMX? Rick Uber, Delta: Delta TechOps is the full-service maintenance provider for the entire Delta Airlines fleet, numbering close to 900 aircraft. In addition to maintaining its own airplanes, Delta TechOps also provides MRO solutions and support to more than 150 third-party operators around the world, making it the largest airline MRO provider in North America. Despite having one of the most experienced work forces in the industry, the company realized there was room for improving resource utilization and overall efficiency, from standardizing how our different teams worked to ensuring their tribal knowledge is available as intelligence for others as well, and to improve risk mitigation during the MRO execution process. The managing team had a very clear idea of the metrics they wanted to collect for effective decision-making. However, the manner in which the data was being collected left substantial gaps between the way the team perceived performance and the actual status of the services. There were also disparities in the ways firstand third-party services were planned and executed. There was widespread agreement that change was needed. Dinakara Nagalla, EmpowerMX: EmpowerMX’s cloud-based, mobile-first software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions are used by the world’s leading airlines, MROs, and OEMs to more efficiently plan, execute, and optimize heavy maintenance, line maintenance, materials management, shops activities and component overhaul. Our software drives ROI and delivers efficiency gains by shortening maintenance turn-around times (TAT), increasing aircraft availability, and lowering cost per available seat mile (CASM) by improving workforce utilization, eliminating unproductive workflows, providing real-time visibility into task completion, and digitizing paper-based processes and documentation. Aircraft IT: What was the selection process by which EmpowerMX became Delta’s chosen partner and why EmpowerMX? Rick: We looked at different alternatives in the marketplace and, after an extensive evaluation process, chose EmpowerMX for its flexibility, robust functionality and framework that supported and enforced the standardized work processes throughout Delta TechOps facilities. EmpowerMX also met our need for real-time access to execution data and paves the way for the transition to fully paperless operations. Most importantly, it was clear to us that EmpowerMX is a solution purpose-built and optimized for aviation by industry veterans with real in-the-trenches experience. EmpowerMX is run by aviation experts and A&Ps
“it was clear to us that EmpowerMX is a solution purpose-built and optimized for aviation by industry veterans with real in-the-trenches experience. EmpowerMX is run by aviation experts and A&Ps who have led and managed the maintenance facilities and tech ops functions for major airlines and MROs” who have led and managed the maintenance facilities and tech ops functions for major airlines and MROs, and spent decades implementing and developing mission-critical software on the floors of these organizations. As a result, this firsthand understanding of how MROs, OEMs, and airlines can best leverage cloud based, mobile-first technology to more efficiently and profitably plan, execute, optimize, and digitize their maintenance and overhaul functions is fully reflected and embodied in the EmpowerMX solution. Dinakara: Delta was already measuring a series of KPIs before they started looking for a new solution. We ran our modules for several months as part of a pilot project and collected data helping Delta to compare the KPIs before and after the introduction of the new software. The results corroborated the significant positive impact Delta TechOps could expect upon deploying the solution across their entire MRO operations. Aircraft IT: How does EmpowerMX’s solution change the way that MROs work and how can that add value to Delta’s businesses? Rick: First, it allows the service to be executed in accordance with a digital plan so that every time you start deviating from the plan the system will tell you about it. The variations could be in the number of task cards getting closed, the availability of materials, the rate of manpower being applied to the service and others. The system tells you early enough about these deviations so you can come up with an action plan to compensate for them and get the work package back on track. We are also using the data provided by the system to continuously look for ways of optimizing the way we do business. Dinakara: We target check efficiency in multiple ways like assisting technical personnel through their daily tasks so they can maximize the time they spend on value adding activities. We manage this without neglecting other areas of similar importance like collaboration and communications. Processes are streamlined for quick reaction to production bottlenecks and avoiding duplicate work. Streamlining reduces waste and results in better resource allocation.
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 47
INTERVIEW: DELTA TECHOPS AND EMPOWERMX
Aircraft IT: How do the features of EmpowerMX’s solution integrate into the overall system? Rick: It is very difficult for any IT vendor to provide a single source of truth. A single system may work fine for smaller companies. However, it is not a good fit once you start dealing with large organizations like Delta Airlines. At TechOps we have a complex IT portfolio covering inventory management, supply chain, technical content management, human resources, training, planning and execution. EmpowerMX was brought in to specifically help improve the areas driving productivity — planning and execution. From that position the system had to integrate seamlessly with other software solutions within the existing portfolio. In the end, if you are now a Delta TechOps technician working, for example, in Atlanta or in Minneapolis, you will be using a very simple and uncluttered user interface even though, behind the scenes, you will be tapping into data managed and controlled by multiple IT solutions displayed using the EmpowerMX tool. Dinakara: Just to expand on Rick’s point, our approach at EmpowerMX is always to strive for implementation plans with the least amount of disruption. If the IT landscape of any given MRO includes systems which are still doing their job at controlling mission critical data, and their immediate replacement will not bring a noticeable impact on productivity and the financial bottom line, we would rather go ahead and interface with these systems instead of pushing for the oldfashioned wall-to-wall replacement way of introducing change. We learned from the limitations of previous generations of airline Maintenance & Engineering Systems (M&E), and, from the very beginning, designed modularity into our databases. Pre-existing systems can be readily integrated with EmpowerMX modules using our Digital Data Connect universal connector. The goal is to break down silos and allow the data to be shared across multiple solutions in a collaborative effort. Aircraft IT: How would you summarize the benefits of EmpowerMX solution for: • Technicians — engineers and mechanics? • Middle management? • Senior Leadership Team and the business in general? Rick: We are now empowering Technicians with all the data they need to focus on the work they have been assigned to do. The new approach has led to less quality escapes and higher levels of on-the-job safety as technicians are no longer required to move around the facility to get support, parts, and tools. Access to the relevant technical content is instantaneous. Also, the average time waiting for buybacks and receiving assistance from other support departments has been greatly reduced. Middle management is measuring savings in pre-dock planning activities and, when already in execution, can quickly identify systemic bottlenecks which
previously managed to go undetected. Managers get visibility of critical factors and can act before these events start posing risks to turn-around times (TAT) and financial performance. This visibility allows project managers, crew leads, material support personnel and others to make educated corrective decisions based on real-time, solid, and easily accessible data. Services are performed in accordance with best practice execution plans. In terms of third-party activities, the system facilitates interaction with customers while automatically enforcing the billing rules defined in the digital MRO contracts. This extra control helps our operation to
“The new approach has led to less quality escapes and higher levels of on-the-job safety as technicians are no longer required to move around the facility to get support, parts, and tools.”
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 48
INTERVIEW: DELTA TECHOPS AND EMPOWERMX
collect on all the work we perform on third-party aircraft. The more efficient utilization of resources, and a consistent TAT performance, bring extra value to our first-party customer Delta Airlines. Additionally, senior leadership is now able to see live, real time overviews of each check and the exact status both financially and by schedule. This data ensures strategic decisions are made using the best available data. Dinakara: Another benefit we bring to the market place is the ability to manage all possible types of task cards ranging from fully engineered electronic task cards (ETC) all the way to dirty-finger-print (DFP) task cards. For the ETC, we can access the
airline’s own specialized document management system so the MRO can use that content to generate the task cards in its own layout and design. Additionally, the emphasis in mobility and electronic signatures is very well aligned with the current drive for social-distancing and remote work. Aircraft IT: What level of training will be required as personnel move to mobile-based working? Rick: Change is always a challenge and as such it always requires careful management and attention. Fortunately, in this case it was very easy to train technicians on how to use the new solution. They quickly realized how the solution brought to their fingertips all the information they would normally require. Another key factor was that the data and workflow closely resembled the step-by-step process the technicians had been used to following previously when executing work on paper. This facilitated user acceptance and the efficiency of the way technicians interacted with the system. Dinakara: From our side we try to stress face-to-face instruction, task demonstration, and hands-on practice. Our typical training program focuses on training the trainers on how to perform master tasks, giving them hands-on practice of each master task, and certifying them to train the larger population of users. These trainers will also actively participate in post-go-live support activities. Obviously, the Millennial technicians are very comfortable with mobility and paperless. However, the older generation technical staff seem to favor the combination of classroom format and hands-on activities we offer. The few needing extra attention undergo additional one-on-one training already on the job. Regardless of age difference there is no
intrinsic resistance to the adoption of technology that is easy to use and reflects their way of thinking. Aircraft IT: What are the steps in using electronic task cards and how do they vary from or improve on the old ways of working? Dinakara: Obtaining approval of electronic signatures from the MRO’s regulator is the easy part. However, it is one thing to deal with digitalization within the realm of one single company and another to do it in an environment requiring interaction with multiple regulators, customers, lessors, and other parties
“Meaningful dashboards are key when your goal is to improve the efficiency of complex activities like commercial aviation MRO.” AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 49
INTERVIEW: DELTA TECHOPS AND EMPOWERMX
Aircraft IT: Who will have access to the dashboards and what information will they carry? Rick: Meaningful dashboards are key when your goal is to improve the efficiency of complex activities like commercial aviation MRO. There are dashboards specifically designed for every level of the operation. The type of audiences for the dashboards can go from operational to strategic / executive roles. The dashboards consolidate the information that is most important for each of the key roles and areas within TechOps and include performance indicators (PI) and key performance indicators (KPI). They are organized around widgets, with data coming from different business areas, and use a variety of charts, maps, dials, and actionable links with drill-down capability into real-time details. The goal of the dashboards is not simply to inform users but to compel them to act. Decisions are now linked to data, increasing accountability by giving employees ownership over their work. This way, we are fostering a proactive environment of responsibility. Dinakara: A person in Rick’s positions requires KPIs measuring what he wants to track and helping him with getting things done. This person needs the important KPIs to be consolidated in a single flash because how we present them is as important as how we track them. Working with Rick helped us understand that not all the standard metrics which MRO and airline maintenance organizations are used to following are important enough to track. It is all part of moving from controlling data to ensure compliance to using data to improve efficiency.
which pretty much describes the operating environment of the typical MRO. The pursuit of regulatory approval should start in parallel with the definition of the data streams which will be used and the standard layout in which, task cards coming from different customers and data sources, will be presented to the technicians for execution. The optimization of the user experience goes hand-inhand with the increase in productivity. Two immediate benefits are faster task card closure rates and an overall reduction in the cost of managing the data. Electronic task cards also prevent task card reopens caused by missing signatures and paperwork. Paperless brings additional improvements to customers, such as that customer technical representatives can, at their own pace, audit task cards remotely through a web portal or a mobile app without having to stop by the Production Booth to pick up DFP paperwork from a tray.
Aircraft IT: How will billing and invoicing be changed and what time/money savings as well as customer relationship improvements is that likely to deliver for Delta? Rick: The MRO Customer Portal brings our MRO clients closer into the TechOps ecosystem and plays an important role in keeping them informed in real time of the status of their airplanes. We are now using traceable customer approvals and reducing the time it takes to obtain them. In terms of billing and invoicing, we no longer have to chase customers with unbilled items days after the aircraft have departed. Aircraft IT: Who will have access to aircraft records and how will this make life easier during induction to the fleet, work life and end of lease? Dinakara: There are specialized digital aircraft record solutions helping with the digitalization of technical records via their scanning, indexing and storage.
“The MRO Customer Portal brings our MRO clients closer into the TechOps ecosystem and plays an important role in keeping them informed in real-time of the status of their airplanes” AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 50
INTERVIEW: DELTA TECHOPS AND EMPOWERMX
“With the resurgence in air travel, and with airlines bringing fleets back into line service, the need of the hour is rapid turn-arounds, high reliability, and extreme efficiency.” However, electronic task cards, either based on XML, overlays on top of PDF or generated on the fly, eliminate the bulk of paperwork from the hangar floor. On top of that we have the ability to deploy our records system to capture the other documents that, at least for the immediate future, will partially remain on paper. One example of these are part certificates. Our records module takes these hold out paper records and digitizes them for future easy and quick retrieval. We perform scanning, OC operations and indexing, merge and final attachment to their corresponding task cards and work packages. Documents are always accessible from web browsers and apps. This way we end up feeding in real time the airlines’ specialized digital records systems with electronic copies of all the documents as the task cards get closed and audited. Aircraft IT: How does the EmpowerMX solution address the challenges that Delta had identified (see question 1)? Rick: With the new processes we managed to optimize the allocation and utilization of resources. Project Managers now can reschedule resources in advance to prevent problems from surfacing or getting out of control. By standardizing work processes across facilities, bays, and customers we are ensuring work is performed in a pre-defined optimized way with better quality and clarity of status. We have also achieved real-time visibility of operational and financial metrics. This visibility allows us to concentrate on what really requires attention and helps reveal opportunities for improvement. Finally, Delta TechOps continues to rely on multiple legacy systems that are hard to replace as the company depends on them to control critical day-to-day operations. The solution we implemented managed to seamlessly integrate the data coming out of these systems and offer it to the Technicians in a consolidated holistic view. It has a sleek browser-based UI (user interface) offering a user-centric experience. This way they can focus better on what they are trained to do and enjoy doing — fixing airplanes. Dinakara: From our side, EmpowerMX cannot stress enough the importance we put on strengthening our partnership with customers like Delta TechOps. We look forward to continuing serving our market and helping MRO and airline
maintenance organizations achieve their goals. As a company that takes pride in its MRO and aviation DNA, we have ensured that we are constantly working in step with our clients to develop platform-based solutions that can help them integrate modernization into their environments without extensive and expensive rip-and-replace products. With the resurgence in air travel, and with airlines bringing fleets back into line service, the need of the hour is rapid turn-arounds, high reliability, and extreme efficiency.
RICK UBER
Started my career as a US Marine, where discipline and integrity were instilled as core values. Those values have served me well throughout my career starting as a A&P mechanic and working my way up through the management ranks. I have had the honor to lead multiple organizations to include Aviation Repair Technologies, AAR in Indianapolis IN, TechOps Mexico and currently the Airframe Maintenance division at Delta Tech Ops.
DINAKARA NAGALLA
Dinakara Nagalla is founder and CEO of EmpowerMX, where he sets the vision and product strategy for the company. He is an aviation MRO technology veteran, having worked in large-scale implementation of MRO suites for global airlines, product development, and systems integration. He has held leadership roles at aviation software and Consulting firms including American Airlines/Sabre. He holds a graduate degree in thermal engineering, and executive leadership program from Cornell University.
DELTA AIRLINES OR DELTA TECHOPS
Delta TechOps is the full-service maintenance provider for the entire Delta Airlines fleet, numbering close to 900 aircraft. In addition to maintaining its own airplanes. The organization also provides MRO solutions and support to more than 150 third-party operators around the world, making it the largest airline MRO provider in North America.
EMPOWERMX
EmpowerMX’s cloud-based, mobile-first software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions are used by the world’s leading airlines, MROs, and OEMs to more efficiently plan, execute, and optimize heavy maintenance, line maintenance, materials management, shops activities and component overhaul. The software drives ROI and efficiency gains by shortening maintenance turn-around times, increasing aircraft availability, and lowering cost per available seat mile. INTERACTIVE GIVE US YOUR OPINION CLICK HERE TO POST YOUR COMMENT INTERACTIVE SUBSCRIBE HERE CLICK HERE TO READ ALL FUTURE EDITIONS
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 51
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
Managed MRO IT as a service at Western Global Airline Jim Buckalew, SVP Technical Operations and Technology, Western Global Airlines walks us through the new ‘A-Team’ Approach to Implementing Aerospace IT Solutions for a Changed Industry
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 52
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
I
n this article, we want to share with readers the recent implementation of Trax eMRO at Western Global Airlines. In that implementation, an internal team at Western Global was assisted by the MRO ATeam. This collaboration helped Western Global to achieve one of the fastest implementations of an MRO IT solution during one of the toughest times in our industry, and a global pandemic. I guess we should mention that we also experienced a number of hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast of Florida during the same period. The MRO ATeam is part of the Aerospace ATeam which has verticals in airline operations, MRO IT systems, technical services and management consulting. Several ATeam partners who contributed materially to this article and supported the implementation at Western Global.
WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
For those readers not familiar with Western Global, the company was formed about eight years ago and has sixteen wide-body aircraft flying an international network. What makes Western Global unique is that the operations take the aircraft all over the world (Figure 1) so they are sometimes disconnected from the technology which means that all flight mechanics and flight crews have iPads and Flyaway kits.
Western Global Airline Operations
International Wide-Body Fleet (3) 747-400BCF, (13) MD11F
“… technology has now created an environment in which we can confidently outsource to Cloud solutions, the infrastructure and platform and Software as a Service (SaaS) approach.” As we went to implement an MRO system, we of course considered the footprint and the operations plus we made some decisions around being able to work off-line, having low bandwidth connectivity and being able to update work accomplished when back to a home base. We also looked very closely at the way we distributed our inventory. Much of Western Global’s operation is driven by clients and contract customers so the inventory does get moved depending on the season and the customers that we have at the time. Also, Western Global does use each aircraft as an inventory stores’ location, so we’ll look at how we set that up in the system to follow each aircraft and, essentially, manage the Flyaway kit for inventory, allocation and all of the functionality of the technology for material management in eMRO.
THE MRO ATEAM
Cristian Santos: Partner who leads Engineering, Maintenance Program and Technical Services at the MRO ATeam
Cristian’s diverse technical experience in US-based and EASA operators complements his deep IT technology skills. At Cargolux, the largest all-cargo airline in Europe, Cristian was a systems engineer for eight years and a Trax super-user. He implemented the Trax system for the first Boeing 747-8 freighter. Cristian then attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and achieved his Master’s Degree in Aviation Management. While leading the MRO ATeam Cristian ensured all OEM SGML data was loaded for multiple fleets and built the IPC and maintenance program in eMRO for Western Global.
Frank Milillo: Partner who leads the MRO group at the MRO ATeam
Figure 1
Frank has extended his long career in commercial aviation by joining the MRO ATeam. He held several senior leadership positions within major airline TechOps divisions, specifically line maintenance, base maintenance and quality control. Frank is currently supporting the Western Global Airlines base maintenance with AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 53
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
“… we also validated compliance, the ‘dirty fingerprint’ records and made sure that we had good data in the legacy systems. ” specific focus on Safety, Quality, Schedule and Cost, plus closing technology gaps with the addition of the Trax eMRO solution. While leading the MRO group, the ATeam completed physical inventories and implemented full material management to control inventory, production control and task accomplishment. Frank and the WGA team have introduced efficient processes matched with the latest Trax eMRO technology.
supporting the Western Global team, allowed us to move very fast with a high level of quality. It was a great achievement for the teams and the Company overall. The next phase of the managed services approach for Western Global is advancing the use the deep functionality of eMRO during an unprecedented demand period for Western Global Airlines. Global Western TechOps and MRO ATeam implemented this new MRO IT system in the past few months and that was accomplished with a strategy around managed MRO IT as a Service (Figure 2).
MRO IT Licensing
Cloud Hosting
Steve Bogie: Partner who leads Flight Operations at the Aero ATeam
Steve has over 25 years’ experience in airline Operations and Technology with tier 1 and tier 2 carriers. In the context of this article, the AeroATeam supports the broader operations picture beyond MRO with systems operations control, Flight Operations, crew management, dispatch and the broader critical functions within an airlines’ Operations IT portfolio.
Aircraft Commerce Virtual Conference and Expo 2020 Implementation
A UNIQUE APPROACH, MANAGED SERVICES FOR MRO IT
As with any big project, people are the foundation of success; in this case Western Global Airlines partnered with the Aero ATeam to carry the heavy load through the eMRO implementation. What’s unique about the Western Global project is that the MRO IT Managed Services implementation and support strategy was defined well before COVID. We have to hand it to the leadership at the business for their decision to upgrade the technology with the new MRO IT managed services approach. This approach has proved to be very effective, especially since the industry and the world has really changed in response to the impact of the pandemic. IT Managed services is common in many industries but, in aviation and, more specifically, in TechOps, sometimes we are reluctant to release control to a fully managed IT as a service approach. Modern technology has now created an environment in which we can confidently outsource to Cloud solutions, the infrastructure and platform and Software as a Service (SaaS) approach. These developments, backed by industry experienced members of the MRO ATeam
Managed MRO IT as a Service
Tech Support
11/18/2020
Jim Buckalew SVP Technical Operations and Technology Jim.buckalew@westernglobal.aero C-678-772-3328
Figure 2
In summary, the approach of this project has been to outsource not only the licensing but also a full Cloud Hosting, implementation and ongoing technical support.
PHASED IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH
This article is more about the strategy for the technology but readers will know that you can take many different approaches for the implementation (figure 3). At Western Global we decided that a fast implementation through a phased approach was critical for a number of reasons. There were some solutions that were not supported; time was of the essence, of course, because of our Ops tempo and there was a need to implement the technology as soon as possible. The implementation was essentially divided into two phases.
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 54
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
Phase 1
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This initial Phase included, as readers might imagine, some foundation building plus we went through a system assessment and selection process (figure 3); we also validated compliance, the ‘dirty fingerprint’ records and made sure that we had good data in the legacy systems. That did result in a good amount of data cleansing and pretty typical DAV (Data Analysis and Validation) and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) exercises. Once we’d decided to adopt the managed services approach, we looked at the technology, both the software, infrastructure and platform as a service approach and, because of the resources available at Western Global as well as the amount of effort it takes to implement an MRO IT system, we felt that pulling in some experienced people to help with this was the best approach. We worked with the MRO ATeam and through phase 1 they gave us a lot of help with sizing the project to the airline itself, with business process mapping and all of the documentation; we also had the developers building the interface and integrations needed for corporate systems.
Western Global - Business Action Teams MRO ATeam – Process Development Sessions Phased Implementation Approach
Phase I
§ System Assessment § Compliance Validation § Data Cleansing DAV/ETL § Technology-S/I/PaaS § System Integrations § Business Process Mapping
§ Inventory & Material Management § MOC Logbook/Defect Control, Delay/Canx § Compliance Tracking § Maintenance Training § QA Audit § Electronic Task Cards § Documentation/SRA
§ § § § § § § § §
Phase II
MRO Heavy Maintenance Process Integration Production Control Labor, Tooling, Materials, NRC Engine Shop Production Management Line Mx iPad integration Facility Capacity and Resource Planning Advanced Materials Management RFID FAK Management Ground Support Equipment
Western Global’s 160,000 sq. ft. in-house Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (“MRO”) facility reduces maintenance cost & fleet downtime, improves reliability & utilization and drives profitability. Rating Agency Presentation - Confidential
Figure 3
The second column in phase 1 (figure 3) includes, primarily, the functionalities on which we focused. The core competency of inventory and materials management was key; we undertook physical inventories of the larger stores’ AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 55
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
Phase 2
The next phase was more complex; first building on the foundation of Phase 1, in Phase 2 we rolled out the MRO Heavy Maintenance functionality, primarily in third party MROs and our Shreveport Heavy Maintenance facility where we will be using the production control features and the resource management as well as shop functionality. We’re fortunate inasmuch as the mechanics at Western Global have iPads and so we’ll be rolling out more functionality to front-line mechanics as well as distributing iPads to the Heavy Maintenance facility to get the most out of the technology. A number of other advanced materials management tools as well as RFID for the Flyaway kits and loading ground support equipment are on the roadmap in future phases.
MANAGED IT AS A SERVICE
The managed service strategy that was adopted at Western Global included four elements. The MRO ATeam worked with us on all of these elements and we’re comfortable with the experience of all the partners on the team.
1. Licensing
“… in Phase 2 we rolled out the MRO Heavy Maintenance functionality, primarily in third party MROs and our Shreveport Heavy Maintenance facility where we will be using the production control features and the resource management as well as shop functionality.” locations in Fort Myers as well as Shreveport Louisiana at our MRO facility. Once that foundation had been started for materials, we ran several parallel workstreams with maintenance control, for defects management also managing a lot of the operational needs for delays, cancellations and Tech Services. We did break out compliance tracking which is the lion’s share of the work around engineering and records and maintenance program tracking. Another initial phase was training and quality control audit. One highlight from what we did for upgrading the maintenance program was importing the SGML Task Cards and also the Part Master for the IPC, the illustrated parts catalog was obtained in SGML format and we were able to import that into the eMRO system so we had one system of record for SGML data from Boeing. We also focused on the safety risk assessment and documentation, as a deliverable in Phase 1.
The first element in the structure is licensing. Western Global relied on the MRO ATeam to be a broker of software; they understand all the tools in the industry and were able to work with the sales people of those providers in the selection process to make sure the solutions selected would be a good fit for the company. ATeam is a reseller and offers an SaaS (Software as a Service) licensing options so that users can have just one place to go to manage their licenses.
2. IT Technology Hosting and Integration
The technology hosting is a key part of the offering that Western Global chose; that is, a fully hosted AWS (Amazon Web Services) environment and that was built with Trax USA Corp. Trax also has good experience in hosting but Western Global decided to go to one supplier as the best approach. So, with the experienced AWS professionals on the MRO ATeam, we were able to build a secure environment to host the software tools needed for the MRO IT project.
3. Implementation and Management
Implementation, of course, is a big part of the project and having experience with the implementation was key. We did draw up an implementation plan that fitted the project and Western Global team very well. We used the ATeam partners who were able to leverage their experience and understand what it needed to be successful with the implementation. Lots of documentation, lots of business process mapping, lots of critical steps, of course, in training and robust testing prior to rolling-out the software.
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 56
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
4. Maintenance, Engineering and IT Tech Services
We are currently, at the time of writing, in a support phase which allows us to have experienced people supporting the product. There is a 24/7 Helpdesk to which we have access and that is staffed with people who understand if there are problems with either the infrastructure or the software or even the business processes that were defined, there is just one place where we have to go to get answers for end users. This is a key feature in managed services to allow Western Global to have full support from the software application, hosting, implementation business processes and then, continuing system administration and support.
MRO IT Licensing Options
MRO ATeam offers value-added-reseller (VAR) and software-as-a-service (SaaS) licensing options for aviation industry leading solutions. There are a number of licensing options available to users. • As industry clients to MRO software providers for over thirty years, MRO ATeam has teamed with numerous solution companies to offer turn-key licensing options. • MRO ATeam licensing models offer a low-entry-cost approach to delivering modern solutions which would be otherwise cost prohibitive to many operators. • License packaging also eliminates separate agreements, negotiations and maintenance costs. MRO ATeam also eliminates costly add-on integration costs for separate solutions. • Furthermore, licensing with MRO ATeam doubles users’ level of support. While the ATeam is their primary level of support they will also have the software OEM secondary support as needed. • Combining licensing options with hosting and services results in reduced total solution cost.
IT Hosting and Integration
Some of the benefits to be gained from a managed approach for the IT implementation include: • MRO ATeam Technology group has accredited and certified hosting professionals dedicated to maintaining operational performance and reliability of users’ systems. • Advanced cloud computing infrastructure is available with secure single-signon access, redundant servers, automated backups and high-speed response time to meet users’ operational needs. • IT professionals who know the MRO IT industry and the aircraft maintenance business needs deliver the specialized service with all the technological advances available.
“Once TRAX eMRO has been implemented at Western Global, all the modules in the foundation layer will be active which will, in turn, allow us to integrate with the Business Intelligence (BI) layer that’s managed by the ATeam.”
• MRO ATeam is the Tech Ops liaison to customers’ corporate IT department
professionals to ensure internal policies are followed and operational needs are met. MRO ATeam has certified cloud credentials, advanced application interface developers and modern cyber-security specialists with airline hosting experience. Again, technical hosting and integration is key when clients need to know the software and the application that they’re implementing and how it’s going to perform in the Cloud environment.
Implementation and Management
Integration with the business is key with the implementation side; knowing the business and how the business processes work is a real benefit from having a strong team to help with the implementation. MRO ATeam tailors support for client needs and helps define the requirements for success. No extra work, costs or surprises but full-service, one-stop implementation support, system administration, data migration, IT integration, business process development, documentation and training. MRO ATeam has hands-on, end user and leadership experience with implementation and management of the leading MRO IT solutions backed by aviation professionals with decades of relevant experience. They have worked for airlines and supported operations for over thirty years; having advanced the use of technology in our industry at the point of execution, the service is system agnostic and can support all solutions. On-going support is offered at an outsourcing cost lower than maintaining internal resources with significantly more experience.
Technical Services Defined
MRO ATeam Tech Services delivers 24/7 support and resourcing with IT, Maintenance and Engineering business professionals. There is dedicated support and a technical staff at the MRO ATeam who provide technical services and that is
AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 57
CASE STUDY: WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
a key factor in the success of the whole package. Some of the services offered include maintenance of critical technical staff. Clients have no need to worry about recruiting and retaining technical staff because ATeam maintains US-based technical staff in maintenance operations, cloud management, application and interface support for flight operations, accounting and HR. Another service is dedicated support from a 24/7 help desk. Support ranges from immediate response for technical issues and project planning for tactical support, to strategic integration with maintenance/engineering and corporate IT leadership. The service includes a dedicated web-based customer portal, ATeam Portal, which rolls-up all communication, documentation, links and technical management of the MRO IT solutions. There are also custom development, reporting, alerts and dashboard design: The Business Intelligence (BI) reporting tool is delivered with the SaaS licensing. ATeam supports a super-user community to leverage BI reporting and ensure full value from MRO IT applications.
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE LAYERS
All of the foregoing leads us to ultimately working on the Business Intelligence layers (figure 4). Once TRAX eMRO has been implemented at Western Global, all the modules in the foundation layer will be active which will, in turn, allow us to integrate with the Business Intelligence (BI) layer that’s managed by the ATeam. This, of course, reflects the AWS environment and a lot of the logic and scripts that are built-in for analytics and alerts.
Business Intelligence Layers
Aircraft Engine Material Resource Filters
Performance
Mx Forecast
Asset Mgmt.
Reliability
CASM/Costs
Jim Buckalew recently joined Western Global Airlines as SVP Technical Operations and Technology. Over thirty-years, Jim has led airline Technical Operations teams, MRO and Operations Technology for large commercial passenger and cargo airlines, government contract operators and consulting firms.
WESTERN GLOBAL AIRLINES
Western Global Airlines is an American cargo airline based in Estero, Florida. The company’s services include ACMI charters, commercial charters and military charters. Their main hub is located at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Florida. The business was founded on March 6, 2013, by Jim Neff. It was certified by the United States Department of Transportation on February 24, 2014 with FAA approval being granted on August 1, 2014 for operations using the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F. Boeing 747-400 freighter operations were approved by the FAA on November 16, 2015 and Department of Transportation approval was granted on May 25, 2016. In July 2018, the company established a 160,000 sq ft (15,000 m2) aircraft maintenance facility in Shreveport, Louisiana, capable of housing three wide-body aircraft simultaneously.
MRO ATEAM
The MRO ATeam is one of the divisions in the AeroATeam group which has proven industry experienced people you know who offer one-stop solutions in MRO IT, application development, technology hosting and technical services, and airline operations. The ATeam advises and supports airlines in the areas of Operations and MRO IT licensing, hosting and integration, implementation and management, and technical services. The ATeam also helps airlines in the evaluation, selection and procurement of appropriate MRO IT Solutions.
TRAX EMRO gic Lo Records
Ale rts
Analytics
Mx Prog
JIM BUCKALEW
Quality Control
Inventory
MOC
Shops
Tech Pubs
GSE
Figure 4
Ultimately, Western Global will have a Business Intelligence layer that will be able to produce dashboards and customize these dashboards for the business across any number of data points from all of the BI tools.
eMRO is a device-agnostic application designed to cater to virtually every aspect of aircraft maintenance and fleet management. Deployed via any web browser, this technology lets users manage their maintenance operation from a desktop or remotely from a phone or tablet. eMRO is a fully integrated product which allows complete information flow between the modules throughout the system. The software provides the means to manage and maintain all information generated by a maintenance organization.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 58
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AIRCRAFT IT Operations
DIRECTORY
MRO Software Directory Key ‘at-a-glance’ information from the world’s leading MRO software providers. IT is a powerful force but, to leverage its greatest value, it must be harnessed and directed. It must also be able to handle huge and growing data streams that record every aspect in the lives of aircraft and the processes by which they fly. This challenge has attracted the best brains and most innovative enterprises to create IT solutions for one of the most demanding working environments, Aircraft MRO and M&E. Inevitably, there are many such developers and vendors offering solutions ranging from single function `Specialist Point Solutions’ to complete `End-to-End’ solutions covering the whole process. Only readers will know the specific requirements of their businesses but we have assembled a directory of the best MRO software providers and listed them alphabetically to make it easier for you to undertake a brief-ish (there are 35 providers and the number continues to grow) survey of the market, as a preliminary to starting on any specification and selection process. Or you might simply read it to keep up to date with what is available today.
2MoRO
ADSoftware
W: www.2moro.com T: +33 (0)559 013 005 E: sales@2moro.com
W: www.adsoftware.fr T: +33 (0)4.50.89.48.50 E: contact@adsoftware.fr
Locations: France (HQ), Canada and Malaysia
Location: France, Thailand, South Africa, Brazil
ADT: Applied Database Technology W: www.adbtech.com T: +1 (425) 466-5013 T: +1 (614) 377-9644 E: sales@adbtech.com
Location: Bellevue, Tampa USA; Istanbul, Turkey
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Aero One, Aero-Webb, BFly
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • AIRPACK
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Wings NG
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • MRO: Line, Base, Engine maintenance • Airworthiness and Fleet Management • Flight and Crew management • Material Management • ERP: Finance, Purchasing, Sales, HR
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • AIRTIME — Fleet management & CAMO • AIRSTOCK — Inventory control & Logistic • AIRDOC — Documentation management • AIRSTAT — Reliability and statistic reports • AIRWORK — Time Tracking Software
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Fleet Management • Maintenance Engineering • Material Management • Production Planning • Labor Collection, Billing
2MoRO is a software development company dedicated to the aviation market. Our teams are located in Europe, America and Asia. We work with partners and resellers worldwide and our software solutions are used in more than 20 countries. We propose 3 different software solutions in order to fit every type and size of Aviation, Aerospace and Defense companies. Our solutions have been chosen by aircraft and engine manufacturers such as Airbus Helicopters, Dassault Aviation or Safran Group but also by aircraft operators, airlines or independent MROs. We also have a R&D department and can help you in data migration. Aero One® and Aero-Webb® have been designed to complement your ERP solution regarding aviation and MRO specific needs. They are certified by SAP®, and Aero-Webb® can also be used as stand-alone. BFly®, our latest software, is a new way to create customized software for aviation and enables users to collaborate, design personalized screens, workflows and business processes.
ADSoftware has developed an integrated fleet management system and logistic package called AIRPACK. This 6 module system answers to the needs of aircraft and helicopters operators, as well as MRO and CAMO centres. It meets all requirements in terms of functionality, traceability, performance, aviation legislation and regulations. Today, ADSoftware counts more than 54 clients worldwide. The strength of ADSoftware is the simplicity of its products; they are Microsoft Windows® ready, Web-enabled, available in various languages and a complete training program can be done in just five days. The company also provides a 24/7 online technical support and extremely competitive pricing conditions.
APPLIED DATABASE TECHNOLOGY (ADT) is a professional services and software development firm that provides MRO software solutions for aircraft operators as well as aircraft repair and overhaul organizations. Our commitment to this business segment is proven with our software package, WINGS, designed specifically for aerospace companies. ADT has been in the software business since 1992 and has built an excellent customer reference base. Our first priority is always customer satisfaction; thus we have obtained 100% customer satisfaction since 1992. ADT has a proven record to develop reference accounts in the Aviation industry along with other high technology companies which are considered to be leaders in their fields.
At 2MoRO, we are proud to offer a very dedicated customer service, as reflected by our 95% retention rate. We work mainly on a fixed-price base and we are ISO 9001 certified for aviation software development, maintenance and support.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 60
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DIRECTORY
Aerostrat
APSYS
ASQS (Advanced Safety and Quality Solutions)
ATP
W: www.aerostratsoftware.com T: +1-888-558-2860 E: info@aerostratsoftware.com
W: www.apsys-airbus.com T: +33 (0) 5 61 30 99 00 E: contact@apsys-airbus.com
W: www.asqs.net T: +43 1 306 1234 E: sales@asqs.net
W: www.atp.com T: +1 415-330-9500 E: marketing@atp.com
Location: Seattle, USA
Location: France
Locations: ASQS GmbH, Vienna, Austria, ASQS Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
Location: Brisbane, California; Toronto, Canada; Austin, Texas; and Bonita Springs, Florida
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Aerros
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • AMASIS, IBIS (BI), Simfia and Simlog
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Heavy/Base Maintenance Planning • Capacity/Workload Planning • Maintenance Schedule Optimization • Maintenace Event Performance Tracking • Heavy/Base Production Schedules
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Consulting Services • Risk Management • Cybersecurity • Safety & Airworthiness Management • ATM&UTM • Digitalization and Analytics • Maintenance & Engineering • IOCC & MCC • Predictive Maintenance • Sustainability Management • Green aircraft & H2
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • IQSMS (Integrated Quality and Safety Management System) • Flight Data Monitoring (FDM) Service • The IQSMS Suite consists of a total of 10 modules, varying according to the operator. (Airlines, Business Jets, Helicopter, Airports, MROs...)
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • ChronicX • SpotLight • ATP Libraries • ATP Aviation Hub • Flightdocs
Aerostrat is based in Seattle, WA and offers one product called Aerros, a one-of-a-kind program that manages an airline’s or MRO’s aircraft maintenance schedule. Aerros enables users to optimize the maintenance program by managing various maintenance and operational constraints, which maximizes event yield, drives costs down, and enables the organization to plan proactively, not reactively. Aerros provides robust ‘what-if’ scenario capabilities that allow users to see the effect of different variables. This aids in making sound business decisions concerning the maintenance and fleet plan. Some of these variables are maintenance programs limits, min/target/max yield, aircraft hr/cy utilization, track/requirement compatibility, and maintenance allocations. To forecast an optimal maintenance plan within an operation, Aerros also provides a Capacity Planning feature. This feature allows users to input and view vendor capacity available and labor hour demand to better manage the labor force. Aerros also provides easy-to-navigate scenarios with drag and drop event movement and manipulation. Scenarios can be published so others (including vendors or operators) can view the plan. Aerros provides excellent system stability and reliability with standard IT practices. It is also integrationready and designed to work as an extension of a user’s existing information systems.
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KEY BUSINESS SOFTWARE AREAS • Quality Management Module • Reporting Module • Risk Management Module • Document Distribution Module • Emergency Response Planning Module
A subsidiary of Airbus, APSYS is a Consulting and Research Company based in Toulouse; specialized in reliability, safety, cyber protection and support of transport systems as well as industrial infrastructures, in compliance with environmental requirements. APSYS is involved in the design, manufacturing and operating phases of products and also develops digital solutions.
ASQS (Advanced Safety and Quality Solutions) is a global supplier of highly innovative QMS and SMS software for the aviation industry, supporting more than 200 large and small operators, including airlines, business jet and helicopter operators, groundhandling agents/FBOs, airports and maintenance organizations, in creating a safe and productive work environment.
With over 30 years in aircraft maintenance APSYS offers AMASIS a reliable and scalable maintenance management solution, as well as associated services, analytics, BI, customization and R&D solutions.
The company specializes in intuitive, integrated, web-based solutions with exceptional customer support. ASQS’s core product IQSMS allows clients to manage operational data 24/7 online and offline with a single integrated tool which significantly simplifies daily tasks. The easy handling of the software creates a positive reporting culture, enables comprehensive quality management and proactive risk management to maximize productivity, reduce operating costs, and optimize internal and external working procedures. IQSMS automates laborious processes like the submission of ECCAIRS or IDX compliant incident reports which, combined with a consolidated, up-to-date regulations database, ensures legal compliance with national and international requirements and standards.
Simfia is applied for simulation and analytics (R.A.M.S Studies) and Simlog models integrated logistics support (ILS) simulation and analytics.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 61
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Maintenance Operations Solutions • Maintenance Tracking • Flight Operations • Reliability Tools • Aircraft Troubleshooting • Business Intelligence for Aircraft • Recurring Defect Analysis ATP is a global information services and software solutions company focused on making flying safer and more reliable. ATP Information Services is the general and business aviation industry’s source for aircraft technical publications and real-time regulatory information. ATP Software Solutions is the leading provider of maintenance tracking, flight operations, inventory management, repetitive defect analysis, and troubleshooting software. The company’s applications help reduce operating costs, improve aircraft reliability, and supports technical knowledge sharing and collaboration within the general and business aviation, military/defense, commercial aviation, and OEM industries. The company has deployed solutions for multiple Fortune 100 companies, supporting more than 75,000 aircraft maintenance professionals worldwide. As a global company, ATP has more than 7,500 customers in 137 countries, with nearly 50 years of experience in the information services and software industries.
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DIRECTORY
Aviation InterTec Services
The Boeing Company
CloudCARDS
Comply365
W: www.aviationintertec.com T: +1 807-625-9260 E: info@aviationintertec.com
W: www.boeing.com/supportandservices T: +1 206-655-2121 E: BoeingSupportandServices@Boeing.com
W: www.cloudcards.ie T: +353 (0) 61748767 E: sales@cloudcards.ie
W: www.comply365.com T: +1 (877) 366 2365 E: info@comply365.com
Locations: Canada, Malta
Location: Over 65 locations around the world
Location: Limerick, Ireland
Location: USA
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • RAAS
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Airplane Health Management • Business Consulting • Maintenance Performance Toolbox • Optimized Maintenance Program
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • CARDS (Civil Aviation Remote Delivery System) • AMS (Asset Management System)
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • ProAuthor (XML-Based Authoring Solution) • Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) • Digital Briefing • Document & Communication Manager • Training Solution (LMS Learning Manager)
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Production Planning and Management • Inventory and Procurement • Inspection Document Management • Reliabiliity and Performance Analysis • Financial and Flight Operations Integration RAAS is an MRO and CAMO software system designed to meet the needs of mid-tier commercial fleet operators. Enabling modern, high-efficiency workflows in a powerful and straightforward package, RAAS is the best fit for midsize fleets and user groups. Scalable, intelligent and 100% browser-based, RAAS includes efficiency-creating features such as automated real time airframe time updating and exchange of aircraft next due items, electronic technical dispatch, MPD/MRB driven program management and check package creation, purchase order e-approval and e-signature, integration with finance/accounting for payables or inventory value management, and of course approved paperless and e-signature maintenance processes from the hangar floor to the cockpit. RAAS customers enjoy the benefits of a widely accessible and easy-to-use inventory management and maintenance support system that through continued use is able to reduce maintenance costs by increasing maintenance procedure efficiency, reducing held inventory, providing proof of quality for inspection escalations, and by directly reducing clerical manpower requirements. The quick deployment, ease of support, and low TCO inherent in cross-platform browserbased information systems coupled with high levels of integration, easy-to-use user interfaces, and many automated reporting and data analysis features make RAAS a leader in its field.
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KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Technical Content Management • Vehicle Health Mana gement • Maintenance Optimization Consulting Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. Boeing Support and Services combines airplane design and manufacturing expertise with unique access to fleet-wide operational data to offer optimization solutions. With these offerings, Boeing addresses the evolving need for integration and optimization of data and information across the aviation ecosystem to empower smart decision-making. The portfolio includes services and solutions for flight operations, maintenance & engineering and procurement organizations to optimize the operational efficiency of airplanes and operations. Boeing has more than 250 customers for its optimization solutions. The portfolio draws on solutions from a family of Boeing companies: AerData, Inventory Locator Services and Jeppesen, serving operators of Boeing and non-Boeing airplanes.
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Aircraft Asset Management • Aircraft Delivery and Re-delivery Management • Aircraft Annual Inspection Management • Aircraft Project Management • Aircraft Technical Services CloudCARDS Ltd. an aircraft delivery and asset management software provider, formed in Ireland April 2013, has an experienced team of aviation experts working together to seamlessly deliver its exceptional software products to both Airlines and Leasing Companies around the globe. The long-term objective in CloudCARDS Ltd. is to dramatically reduce the cost of aircraft asset management and improve the oversight the owner and operator has on the asset. CARDS® — Civil Aircraft Remote Delivery System is a software platform designed to financially manage the asset and fully project manage the technical review, aircraft physical & records audit. AMS — Asset Management System is designed to manage the day-to-day management of the asset including utilization, maintenance reserves, alerts, forecasting, invoicing and reporting. All CloudCARDS Ltd. products are securely built using the latest cloud based technology. After all, your aircraft operate in the clouds, so why not manage them there too?
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 62
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • XML-Based Authoring Solution (ProAuthor) • Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) • Digital Briefing Flight Release • Document Mgmt. and Distribution Platform • Targeted Distribution w/ Compliance Tracking Comply365 delivers secure, cloud-based solutions, focusing on Authoring, EFB and Digital Briefing Solutions, as well as Targeted Distribution of Mobile Manuals. The Authoring Solution, features ProAuthor: the aviation industry’s first and only XML-based solution for authoring, revising and distributing publications. Comply365’s proven Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solution lets crews access mission-critical information throughout each phase of flight. Digital Briefing helps turn planes faster for more on-time departures with instant feedback to dispatchers when the flight crew accepts a release and signs Fit for Duty. Comply365’s full-featured Document Management and Targeted Distribution Platform boosts productivity by delivering any type of manual or document directly to any mobile device or stationary workstation.
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DIRECTORY
Communications Software (Airline Systems)
Conduce
W: www.oases.aero T: +44 1621 817 425 E: info@oases.aero
W: www.conduce.net T: +44 333 888 4044 E: info@conduce.net
Location: UK
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • OASES Modules • OASES Mobile • OASES Techlog • OASES Cloud • OASES Web KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Continuing Airworthiness • Material, Warranty & Commercial Management • Planning & Production • Line Maintenane • Complete MRO workflows Commsoft’s Open Aviation Strategic Engineering System (OASES) is the all-in-one software for airworthiness maintenance control, meeting strict regulatory requirements. It enables airlines, fixed wing and rotary operators, MROs, and CAMOs to increase efficiencies in the management and monitoring of every procedure or intervention.
CrossConsense
EmpowerMX
W: www.crossconsense.com T: +49 69 4035 7600 E: contact@crossconsense.de
W: www.empowermx.com T: +1 866-498-3702 E: info@empowermx.com
Location: Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Location: Frankfurt Germany; Heusenstamm Germany
Location: Frisco TX, USA
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • eTechLog8 • eCabinLog8 • eTraining8 • eCentral8
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Aicraft Fleet View • ACSIS
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • FleetCycle® Execution Suite — MRO Manager (FCXM)
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Support • Consulting • Business Intelligence solutions • App and dashboard development
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • FleetCycle® Execution Suite: Production Manager (FXPM), MRO Manager (FCXM) and Line Manager (FCXL) • Maintenance Program Manager (FCMPM), Planning Manager (FCPM), Reliability Manager (FCRM), Material Manager (FCMM), and Maintenance Intelligence (FCMI), Electronic LogBook (FCELB) • Coming Soon: FleetCycle® Executive Suite — Shop Manager (FCXS))
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Electronic Tech Log • Cabin Log • Document Viewer Conduce specializes in producing mobile applications for the aviation industry, writing native Win8/10 and IOS tablet “Touch” solutions and integrating these with responsive modern connected websites. The current flagship product eTechLog8 enables an airline to eliminate the traditional paper based tech log/cabin log and deferred defect books and is currently in differing stages of contract, trial & acceptance with various airlines. Several NAA’s are also now involved with respect to monitoring these projects, enabling the necessary approval for the eventual roll out of paperless tech log systems with multiple EASA approved airline fleets.
OASES is used by 130 aviation organisations — national carriers, large third-party maintenance providers, and independent operators — and supported in 55 countries across 6 continents. Commsoft is an MIT group company, part of the Valsoft Corporation portfolio.
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CrossConsense’s portfolio stretches from AMOS Support, BI-Management, Data Migration and Hosting to the products Aircraft Fleet View (progressive web app for up-to-date fleet status) and ACSIS (tool for predictive maintenance). AMOS Support: CrossConsense has a long tradition in providing support for AMOS with one single point of contact for 1st and 2nd level. CrossConsense realizes well-planned and perfectly organized data migration projects for airline customers; plus offers Reporting and Business Intelligence Analytics for AMOS customers. Aircraft Fleet View is a user-friendly Progressive Web App (PWA) developed by CrossConsense that gives you an always up-to-date view on your airline’s fleet status. It indicates AOGs, delays and other important information. It provides the right level of detail to be useful but not crowded with information. ACSIS is a powerful software tool developed to assist any airline, aircraft operator, MRO facility and OEM to avoid AOGs, delays and turnbacks, as well as improve aircraft utilization, and enhance safety. ACSIS integrates with any MRO / M&E Software solution to deliver better insights into aircraft health and potential future problems to be dealt with during scheduled maintenance.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 63
EmpowerMX is an aviation industry-recognized software development/consulting-services business. We are purely focused on empowering our customers with the ability to decrease the costs of making air travel safer by equipping their decision makers with reliable, real-time/globally available intelligence for minimizing maintenance turn times/ OpEx while maximizing airworthiness/profits. FCXM allows MROs, airlines, and lessors to effectively control the entire maintenance lifecycle or only the portions for which they are responsible. Airlines can jointly manage their outsourced and insourced activites like engineering reliability, QA and maintenance programs at the line, heavy and shop levels with an expected reduction in cycle times and increase in labor productivity on the magnitude of 16-30 percent. Third-party MROs can run their entire operation from bidding through contracting to invoicing.
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DIRECTORY
eTT Aviation
EXSYN Aviation Solutions
Flatirons Solutions
Gamit
W: www.ettaviation.com T: +1 208-424-9424 E: info@ettaviation.com
W: www.exsyn.com T: 0031-20-760 8200 E: hello@exsyn.com
W: www.flatironssolutions.com T: +1.303.627.6535 E: info@flatironssolutions.com
W: www.gamit.co.uk T: +44 1279 818800 E: roam@gamit.co.uk
Locations: Boise, ID, USA
Location: Amsterdam
Locations: Europe, Asia, USA, Middle East
Location: London UK (HQ), Basel Switzerland, Beirut Lebanon
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • MISA: Complete Aviation Management Information System
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Avilytics, TITAN
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED CORENA Suite
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Accounting • Maintenance • Inventory Management • Purchasing • Human Resources/Payroll
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Aviation Analytics solution • Aircraft Reliability Management solution • Predictive Maintenance solution • Robotic Process Automation • Data Migration • Consulting Service
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Content Management System (CMS) • Interactive Electronic Technical Publisher (IETP) • Maintenance & Engineering • Flight Operations • Tablet Solutions & Mobility
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • ROAM — Online digital airworthiness records archive and records complance manager. • RDOC — ROAM Document OCR & Classification engine, through the use of configurable algorythems RDOC can recorgnise your documents easily, accuratly and fast.
The Management Information System for Aviation (MISA), is a fully integrated, and expertly supported product that provides extensive tools for an aviation company to manage all aspects of their business, including accounting, maintenance, inventory management, purchasing, flight operations, employee training, human resources, payroll, labor collection, government contracting, and flight school management.
EXSYN Aviation Solutions is specialized in the field of aircraft data, analytics & processing and provides user-friendly and innovative aviation IT solutions for aircraft reliability management and predictive maintenance. Also offered are data processing and managed services for data migration, interface design and software implementation management. They also build customized solutions and software tools if off-the-shelf products do not meet a customer’s needs.
It is a common practice for aviation companies to use multiple applications to manage their operations. Often, such applications have limited interfaces necessitating duplicate data entry — a recipe for inducing errors and decreasing efficiency. And even when interfaces exist, they can be difficult to manage and require resources to build, maintain, and support them.
Avilytics is EXSYN’s Predictive Maintenance, Aircraft Reliability, and Engineering & Maintenance KPI Solution, reducing AOG’s through informed decision making to prevent delays, cancellations and save costs.
Flatirons provides consulting, technology, and outsourcing for content lifecycle management (CLM). For more than 20 years, we have served global Fortune 1000 customers in aerospace, automotive, electronics, financial services, government, healthcare, and publishing. Our customer engagements help organizations efficiently deliver the right information, at the right time, to the right people by leveraging structured content and digital media — Turning Content into Knowledge®. The CORENA Suite by Flatirons is the leading content lifecycle management (CLM) solution developed specifically for organizations that rely on missioncritical data to design, manufacture, operate, or maintain complex assets over their product and service lifecycles as well as across multi-echelon business networks. For more than 25 years, the world’s leading airlines, aerospace manufacturers, OEMs, and defense organizations have relied on the CORENA product suite to create, manage, and deliver large volumes of technical information throughout its lifecycle. Today, CORENA customers rely on the CORENA suite to modernize their IT infrastructures, improve customer satisfaction, and maintain their competitive advantage.
MISA provides the solution for these issues by standardizing, streamlining, and integrating business processes across all the various departments and functional areas within the company; and this integration improves the bottom line while providing employees a user-friendly and consistent application experience across the whole organization and access to real-time, comprehensive, and relevant information from a single system rather than from disparate sources. MISA boasts impressive customer loyalty as evidenced by a number of aviation companies who have used MISA as their ERP system for more than two decades.
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TITAN is a source independent data processing solution for data migration purposes during an MRO software implementation and for aircraft phase-in & phase-out. Because of its unique technological framework TITAN eliminates most human intervention during migration of aircraft airworthiness & maintenance data and allows repetitive usage to directly migrate fleets between MRO software systems.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 64
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Airworthiness records archive • Status Builder • Document Indexing • Communication module • Outsourcing Gamit was founded in 1990 to provide technical support for operators, MRO’s and leasing companies, including on spare parts, technical support, records auditing, on site representation, and technical consultancy. Through years of experience, Gamit developed ROAM, airworthiness records management solution and an online enterprise solution that is more than scanning a document into a PDF and storing on the company server. It uses advanced technologies to deliver an aviation specific document management solution. ROAM is highly scalable making it beneficial for an engineering team looking after 5 or 500 aircraft. One of the key benefits is allowing users to have full access to an entire library of records from birth, online. This means its users can simply navigate and identify key documents and prepare an aircraft for sale, lease or lease redelivery. The user can package up records quickly and easily, either themselves, or outsourcing the task to the ROAM support team.
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DIRECTORY
IDMR Solutions
IFS
Jetraxx
W: www.IDMR-Solutions.com T: +1-347-565-4367 E: sales@IDMR-Solutions.com
W: www.ifs.com T: + 613-576-2480 E: AndInfo@ifsworld.com
W: www.jetraxx.com T: +1 (214) 214 5180 E: info@jetraxx.com
Location: New York/Tel Aviv
Locations: 60+ Worldwide
Location: Dallas, Texas
Location: Germany, Switzerland, USA
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • InForm
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • IFS Cloud, IFS Maintenix
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Technical Publication • Engineering Orders • Task Cards • Planning • Maintenance Programs
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Fleet and Asset Management • Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (incl line, heavy, complex assembly, component repair) • 3rd-party MRO bidding, quoting, invoicing, product lifecycle management, enterprise operational intelligence
NAME OF PRODUCTS MARKETED Asset Management and MRO Management Number of Modules: 4
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • DocManage Product Suite, DocSurf Mobile, EFFOM, DocCreate
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Engine Asset Management • Digital Lease Return • Lease Return Project Management • Digital MRO • Document Management/Repository
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • IT Solutions and Process • Consulting for MRO • Electronic Flight Operation Manuals • Airline Job Card Content Management • Predictive Analytics and Maintenance • RFID
IDMR is a global provider of easy to use and all encompassing Technical Documentation Management Solutions which have been designed exclusively for Fleet operators, MRO providers and OEM organizations. IDMR’s Technical Documentation Management Solutions have proven success in increasing operational performance and decreasing operational cost while ensuring airworthiness, safety and regulatory compliance.
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IFS is a globally recognized provider of software solutions for global aerospace & defense (A&D), including airlines and fleet operators, A&D manufacturers, defense in-service support and independent MROs. IFS’s solutions support project and program-centric manufacturing; a complete spectrum of maintenance management capabilities for sea, land and air assets, from heavy, complex, and component MRO, to line maintenance or at-platform/asset support; as well as all types of procurement models. IFS’s innovative enterprise solutions are designed for the regulated A&D industry and markets where manufacturing, MRO, project and service functionality are business- and operationally-critical whilst also supporting global, core enterprise capabilities for managing finance, inventory and human resources. With flexible, modular and enterprise breadth, IFS solutions empower A&D organizations to quickly adapt and manage change whilst delivering bottom-line value, increasing efficiencies and cost savings, and safeguarding compliance. IFS customers include BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, SAAB, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney, HAL, Emirates, LATAM, Qantas, China Airlines, Air France-KLM, and Southwest Airlines.
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Maximize the value of your aviation assets by simplifying and automating asset management. For both MROs and Engine lessors, Jetraxx’s asset management solutions simplify compliance, standardize data, and streamline processes, with up-to-the-minute views into your entire portfolio anytime, anywhere. Record keeping for aviation assets has long been time-consuming, cumbersome, and inconsistent. Lease returns were stressful for everyone involved, with disagreements about documentation and responsibilities lengthening the process. Whether you are managing a single asset or a fleet, Jetraxx can simplify and streamline all aspects of records management — saving you both time and money. Jetraxx is your behind-the-scenes partner, providing technical records assistance and portal-based records management, customized with your brand’s look and feel. With customizable workflows and auto-generated data packs, Jetraxx’s cloud-based, proprietary records management system automates document acceptance, approval, and rejection to ensure data integrity and compliance with your process. MROs can benefit from Jextraxx’s proven digital work order management system, which eliminates burdensome paper handling, automates workflows, and provides real-time updates to clients. The streamlined system is convenient for clients and ensures clear communication from the outset.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 65
Lufthansa Industry Solutions
W: www.lufthansa-industry-solutions.com T: +49 40 5070 30000 E: marketing.sales@lhind.dlh.de
Lufthansa Industry Solutions is an IT service company for process consulting and system integration. This wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Group supports its customers with the digital transformation of their company. Its customer base includes both companies within Lufthansa Group as well as more than 150 companies in various other industries. The products EFOM and DocSurf Mobile were developed together with Lufthansa Airlines based on 15 years of common experience and excellence in electronic flight operations manuals and processes to fulfill both current and future requirements. EFOM — A manufacturer independent Content Management System. Functionally mature and based on 17 years of experience, EFOM makes it possible to fulfill FlightOps requirements, e.g. expandable for new publishing backends; flexible to integrate new documents; open for customized enhancements or to integrate business processes such as Compliance Management. DocSurf Mobile — A Library Viewer for MRO and FlightsOps documents is available as a native iOS app or Windows application. The revision service allows change lists to be checked and content to be compared with a previous version. Navigation is intuitive and includes a fast and easy search. A user independent management of favorites and notes is provided, keeping this information revision safe and available.
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DIRECTORY
MRX Systems
NVable
QOCO Systems
Ramco Systems
W: www.mrxsys.com E: contact@mrxsys.com
W: www.nvable.com T: +44 141 280 0050 E: contact@nvable.com
W: www.qoco.aero T: +358 10 501 4001 E: hello@qoco.aero
W: www.ramco.com/aviation-suite/ T: +91 44 2235 4510 E: contact@ramco.com
Location: Glasgow, UK
Location: Finland
Location: 21 offices worldwide
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Blue EYE, Blue MRO, Blue STOK
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • ConNVerge for Aviation
NAME OF PRODUCTS MARKETED MROTools.io, EngineData.io, OpsMetrics.io
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Quotation & Invoicing • Project Management & Reporting • Work Report Automatic Generation • eJobCard iPad App • Supply Chain Management
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Electronic Techlog • Electronic Forms (Assessments) • Document Management • Operational Analysis • Station Operational Compliance
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Intelligent maintenance • Data management and integrations • Lean operations • Process consulting • SaaS solutions
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Ramco Aviation M&E Solution, Ramco Aviation MRO Solution, Ramco Anywhere Apps, Ramco flyMORE
The MRX Systems software solution is a fully-integrated digital platform enabling aviation professionals to access real-time data and take control over their fleet and their operations.
The concept behind our CoNVerge platform is simple. We believe that businesses should have the flexibility to easily innovate and add new applications to their toolbox, without being stifled by legacy technology or a single technology brand.
QOCO Systems Ltd helps the aviation industry to succeed in the changing world by creating new ways to work, to communicate, and to utilize data, having been a trusted partner of airlines, MROs, and aircraft OEMs for over ten years.
CoNVerge is all about minimising risk, fuss and capital costs and maximising efficiency. Provided as a service, it combines a hosted environment and web portal with mobile applications and data interfaces to virtually any system.
QOCO Systems’ solutions provide significant improvements to the industry’s complex processes. They enable our customers to achieve more by doing less and to realize time-savings in labour-intensive tasks. They also bring visibility to customers’ operations to support decision-making based on real-time information.
Location: Luxembourg/Monaco
Thanks to more than 10 years of customer feedback and perpetual development, MRX Systems brings a complete, secure and scalable solution to challenges faced by operators, CAMOs and MROs. The system is divided into three modules, each of them designed to meet the specific operational needs of their users. Blue MRO — designed for MRO management, this module enables you to digitalize maintenance process from issuing quotations, assigning jobs to technicians, reporting repairs and findings until compiling all related paperwork into one exhaustive and automatically-generated full work report. Multi-User, 100% paperless, always up-to-date, and Cloud based, all data is accessible at any time worldwide enhancing operation and maintenance efficiency
The platform is easily integrated into your existing business systems and brings together the best tools to handle data acquisition and data analysis — all on scalable infrastructure. Best of all, we even take the day-to-day management off your hands. Our CoNVerge platform is blazing a trail in the aviation sector. In a hi-tech industry, where the stakes are even higher, long-standing clients such as British Airways Cityflyer know they can rely on NVable and our custom-designed software to make things simple, safer, more secure and streamlined. We provide airlines with technology solutions that reduce effort, improve processes and produce useful information, with one simple goal — to change things for the better. Bring everything together and do IT better when you bring onboard CoNVerge and NVable.
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Solutions offered include the following SaaS solutions: MROTools.io for tool management in aircraft maintenance, EngineData.io for intelligent integrations between collaborating players in aviation, and OpsMetrics.io for fully transparent collaborative decision making. QOCO also provides a wide range of consulting services for customers’ unique needs in the areas of digitalization, process improvement, data analytics, and more. All this is realized by the business’s team of professionals with expertise in aviation and software development. Agility and customer-centricity is built into QOCO’s way of working, which allows them to quickly and cost-efficiently deliver solutions that fulfill the customer’s real needs.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 66
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Maintenance & Engineering • Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul • Mobility Solutions Ramco Systems offers Aviation Maintenance solutions on premise and on cloud, with multi-tenant capability and nextgen mobility for Airlines, Heli-Operators, MROs and Charter operations. Its comprehensive scope spans the spectrum of organizational needs, including Finance, HCM, Manufacturing, Planning and Optimization, in one integrated platform. Ramco Aviation’s latest Next-Gen digital technologies include: Mobility Solutions: Ramco’s next-gen mobility solutions for maintenance operations are available through an app ecosystem wherein everybody involved can seamlessly execute critical operations on the go, from anywhere, anytime; The BOTS Revolution: Ramco intelligent CHATBOTS deliver parts data, manage AOGs, and perform daily admin tasks for a more personalized and immersive ERP experience; HyperConnected Ecosystem: B2B integrations with AeroXchange, Gains, Logistics providers and OEMs bringing Suppliers, Customers and Logistics providers together on ONE platform Ramco Series 5 reduces Turn Around Time (TAT) while increasing operational performance and compliance through user-friendly interfaces. Ramco has always been an innovator in maintenance IT — enabling clients to focus more on business-critical activities, while the solution processes transactions and decision support, based on intelligent rules. Powering 4000+ aircraft and 21,000+ end-users, Ramco is used by more than 75 operators world-wide.
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DIRECTORY
AIRCRAFT IT ReMAP
ROTA.technology Inc.
Rusada
W: https://h2020-remap.eu/ T: +351 239 700 997 E: mferreira@ipn.pt
W: rota.technology T: +1 321 710 7682(ROTA) E: info@rota.technology
W: www.rusada.com T: 03333 440730 E: information@rusada.com
Location: Netherlands, Spain, France, Portugal, Switzerland, Ireland, Greece
Location: Melbourne, FL USA and global
Location: Switzerland, USA, UK, UAE, India, Singapore, Australia
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Aircraft maintenance • Condition-Based Maintenance • Integrated Fleet Health Management • Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) • Prognostics Health Management (PHM)
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Consulting, MXF Software, PDS(Process Development System) and custom applications
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Envision
ReMAP (Real-time Condition-based Maintenance for Adaptative Aircraft Maintenance Planning) will contribute to reinforce the European leadership in aeronautics by developing an open-source solution for aircraft maintenance, the Integrated Fleet Health Management (IFHM) system. By replacing fixed-interval inspections with adaptive conditionbased interventions, ReMAP will have an estimated benefit to European aviation of more than 700 million Euros per year. This is due to a direct decrease in maintenance costs, reduced unscheduled aircraft maintenance events, and increased aircraft availability.
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • MRO IT Software Implementations • MRO IT Software Upgrades • MRO IT Software Support/Managed Services • MX Long Range Planning • MRO IT Custom Software Development With MRO systems projects and support spanning both the military and commercial markets ROTA brings proven experience to all sides of aviation. Our team has been embedded for years in the business functions we support. In both military and commercial. Specializing in system implementations and upgrades ROTA brings deep knowledge of aviation business processes, integrated into custom built software, to provide not only all testing documentation but also leave customers with a full manual of SOPs moving forward. Aside from upgrades ROTA has completed a number of data projects from cleaning up aircraft configuration to system security overhauls. After these upgrades or projects, training and ongoing admin support can be provided for any MRO IT needs.
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Fleet Management • Base Maintenance • Line Maintenance • Flight Operations • Materials Management Rusada develops ENVISION - an industry leading MRO and Flight Operations solution. With over 100 customers worldwide and a combined fleet of 2,000 fixed wing and rotary aircraft, ENVISION is used by aircraft operators and MRO’s to successfully manage their operations. The latest version of ENVISION is web-based and deviceagnostic with an intuitive and user-friendly interface. Modules, which can be purchased individually or as part of an integrated solution, include: Fleet Management, Base Management, Line Maintenance, Component Maintenance, Materials Management, Financial Management, Resource Management, Quality & Safety Management and Flight Operations.
Operations
Webinars eJournals Software Conferences News Advisory Unit Want to be involved? Simply email scott.leslie@aircraftit.com for more information
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 67
www.aircraftIT.com
DIRECTORY
Seabury Solutions
Swiss Aviation Software
TRAX
TrustFlight
W: www.seaburysolutions.com T: +353 60 621 311 E: mkt@seaburysolutions.com
W: www.swiss-as.com T: +41 61 582 72 94 E: marketing@swiss-as.com
W: www.trax.aero T: +1 305.662.7400 E: sales@trax.aero
W: www.trustflight.io T: 44 (0) 330 229 0219 E: info@trustflight.io
Locations: Ireland, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Germany, Kenya, Korea, Netherlands, Philippines, and the USA
Location: Basel, Switzerland; Miami, FL, USA; Singapore
Location: Miami, FL, USA; West Sussex, UK; Tokyo, Japan; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Location: Leamington Spa, UK; Edinburgh, UK; Luton, UK; St Helier, Jersey
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Alkym, EPAS, eAuthority
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • AMOS
NAME OF PRODUCTS MARKETED
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Technical Operations • CAMO • MRO • Performance Analytics • Regulator Applications
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Material Management • Engineering • Planning • Production • Maintenance Control
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Tech Log, Task Cards • Digital Logbook • CAMO (service) • Aircraft Registry (service)
Seabury Solutions is a leading global aviation software development and consultancy company. It was established in 2002 and forms part of the Seabury Capital. Seabury Solutions has built its reputation in the market by delivering industry leading aviation IT solutions catering for some of the largest airlines across the world, down to the smallest operators. We have built upon decades’ of aviation expertise in-house, to leverage this knowledge into a suite of products, that enhance the decision making process for Airlines, Regulators and MROs.
Swiss AviationSoftware unites over 30 years of IT experience with profound MRO expertise and offers its customers the functionally unsurpassed and technologically state-of-theart maintenance system AMOS. AMOS is a comprehensive, fully-integrated software package that successfully manages the maintenance, engineering and logistics requirements of modern airlines and MRO providers by fulfilling demanding airworthiness standards. Today, more than 180 customers worldwide steer their maintenance activities with AMOS, which makes AMOS one of the industry-leading MRO software systems worldwide.
With a truly global reach, the network of offices are located in Argentina Australia, Canada, Germany Ireland, Kenya, Korea, Netherlands, Philippines, and the USA. Our integrated aviation software range from Maintenance Systems for Airlines & MROs, Safety Management Software for Aviation Authorities and a range of performance analysis tools within the Enterprise Performance Analysis System (EPAS) Suite. The suite includes modules for Route Profitability, Maintenance Performance, Contract & Invoice Verification Budget Planning, Fuel Planning and Distribution Channel Performance.
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• eMRO • eMobility KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Engineering & Planning • Production & Shop • Technical Records & Reliability • TRAXDoc Document Control • Supply Chain Management • E-enabled Aircraft Capabilities • Aircraft Mobility apps • Maintenance Mobility apps • Paperless Maintenance • Warehouse Mobility apps TRAX is the global leader in the aviation industry for MRO ERP software, with over 200 airlines and MROs using their products. TRAX has the most advanced maintenance software solutions available for airlines and MROs worldwide with fleets consisting of all types of aircraft. TRAX eMRO is a completely integrated product, in addition, the eMobility suite offers a range of iOS apps to provide mobile accessibility. Organizational efficiency gains can be substantial when using TRAX eMRO and eMobility, and ROI is quickly realized. TRAX maintains its advantage over the competition by developing software that works for customers through modern technology, world class support and strong customer relationships.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 68
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Aircraft log books • Aircraft maintenance task cards • Digital and paperless working • CAMO support • Aircraft Registry support From inception, TrustFlight has been ingrained in the aviation industry. Founded by two commercial pilots with a proven track record at the intersection of technology and business, the business has grown considerably and with stability, having recently celebrated the opening of a fourth office. Throughout, TrustFlight gained an incredible team with backgrounds spanning different areas of aviation and technology, ensuring a solid presence in the industry. Now offering a range of products and services within the sector, TrustFlight helps to remove costly paperwork and associated errors, preserve aircraft value, and increase efficiency and safety in aircraft operations. Five values shape TrustFlight’s culture, guide the business’s work and the way it grows. Integrity Transparent and open: offering trust to partners and assuming it from them. Responsibility Owning the work they do and taking responsibilty for it: striving to make it the best possible. Leadership Leading from within: providing support for the team to do incredible work and drive the industry forwards. Innovation Products are crafted for the future needs of the industry, going beyond what exists in the market. Excellence Every one of TrustFlight’s values contributes towards the excellence in their products.
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DIRECTORY
AIRCRAFT IT Ultramain
Vistair Systems
Yonder
W: www.ultramain.com T: +1.505.828.9000 E: sales@ultramain.com
W: www.vistair.com T: 01454 550663 E: info@vistair.com
W: www.yonder.info T: +41 43 215 27 94 E: contact@yonder.info
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Location: United Kingdom
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • ULTRAMAIN® v9™ M&E / MRO • ULTRAMAIN Mobile Mechanic™ • ULTRAMAIN Mobile Inventory™ • ULTRAMAIN ELB™ • ULTRAMAIN M&E / MRO: 31 modules including: Configuration Management; Line/Base Mx Planning; Line/ Base Mx Scheduling; GATe; Quality Assurance; Asset Management
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • DocuNet, CrewNet, SafetyNet, QualityNet, RiskNet
NAME OF PRODUCT MARKETED • Yonder Mind
KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Maintenance & Engineering • MRO • Military Maintenance • Maintenance Planning & Scheduling • Paperless Customer Care on Mobile Devices • Electronic Technical Logbook Ultramain Systems, Inc. develops M&E / MRO and ELB software for the aviation industry and is the only aviation software provider with customers running full, end-to-end paperless operations from the cockpit to the ground. ULTRAMAIN v9, featuring Mobile Mechanic and Mobile Inventory enables real-time paperless data collection for the full maintenance and inventory process. Combine ULTRAMAIN v9 with ULTRAMAIN ELB, the easy-to-use electronic logbook, and the entire maintenance process becomes paperless. Contact us to learn what you need to equip your organization with customer mobile devices and see why elite aviation customers around the world are choosing ULTRAMAIN to reduce costs and increase aircraft up time.
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KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Aviation Document Management Solution • Aviation Safety Management Software • Aviation Quality Management Solution • Crew Notices and Bulletins Software Vistair provides document, safety and quality management technology solutions to support the delivery of improved safety, compliance, and operational efficiency that results in significant commercial savings to airline organisations. Combining technology, development delivery, Vistair’s solutions provide both airlines and ground operations with an approach that helps demonstrate a clear link between increased reporting and a change in procedures and behaviours, to drive a safer organization Document Management: DocuNet™ is a powerful document management and distribution solution, capable of delivering a complete operational library of all mission-critical content across multiple platforms and fleets. It provides a process for airlines to control the intellectual content of manuals, handling processes relating to data, publication and delivery, enabling airlines to focus on core business operations. Safety/Quality Management: SafetyNet™ is an aviation reporting system and investigation solution that drives real change in the management of safety-related occurrences. It is currently deployed by a number of global airlines including Delta and also counts the military among its user base. Complementing this is RiskNet™ an advanced, change and aviation risk management solution that provides hazard identification. Integrating with both, QualityNet™ is a comprehensive aviation compliance software that enables Quality Managers to manage audit schedules, checklists and non-compliances through an intuitive interface. Yonder
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KEY BUSINESS/SOFTWARE AREAS • Content Management System • Workflow-based Content Distribution • Compliance Tracking • Content-based Learning Stay in control of your content and bring reliable, rolespecific information to frontline employees — with one fully customizable content management solution. Yonder Mind is an easy-to-use content management solution designed specifically for controlled information like operation manuals, guidelines, rules, or regulations. Our unique approach allows users to work with dynamic content instead of static documents. Dynamic content will display the right information at the right time, depending on the user profile and on the context of use. A powerful search function further improves end-user satisfaction. Yonder Mind brings operational documentation and manufacturer manuals together in one solution. Pilots work with the easy to use YM Offline App and enjoy role-specific revision updates instead of having to go through hundreds of revised pages. Editors create and enhance content in the YM Editor while revisions become manageable again thanks to the fully integrated YM Workflow. Company guides (e.g. Winter Ops Guide) can be created without having to worry about duplicates anymore since information is only contained once in Yonder Mind. And never miss a change in regulation again thanks to our IQSMS Connector. We have over 15 years of experience with electronic documentation in aviation that we can leverage to our customers’ benefit. Our team has a diverse background ranging from a former EFB administrator for a large international airline to a long-haul captain knowing, from his own experience, what crews need.
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AIRCRAFT IT MRO • MAY-JUNE 2021 • 69
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