Transformation needs transformation

Allan Bachan VP, Managing Director, MRO Operations, ICF.

AConference — EMEA in Amsterdam, I am struck by how much this community seeks digital modernization and change yet how much we remain the same. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Let me explain.

There were dozens of software applications on display at the conference from vendors willing to show latest enhancements and product differentiators

Flight Operations functions including Publications and Content Management, Business Intelligence,

Yet, Digital Twins, Digital Threads and Digital Adoption support applications were not (as) evident as were the above transactional systems. In 2021 and 2022, my keynote at this Aircraft Commerce conference series focused on inheriting the digital thread, which is already very mature in the manufacturing space for aircraft and engines. This requires a different mindset, where data is the common denominator when transfers are taking place between and among the OEMs, operators, suppliers, regulators, owners or lessees, and MROs. However, transactions using documents are still prevalent. In other words, creation of data transactionally is still the norm rather than a philosophy of inheriting data. Please note that I am deliberately not saying that Blockchain is the answer because it means different things to different audiences in the context of this topic. Yet, data threads, digital twins, digital threads, blockchain etc. are not quite yet a common language in this community.

Similarly, in 2023 (and 2024), my keynote is/will be focused on the Center of Excellence (CoE) for IT in the operations space. Since 2019, we at ICF have acknowledged that more than 75% of the world’s airlines are using mature software applications which are still being developed and maintained by vendors. Therefore, the bigger issue is adoption of any in-situ technology where business processes are not enabled in an optimal manner. While the independent MRO community is still somewhat behind — most using homegrown applications — this adoption adage still applies. Especially now, where technical staff constraints exist across the aviation ecosystem and valuable institutional knowledge on using software applications has been lost. Here also, there is a marked absence of DAPs or Digital Adoption

Platforms. Of course, the idea of CoEs has to take hold before the need for a DAP may be realized. Specific to MRO IT, the management of aircraft and engines as assets through configuration control and maintenance programs are not grossly dissimilar to ITSM (IT service management). Over the past three to five years, we have seen applications like ServiceNow and Salesforce accelerating a larger presence in asset management and the operations arena. These are just two examples of Low-Code/No-Code (LCNC) platforms making software engineering simpler. LCNC platforms enable practically anyone to develop software without traditional coding. Such programming environments have great potential because they allow people to implement their ideas into digital solutions with limited or no software development skills. This essentially gives business users more flexibility and empowers them with creating faster solutions to meet their needs. They are known as citizen developers. Citizen developers have arisen for several reasons. One reason is that IT departments may take too long to develop a business app. Another reason is that IT developers do not have the requisite subject matter expertise to build the business app for a specific purpose. Interestingly more than 60% of airlines which already have mature MRO IT platforms also have ServiceNow, Salesforce and other LCNC applications, and yet LCNC platforms, conversations and approaches are also markedly absent from this community.

To conclude, while the search continues for optimal enablement of business functions with technology, we would collectively do better not to limit our spaces but rather to expand and acknowledge the changing landscape, inside out and outside in. We may be surprised at what we will find.

That’s how I see IT.

Allan Bachan

Allan is a Vice President at ICF with 34 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.