Aircraft IT MRO Summer 2011

ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

Piecing the IT jigsaw together

• EA: the beating heart of the business • MRO IT Project Management: keeping the plan How long did that take? capturing man-hours Measuring electrical load Using and keeping information with CMS White Papers: ICF • AeroSoft • EnvelopeAPN Case Studies: Lufthansa Technik Philippines • Marshall Aerospace

amos

a story of success – read more about the world-class m&e software system at swiss-as.com

“the best fit in terms of functionality, price and market standing,” states easyJet

“amos has clearly met the expectations as a full system for maintenance operations,” says finnish aircraft maintenance

“we assess amos as a top line product which is endeared and accepted as a fine tool by our users,” states air asia

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CONTENTS | 3

04 WELCOME TO AIRCRAFT IT MRO

A review of the first six weeks in operation and information on live online software demonstrations, private demonstrations, free expert advice, Industry Conferences, plus more.

06 LATEST NEWS & TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

Change is the real constant in life and that is particularly true for airlines, MRO and IT solutions. It’s very important to keep up with the latest developments so regularly check for the latest developments on www.aircraftit.com/MRO and here in the AircraftIT MRO e-journal.

Editor’s comment We’re already at the second issue of Aircraft IT MRO and it’ working well.

Perhaps it’s the thousands of executives who’ve already become subscribers to the Aircraft IT MRO e-journal. Maybe it’s the success of our first webinars, each attracting more than 60 airlines, aircraft operators and MRO businesses to discover more about the available solutions. Or possibly it’s the natural feeling of a great idea whose time has come. With the best ideas; you work hard to make them happen and then, when you do, everybody assumes they’ve always been around because, in our case, it seems so logical to offer White Papers and Case Studies drawn from the real experiences of people and organisations working in the business today. It seems right to package key news items into one space and to create a directory of MRO IT software. There’s real value in focusing on a major matter from more than one angle.

Take this issue. There are few business processes more complex than looking after commercial aircraft; everything impacts on everything and every action has to take into account the much larger picture, the wider ramifications.

Mike Denis from ICF SH&E and Wes Parfitt from EnvelopeAPM Inc. have given MRO processes a great deal of thought and their explanations of Enterprise Architecture and Project Management reflect real experience and considered reflection. In fact all of our contributors write, often, from the heart and always from the head.

Of course that’s not all and, as before, the information flow is not one way. Aircraft IT MRO draws value from the people who write the articles being the people who do the work, face the day to day and long term challenges, understand the real world of MRO. And you, the reader, can also contribute your views, experiences and questions through the interactive facility at the end of each article. You can participate in the convenient Webinars (see pages 22-23 for details) or ask your own questions through ‘Ask an Expert’. This is AircraftIT MRO for everything about MRO IT.

10 WHITE PAPER: LIFE IS DYNAMIC: BUSINESS MUST OPERATE DYNAMICALLY TOO

Enterprise Architecture is not simply something that IT adds to the business mix: it should be the architecture for success applied by all of the business across all functions.

It should also be a dynamic entity whose integrity relies on understanding the business rather relying on what happens in the outside world.

Michael Wm. Denis, Principal, ICF SH&E

16 CASE STUDY: CHALLENGES IN CAPTURING MAN-HOURS AND MATERIALS CONSUMED IN AIRFRAME CHECKS

Within the MRO process, accurate capture, recording and application of data for manhours worked plus materials consumed is critical to accurate cost control and charging.

When a third party MRO also has to handle aircraft and materials for several airlines of different types, the challenge becomes significant.

Dr. Roberto Asuncion, VP-IT, Lufthansa Technik Philippines

21 UPCOMING LIVE SOFTWARE DEMONSTRATION WEBINARS

A preview of the live MRO Software Demonstration Webinars from two leading MRO IT Vendors: Enigma & Manage/m (Lufthansa Technik)

24 WHITE PAPER: AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: CMS

The development of digital technology and solutions for MRO purposes has not been a simple matter and there have been a number of different methods chosen by vendors and users along the way, including some that have failed or been superseded: a user has to try to select what will be correct today… and tomorrow Thanos Kaponeridis, President & CEO, AeroSoft Systems

30 CASE STUDY: POWER PLAY AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF EQUIPMENT UPGRADES AND OVERHAULS

While aircraft are upgraded at various times, one element of an upgrade, the impact of new electrical loads generated by additions and modifications, has sometimes been difficult to assess with any accuracy. Software has now been developed to simply calculate and clearly display that impact, including on a ‘what if’ basis Karl Jones, Head of Avionics & Technology Development, Marshall Aerospace Ltd.

36 WHITE PAPER: A DISCUSSION ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Implementing of any new software package will always throw up challenges. However, most situations can be dealt with in the normal course of the project as long as there is a sound project management plan in place which will also ensure that the project has clear objectives against which progress can be measured.

Wes Parfitt, CEO and Founder, EnvelopeAPM Inc.

42 MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY

A detailed look at the world’s leading MRO IT systems.

CLICK HERE: Send your feedback and suggestions to AircraftIT MRO CLICK HERE: Subscribe for free

46 NEXT ISSUE

What’s coming up in the next edition of Aircraft IT MRO

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 2011 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.

AircraftIT MRO

Publisher/Editor:

E-mail:

Telephone:

Website: Copy Editor/Contributor: Magazine Production:

E-mail:

Ed Haskey ed.haskey@aircraft-commerce.com +44 1403 230 700 or +44 1273 700 555 www.aircraftIT.com John Hancock Dean Cook deancook@magazineproduction.com

4 | WELCOME | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Welcome to AircraftIT MRO Where MRO people can learn about the latest MRO software packages and meet the people creating those solutions

E

verybody remembers their first time be it a parachute jump, speaking to an audience or holding their newborn baby: trepidation, a rush of emotion then euphoria when the thing has been successfully accomplished. Issue one of AircraftIT MRO embraced all of that but with no time to enjoy the euphoria before preparing for this second and, we believe, even better issue. It’s still your one-stop resource to review all the major systems available and share experiences. But there are so many different ways you can leverage our capabilities for your richer IT understanding.

We have been bowled over by the positive response with which people from hundreds of airlines and MROs have read, enjoyed and signed up as subscribers to this all new, electronic publication for today’s busy connected MRO executive. But don’t worry, there’s plenty of space for more subscribers; so, to be certain of securing your own desk top delivery of the very best in MRO software development, analysis and applications information, you need only click HERE to start receiving all the AircraftIT MRO services. And they really are great.

ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

Piecing the IT jigsaw together

• EA: the beating heart of the business • MRO IT Project Management: keeping the plan How long did that take? capturing man-hours Measuring electrical load Using and keeping information with CMS

White Papers: ICF • AeroSoft • EnvelopeAPN Case Studies: Lufthansa Technik Philippines • Marshall Aerospace

eJournal: Aircraft IT MRO

Aircraft IT MRO V1.2 June-July 2011.indd 1

We’ve harnessed expertise from industry insiders and IT users to deliver a comprehensive industry reference source.

Each eJournal includes white papers from leading industry experts and consultants, and case studies from real life IT users – airlines, MROs and aircraft operators.

The eJournal provides an ideal platform for the global exchange of ideas and expertise, and you the reader are invited to take part, using the interactive capability of this publication. At the end of each white paper and case study there will be the option to either ask the author a question or to contribute general feedback and start a discussion – look out for the interactive buttons.

The eJournal is published bi-monthly and is free to everyone, but to receive every issue you will need to register for a subscription:

INTERACTIVE

SIGN UP FOR FREE HERE

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE YOUR DETAILS FOR FREE SUBSCRIPTION. IT ONLY TAKE A FEW MOMENTS.

12/07/2011 09:04

Try our live online webinars to enjoy a presentation right on your own desktop of the latest and best software solutions addressing MRO challenges that you face every day: long standing realities of running a complex MRO facility and new market and regulatory driven issues that you absolutely must get right. Your business is too important to sit back on old technology.

One valuable feature is ‘private demonstrations’; one-to-one meetings with vendors of your choice anywhere in the world through the convenience of AircraftIT MRO portal’s platform. On the Home page, go to ‘Search MRO Software’ and select a vendor. Click ‘READ MORE…’ at the end of the copy and, on the full page, select ‘Request a Private Demo’ on the right. Book your private meeting with that vendor to discuss IT matters and MRO challenges important to your business.

Another really useful facility is ‘Ask an Expert’ accessed from the button at the foot of the Home Page and letting you communicate either with all of our panel experts on a particular topic or with a specific expert of your choice. AircraftIT MRO is here for you to use.

Software Search Engine

The AircraftIT MRO portal (www.aircraftIT.com) includes a powerful software search engine to help you learn more about IT vendors and the systems they supply. You can Search by vendor or drill down further and search by software or module type, using the Module search facility.

For instance, if you are looking for ‘Digital Documentation Management’ solutions or information, select the relevant module option and all the system providers will be shortlisted for you.

ASK THE EXPERT Leading industry consultants and experts are on hand at the AircraftIT MRO portal with informed and impartial advice in response to any questions you may have. As you know MRO IT can be a mine-field, a complex matrix of solutions and options: ‘Ask the Expert’ represents a fantastic opportunity to avoid common mistakes and ensure that an IT project runs smoothly by ‘picking the brains’ of a leading industry expert.

‘Ask the Expert’ works in a similar way to the software search engine, in that airlines, MROs and aircraft operators can search through a list of experts either by name or they can drill down and search for a particular area of expertise, for example: Software Selection or Project Management.

Once you have chosen an expert simply use the AircraftIT MRO portal to send your enquiry and let your expert assist you with the problem – visit www.aircraftIT.com for full details.

IT’S YOUR TOOL

AircraftIT MRO is designed to provide the aircraft MRO community with the high quality information needed to navigate the myriad IT systems available on the market and to support properly informed decisions on this business critical process for the industry. We therefore need your feedback to ensure that we have delivered all the information that you need. Is there anything extra you would like to see covered in AircraftIT MRO? Or is there more information you would like to tap into? Do you have a case study or white paper you would like to share with your colleagues? Get in touch with us by CLICKING HERE.

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WELCOME | 5

Live Online Software Demonstration Webinars

Every two weeks AircraftIT MRO portal hosts a live software demonstration webinar, each event delivered by a different vendor. These sessions offer the perfect opportunity to learn about a software solution in a more informal manner and to build a richer understanding of the major systems on the market: putting the best that’s out there in front of you.

The IT vendor presents a live software demonstration of their solution, explaining how it can benefit airlines, MROs and aircraft operators. Once logged on, online delegates can ask questions via the interactive white board or simply sit back and watch the demonstration. There are two sessions during the day, each differently timed to accommodate all time zones.

Details of the next two live software webinar sessions can be found on pages 21-23 and a full list can be viewed at the AircraftIT MRO portal (www.aircraftIT.com). It’s so easy to log into webinar sessions and they run on a straightforward to use webinar platform built specifically for the portal.

Latest News and Technology Updates

Let AircraftIT MRO Keep you up to date with the latest industry news and developments such as who has purchased what system and which IT vendors are offering updated or new solutions. The news stream is constantly updated on the portal and included every two months in the eJournal.

SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION Every part of AircraftIT MRO is free of charge; however, in order to receive the eJournal and take part in the live software demonstrations, leave feedback, etc. you will first have to register as a free member at AircraftIT. Please also forward this on to your colleagues. Sign up here for your free subscription to AircraftIT MRO – visit www.aircraftIT.com.

IT CONFERENCES/ EXHIBITIONS

AircraftIT is affiliated with Aircraft Commerce organizer of the world’s leading MRO IT Conferences. Over the past six years, Aircraft Commerce events have set the standards in the EMEA, Asia/Pacific and Americas zones, successfully bringing together IT Vendors with airlines and aircraft operators in those regions.

Each event offers delegates from airlines, MROs and aircraft operators a wonderful opportunity to review their entire service delivery IT platform in just two days and each event follows the same format: • A large exhibition area provides IT vendors with the ideal platform to demonstrate their software solutions while, at the same time, allowing airlines, MROs and aircraft operators the chance to try out all the major systems under the same roof over just two days.

• A conference agenda of keynote presentations, IT user case studies and interactive workshops ensure that delegates receive key information on the pressing issues and trends in this rapidly developing industry sector.

• Beyond the structured events, there are also outstanding opportunities for networking between delegates from airlines, MROs and operators to exchange ideas and share experiences.

Upcoming events: Airline & Aerospace MRO & Operations IT Conference – EMEA, 13th & 14th July 2011, Frankfurt, Germany. Airline & Aerospace MRO & Operations IT Conference – APAC, 18th & 19th October 2011, Singapore.

Click here for more information.

Want to keep up with IT developments?

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ISSUE 1 • APRIL/MAY 2011

ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

Piecing the IT Are you ready? jigsaw together

Selecting and implementing an MRO solution

True ERP software for airlines?

Joined-up thinking: Linking multiple solutions Fast MRO Implementation: the benefi ts MRO IT: mapping the future White Papers: SAKS Consulting • Conduce Consulting Case Studies: Gol Linhas Aereas • Kingfi sher Airlines • Sol Linhas Aereas Aircraft IT MRO V1.1 April-May 2011.indd

1

• EA: the beating heart of the business • MRO IT Project Management: keeping

How long did that take? capturing man-hours Measuring electrical load Using and keeping information with CMS White Papers: ICF • AeroSoft • EnvelopeAPN Case Studies: Lufthansa Technik Philippines Aircraft IT MRO V1.2 June-July 2011.indd 27/04/2011 13:06

the plan

• Marshall Aerospace

1 12/07/2011 09:04

6 | NEWS & TECHNOLOGY | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

New clients for TRAX

Dallas based Southwest Airlines (SWA) and TRAX USA Corp announced in April 2011 the selection of TRAX to provide a new ERP MRO solution for its fleet of 548 Boeing 737 aircraft.

“We need a solution that makes our Mechanics’ jobs easier, while at the same time enhances safety and culture,” said Brian Hirshman, Southwest’s VP M&E. The project will be implemented over a two year period and will allow Southwest to benefit from having information about their aircraft, inventory, and maintenance activities integrated into a single system, streamlining aircraft maintenance and inventory planning processes. In addition, by delivering an ERP MRO solution, SWA will realize a substantial yearly cost savings by retiring many existing applications.

Later, in June 2011, TRAX USA Corp. introduced Peach Aviation (a new low cost carrier partially owned by All Nippon Airways) and Air Iceland (a regional airline, part of Icelandair Group) as the newest additions to its user family. Both carriers have chosen TRAX Maintenance to manage their MRO operations.

Both Peach Aviation and Air Iceland will implement e4, the latest version of TRAX Maintenance. Comprised of over 20 modules, TRAX Maintenance will support both carriers in a number of ways. From material management and finance to technical records and reliability, the airlines will now have aircraft, inventory, and maintenance activity information integrated into a single system.

Swiss-AS and Heli-One sign contract for enterprise wide implementation of AMOS Swiss-AS (Swiss Aviation Software) announced Heli-One as the latest member of the AMOS customer base in June 2011.

Heli-One was looking for new MRO software to replace its legacy system which was no longer able to fulfill the global helicopter maintenance provider’s requirements. An intensive pre-sales phase was conducted which included presentations, discovery sessions, and workshops focused on assessing Heli-One’s requirements in reference to AMOS’ capabilities. The goals were achieved and Swiss-AS is now pleased to welcome the world’s largest independent helicopter MRO service provider into the AMOS community.

As the maintenance division of CHC Helicopter, Heli-One is the primary maintenance provider for CHC’s fleet of more than 250 helicopters operating in some 30 countries around the globe. This project requires an implementation process including the development of customizations, the training of approximately 2,000 AMOS users and the integration of additional major international operating units based in the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, Brazil and Australia.

Due to the organizational structure of CHC and its business units, Swiss-AS will introduce ‘Multi Company Management’ enabling each unit to use its own currency, ledger, average price and be able to purchase & sell parts or services to each other. Also some requirements at Heli-One, due to its business, will drive further developments in AMOS. Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | NEWS & TECHNOLOGY | 7

MTR goes live with the BFly® platform of 2MoRO

NWS signs up to Commsoft’s OASES System and Loganair goes live with new OASES Line Maintenance Control (LMC) module

MTR is the program management company responsible for the turboshaft engine MTR390-2C (Basic engine) and is jointly staffed by the partner companies who make up the business.

The MTR390 family is the sole engine power unit used in the Eurocopter Tiger application, variants of which are currently ordered by or in service with four customers in two continents.

MTR’s Munich office is the management center of the program, responsible for direction and coordination of all development, production and support activities for the MTR390 engine. The Customer Services Department of MTR chose the BFly® platform so as to provide adequate and efficient tools to the resources performing in the field support. Fifty users take advantage of Customer Support Management functionalities such as: • Management of contact reports; • Management of tasks; • Workflow management for Q&A; • Management of personalized alerts.

In two months to June 2011, MTR’s consultants managed the successful migration from the former MTR solution to the BFly® platform. 2MoRO Solutions team also provides annual support for MTR Customer Service Department.

Commsoft has signed a three year user agreement in which the OASES system will support NWS with the following services: • Reliability, Tech Logs and Defect Control; • Planning and Workpack Production; • Digital Documentation for workcard manual attachments; • Technical Records and Forecasting; • AD/SB Evaluation; • AMP Management; • Job Scheduler; • Inventory management and RFQ. Nick Godwin, Business Development Director at Commsoft, commented: “We look forward to [working] with the new team at NWS as it extends its expertise to new markets. As part of this agreement NWS will be joining our network of partners, supporting Commsoft with implementations and training to future new customers.”

Also in May, Commsoft announced that Scottish airline Loganair had gone fully live with a new OASES Line Maintenance Control module. The OASES LMC module is linked with the Sabre Rocade operations system at Loganair, which provides timely and accurate data, facilitating short term maintenance forecasting and complete line maintenance management across Loganair’s extensive network of line stations. Various facilities including MEL management, LMC diary observations and repetitive defect alerting allow improvements in diagnostic and rectification capabilities, giving enhanced line availability and improved dispatch reliability. The LMC module can also be used manually where techlogs are entered quickly after a flight or with a variety of live operations feeds, including electronic flight bags, electronic techlogs, ACARS and various operations systems.

Commsoft recently formed a partnership to collaborate OASES with Critical Technologies’ AirVault and Loganair is the first airline to utilise this enhanced service.

Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

Supporting the front lines.

Benefitting the bottom lines.

With one of the worldʼs most effective aircraft maintenance software suites and a team of the worldʼs most experienced maintenance and operational consultants, EmpowerMX will help lift your productivity and profitability to new heights.

EmpowerMX.com

8 | NEWS & TECHNOLOGY | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

EmpowerMX signs sales and consultancy agreements with North American MROs and announces Part 121 Air Carrier Consulting Agreement EmpowerMX announced the signing of a ‘software as a service’ (SaaS) licensing agreement with a North American airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business. As part of this May 2011 agreement, the MRO will employ the EmpowerMX FleetCycle® Execution Suite - MRO Manager (FCXM) product as its enterprise level software solution. When installed, FCXM will enable the full lifecycle process for all maintenance visits (from contract management to final billing and invoicing) via a Lean/Six Sigma-enhanced production control process. Additionally, EmpowerMX will provide the MRO with a unique software hosting

solution for all its maintenance facilities.

Also in May 2011, the EmpowerMX Consulting Services division announced a consulting agreement with a large US based airframe MRO. Under the terms of this agreement, EmpowerMX will design and implement new Lean-/Six Sigma enabled scheduling strategies for this MRO’s heavy maintenance visits. The consulting objective will be to collaborate with the MRO’s operations and planning teams to introduce innovations designed to enhance the business’ financial bottom line through targeted reductions in both span time and man hours expended.

Several airlines select Alkym® solutions A

ir Seychelles aims “to be the best service on the Indian Ocean.” In order to live up to that target they set out to ensure they had the best maintenance management system in place to meet the needs of a current fleet of nine aircraft. (The domestic fleet consists of three Twin Otter and one Short 360 while the international fleet has five Boeing 767 aircraft: next year will see the arrival of two new Boeing 787 Dreamliners). The selection process was extensive; and, in May 2011, it was announced that Alkym® Management and Control System for Aircraft Maintenance from Volartec had been selected.

Air Seychelles will begin the implementation project in late June 2011 for the 10 concurrent user licenses: the following modules will go live within a five week project: Planning; Engineering; Maintenance Control; Purchasing & Repairs, Reliability; Inventory; Receiving & Shipping; Production Kiosk; Technical Library and M-transfer.

This project will see Volartec send a team of three Alkym experts on site to Victoria on the island of Mahe.

In a further May, 2011 announcement, Volartec confirmed the awarding of the contract by Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines (the flag carrier of Equatorial Guinea) for maintenance tracking software services. The selection of Alkym® Control and Management System for Aircraft Maintenance by the flag carrier of Equatorial Guinea to manage its growing fleet brings Alkym to a new region in Africa.

Ceiba has opted to begin the implementation project in September due to the high season about to start in the region. Volartec will send a team of three people on site for five weeks to ensure all the modules are live within this short project timescale. In this case the airline has opted

to start with eight modules and 10 concurrent users. The potential to grow with the system is one of the benefits.

In Córdoba (Argentina) Volartec announced in June 2011 that Air Panama has successfully implemented Alkym®, Management and Control system for aircraft maintenance. After a lengthy selection process, a team of maintenance and IT engineers implemented Alkym® in a project lasting approximately four weeks on site. All technical and logistic modules were installed. Air Panama has a very diverse fleet and wanted a system that could take into account this variable at a reasonable cost. The operator selected the following Alkym® modules: Engineering, Planning, Maintenance Control, Purchasing & Repairs, Inventory, Receiving & Shipping, M-Transfer and M-Files.”

Again in May 2011 Volartec announced the selection of Alkym® Control and Management System for Aircraft Maintenance by Lithuanian based Avion Express.

With the pending introduction of a new A320 into the Avion Express fleet earlier this year the carrier explored the options for new maintenance management software to manage their requirements. This process ended with the selection of the Volartec solution, Alkym®. Avion have opted for a 10 concurrent user license utilizing eight modules (Engineering, Planning, Maintenance Control, Purchasing & Repairs, Inventory, Receiving & Shipping, M-Transfer and M-Files) from the available 15.

The implementation project has started now that the first of the A320 aircraft is in operation.

Volartec have the project team on site in the Avion Express HQ in Vilnius to ensure a smooth process. The project will take five weeks after which the Avion Fleet will be under control using the modules selected.

In a further announcement, EmpowerMX Consulting Services confirmed a consulting agreement with a large US Part 121 air carrier.

Under the terms of this agreement, EmpowerMX will collaborate with the carrier’s Maintenance and Engineering (M&E) department to identify and close gaps in its Continuous Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS), ensure all elements of its maintenance program are interfacing with one another, and will implement procedures to ensure all applicable personnel receive CASS training equivalent to the training EmpowerMX provides to FAA inspectors.

manage/m®: Engine Lifetime Control

With the introduction of the new m/ jobcontrol/engine WebService, Lufthansa Technik is creating a new system for time control of life limited engine and APU parts (LLPs). It will replace the former system of the Engine Lifetime Control and is designed to fit seamlessly into the internet-based Technical Operations WebSuite manage/m®. Furthermore m/jobcontrol/engine is the basis for a reliable engine and APU compliance reporting.

The new application comprises scheduled and supplementary maintenance and will provide an end to end reference of requirements documents such as engine manuals, ADs or SBs up to maintenance tasks. Moreover, it gives users information on engine configuration as well as a back to birth parts history and specific removal forecasts in relation to fleet and tail sign (MSN). Thanks to the ‘Master Parts List’ m/ jobcontrol/engine is able to support the engine assembly and build up the current parts list.

Based on these data, flexible and customized reporting is available.

Finally, even if an aircraft does not have an automated recording system for flight hours and flight cycles or special counters, manual entry is possible via a user friendly input mask.

Thus the operator always has access to up to date counter information. Lufthansa Technik customers will benefit from this additional information and functionality once the customer data has been successfully migrated into the new system. Thereafter, the old system will be taken out of service.

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | NEWS & TECHNOLOGY | 9

Enigma Opens Singapore Office Aftermarket service and support technology provider Enigma Inc. opened an office in Singapore in June 2011 to meet increased demand for aviation maintenance and field service solutions in the Asia Pacific region.

The Singapore office will complement Enigma’s current support office in Tokyo, Japan.

Enigma has several customers in Asia, and this office is a response to the growing need for aviation and transit/rail MRO solutions such as Enigma InService MRO, and integrated field service and dealer network solutions such as InService EPC. With the ability to integrate seamlessly with ERP, EAM and other legacy systems, these are ‘best in class’ solutions for publishing and distributing accurate, updated parts and service information to support equipment maintenance and repair.

“Asia’s manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and aviation industries are expanding rapidly, and require technology solutions that simplify maintenance of capital equipment such as aircraft, automobiles, locomotives, medical and semiconductor equipment and other complex machines,” said Jonathan Yaron, CEO of Enigma.

Craig McLeod, who has worked with many leaders in the aviation industry and has been based in Singapore for over a decade, heads the Singapore office. McLeod works as Director-Executive, Enigma APAC, to lead this expansion into new territories, under the direction of Asher Gabbay, the Vice President and General Manager of Enigma APAC and EMEA. Also in June 2011, Enigma Inc., announced that Korean Air (KAL) has gone live with its implementation of Enigma 3C® InService MRO and Job Card Generator (JCG) with Oracle Complex Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (cMRO) and an upgrade to the Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1 to facilitate the maintenance of its entire fleet of aircraft. Korean Air is one of Asia’s largest airlines, and the world’s largest commercial airline cargo carrier, with a fleet of almost 150 aircraft.

The implementation of the Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1 and Enigma will replace Airbus’s AirNav, Boeing’s PMA and multiple other legacy systems to introduce a fully integrated IT environment in KAL’s maintenance and engineering department and maintenance shops.

The Enigma solutions handle a mixed fleet of aircraft and engine models.

KAL will also use the system to support the Airbus A380 this year and the Boeing B787 next year. The Enigma and Oracle system also supports service and parts documentation for components and auxiliary power unit (APU) maintenance activities.

Korean Air is the first joint customer for the Oracle and Enigma relationship in aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul. Oracle served as the prime contractor for the complete MRO system being implemented at Korean Air. Enigma’s industry knowledge and technology complement Oracle’s solutions.

EmpowerMX announces completion of additional FAA CASS training The EmpowerMX Consulting Services division announced the completion, in May 2011, of three Continuous Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS) training classes for the FAA Aviation System Services group in Oklahoma City. These classes were a continuation of a four year consulting relationship between the FAA and the aviation consultants of EmpowerMX. Previously, EmpowerMX Consulting Services division assisted the FAA in developing CASS training and by providing subject matter expert (SME) instructors to deliver the following knowledge: • CASS (what it is and how to develop an effective CASS); • History of maintenance program development with emphasis on MSG-3 philosophy, theory and application; • QA methodologies and audit training; • How to move from an alert based reliability program to an event based reliability program (includes the key methods to measure performance/effectiveness of all 10 maintenance program elements);

Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

Designed for Aviation Business  Fleet Management  Technical Referential Mgt  Maintenance Forecasting  Maintenance Execution  Inspection & Sentencing  Configuration Control  Customer Support Mgt Three high value products live in 17 countries

Connected with the world best of class ERP and PLM software

sales@2moro.com www.2moro.com

10 | WHITE PAPER: IT PLANNING | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Life is dynamic: business must operate dynamically too The Value of Enterprise Architecture & Strategic IT Planning to MRO Business Transformation, argues Michael Wm. Denis, Principal at ICF SH&E, is that it is able to adapt to change while continuing to function

N

umerous surveys over the past decade have reported upwards of 70% of IT initiatives across the MRO functional landscape as failing outright, failing to deliver business value and return on investment or running over time and over budget. This staggering statistic is a core reason why many airlines, third party MROs and aerospace companies have chosen to stick to their decades old custom coded legacy systems.

While the quality of commercial off-the-shelf

maintenance, supply chain and document / content management solutions has advanced considerably in terms of functionality and technical platforms, the ability to plan, schedule, test, implement and train for new technology based capabilities is, to this day, a daunting task. Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a framework that provides structure and simplification to IT planning and capability maturity focused on enabling business processes, goals and transformation.

Who should own Enterprise Architecture?

Before delving into the detail of ‘what’ EA is, the most vital decision for corporate success is ‘who’ should own this discipline and responsibility. At a recent Gartner conference on IT Planning and Enterprise Architecture, Vice President for IT Strategy and Research, Philip Allega stated, “By 2016, 30% of EA efforts will be supported as a collaboration between business and IT (up from 9% in early 2011).”

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: IT PLANNING | 11 Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

“Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a framework that provides structure and simplification to IT planning and capability maturity focused on enabling business processes, goals and transformation.”

While the trend in who runs and owns EA is definitely headed in the right direction, the current situation shows the IT origins of EA and the fact that most business units still rely on the IT department to define and enable their business strategy and operations success or failure. The aviation, aerospace and defense industries are at the higher end of the trend of having business process improvement reside in the business versus IT organization. One example is Delta TechOps, the maintenance division of Delta Air Lines. Delta TechOps has had a Managing Director, Process & Technology for over two decades. To some extent, this was a natural consequence of the airline spinning off their IT Department into a separate joint venture company in the early, 1990s. But the result was the formation of a group of industrial engineers taking over all LEAN, Six Sigma, Theory of Constraints, Business Process Reengineering / Business Process Management and information technology program responsibility for the company.

Dr. Pallab Saha, professor at the National University of Singapore, Institute of System Sciences (and self-proclaimed EA Evangelist), has a running debate on the Enterprise Architecture Network group of Linkedin on why EA should not reside in the IT Department. His top six reasons are: 6. Notwithstanding history and evolution, EA does not equal IT Architecture.

5. True EA leads to redistribution of authority and reallocation of accountability, both beyond the CIO’s jurisdiction.

4. EA value proposition and benefits are solely business realizable.

3. The primary goal of EA is to build coherent enterprises, not better IT systems.

2. Organizations are complex adaptive systems, hence holistic synthesis takes precedence over fractional analysis.

1. EA failure is a business organizational failure, not an IT failure. Resistance to EA is a consequence of failure, not the cause of it Whereas many organizations do not have engineers, so the skills required of EA are not resident within business units, aviation maintenance and aerospace companies do; thus the natural fit for EA to reside within the business and not IT. The proper allocation of roles, responsibilities and authority for the various domains of EA are shown in figure 1.

What is Enterprise Architecture?

EA is actually multiple architectures and defined as the art and science of designing ‘something’ for a specific purpose. Most people identify architecture with the design of a building, landscape or urban area. In the traditional IT sense, architecture is used in the design of systems. In operations research, systems theory and the architecture of systems is a discipline unto itself and common within the military and aerospace industries.

The word prior to architecture is the ‘context’ or ‘focus’ of a design, thus Business Architecture, Data Architecture, Infrastructure Architecture, Technical Architecture and Solutions or Application Architecture are all elements of architecting or designing an enterprise. An enterprise can be an entire corporation or a significantly unique or independent business unit, in this case the sustainment lifecycle management of aircraft. Figure 2 shows the relationship of the elements and sub-domains of EA.

12 | WHITE PAPER: IT PLANNING | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Figure 2

As the diagram above shows, EA starts with BA, which includes Business or Corporate Governance, Business Strategy, Business Capability Maturation, Business Process Management and Reengineering (BPR/BPM), Business Requirements specification, Organizational Design, Human Capital development, and Business Performance Management.

Capabilities are, by definitions, the combination of people, organization, process, infrastructure, tools and technology that enable a business to source, transform and deliver products and services to customers and end consumers. Therefore, maturing or improving capabilities are solely the responsibility and domain of the business.

The context of EA starting with BA and the definition of success being measured by business performance is why Gartner research analyst Julie Short predicts, “By 2014, enterprises will make no distinction between IT governance and corporate governance.”

How does EA add value to maintenance and engineering organizations?

Building architects get to design their structures on a clean sheet of paper, when nothing exists: in a corporation, on the other hand, the formalization of the architecture has to take place while the enterprise continues to function and change. Every enterprise starts with huge amounts of legacy ‘stuff’ including hardware, applications and processes, much of it unwieldy and requiring constant maintenance. Creating competitive strategic advantage, business bonding to customers and implementing a new IT landscape that best enables the business while keeping operations running, is a massive challenge.

As Gary O’Neil, Senior Research

“You can’t get where you want to go if you don’t know where you are. This is the single most important rule of EA. Many enterprises attempt to transform their business and IT landscape without a clear understanding of their current processes, systems and capability maturity.”

Engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute once said, “Transforming Air Force Materiel Command is like rebuilding an F-16 into an F-22, while in flight.”

The role of IT is changing. From automation and transactional support, IT has grown to be an indispensable part of operations. As technology transforms the way that organizations do business, the IT function plays a vital role in articulating the business strategy and objectives of enterprises.

There is a good solutions guide by alfabet that contains five basic rule to leveraging EA to add business value.

To read it click here.

Rule 1: Know where you are now.

You can’t get where you want to go if you don’t know where you are. This is the single most important rule of EA. Many enterprises attempt to transform their business and IT landscape without a clear understanding of their current processes, systems and capability maturity. They rely on ‘tribal knowledge’ and approximate descriptions based on out-of-date information in multiple PowerPoint presentations, Visio diagrams, Excel spreadsheets and Word documents, often scattered across different locations. This inaccurate picture of the current process and technology map will undermine every planning effort.

In a recent study, Nucleus Research

found that 42% of companies surveyed had made unnecessary software or hardware purchases that could have been avoided if they had access to more accurate IT asset data.

When it comes to IT planning, the quality of your decision making can only be as good as the quality of your data, information, knowledge and wisdom (DIKW). Dr. Karsten Schweichhart, Vice President of Corporate Enterprise Architecture at Deutsche Telekom, puts it simply: “We cannot develop a sustainable target architecture if we don’t know where we are.”

Rule 2: Articulate the business strategy and goals to know where you are going.

There is a famous story about an FAA liaison manager at Southwest Airlines, back in the early 1990s. The FAA issued a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) to have airlines conduct a seatbelt check prior to closing the cabin door and pushing back the aircraft. According to folklore, this middle manager called his VP and was in CEO Herb Kelleher’s office the same day constructing a response to defeat this NPRM. Why would a middle manager become alarmed by such a benign rule and why would the CEO get personally involved? Because the core business strategy was well articulated and communicated and this ‘middle

manager’ understood his contribution to the execution of that strategy.

The corporate strategy was enabled by simple standardized capabilities (common fleet, lean processes), low cost point-to-point operations and maximum asset utilization all of which included a goal of 20 minute aircraft turns. The additional time to conduct a seatbelt check contributed to preventing one enabler of the corporation’s competitive advantage and success.

A clear picture of corporate goals and the contribution of people executing processes makes all the difference to the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization. This is closing the strategy to execution gap and aligning IT to business operations.

A clear picture of the business goal also makes a difference when creating the IT vision. IT is not an end unto itself but a business enabler. So it is essential to understand the business strategy first – including the goals and capabilities required to deliver them and then tie that to the lifecycle management of data, applications, infrastructure and enabling middleware such as enterprise service bus technology. “Enterprise strategy is what we focus on,” explains Gabriel Morgan, Principal Enterprise Architect at MSIT, Microsoft’s internal IT group.

“When we integrate with enterprise strategy, IT strategy is really a byproduct. The point is being a market leader in our product line: IT is simply an enabler to get there.”

Rule 3: ‘All do some’ not ‘some do all’.

The only way to get an accurate, real time view of the current IT landscape is to ensure that all changes are carefully tracked and that the information is stored in one place, system or tool. This cannot be done by one person alone or even by a dedicated team. It requires everyone who alters processes or technology to document changes, when they are made, to a central source.

Involving everyone responsible, rather than relying on a small group of experts who monitor changes is critical. It is the difference between the supply department taking inventory once a month and an airline that performs ‘point of maintenance inventory management’ using real time remove and install configuration control transactions. For a small airline, a monthly snapshot may be sufficient. But a major that operates extremely tight supply chains needs an up-to-the-minute picture of its stock

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: IT PLANNING | 13

“Nucleus Research found that enterprise IT decision makers rely on information that is, on average, 14 months old. To be honest, there are airlines that rely on EA artifacts that are 14 years old.” to keep the business flying.

The same is true of enterprises and their complex process and technology landscapes – a real time view is essential to make good decisions. Yet, in a recent study, Nucleus Research found that enterprise IT decision makers rely on information that is, on average, 14 months old. To be honest, there are airlines that rely on EA artifacts that are 14 years old.

No software solution can provide accurate IT asset data on its own. It requires the right processes and the engagement of everyone responsible for business and IT change. Susan Green, Global Head of Business Enterprise Architecture at Bank of America, puts it like this: “It’s vital to know what we have, if we want to manage our business and technology from application portfolio management through to strategy definition and capability alignment.”

Rule 4: Collaborate and communicate to enable Enterprise Decision Making.

Many ancient civilizations have a ‘Tower of Babel’ myth, in which the world is thrown into confusion by the sudden appearance of different languages. It is impossible to collaborate if you can’t

communicate and if there are no agreed words to describe objects and ideas, communication is impossible. One of the critical roles of EA, is to define and translate business and technology entities and artifacts to ensure that these definitions are used as a common language and are shared by all business units, technology vendors and the IT department. Only when a common lexicon exists is it possible to create an accurate model of the IT landscape and how these entities map to capabilities.

Accurate and consistent terminology is vital, but it is not sufficient. Terminology needs to be ‘rich’, which means it can address both business and IT realities. The manner in which you describe your landscape determines what you can do – e.g. it is only possible to manage vendor contracts if all necessary contract and license information is captured.

Ideally, IT planning forms part of business strategy development, informing executives of opportunities, risks and solutions, and suggesting clear roadmaps that maximize value and minimize disruption to operations. It’s vital to know what we have, if we want to manage our business and technology from application portfolio management through to strategy definition and capability alignment.

“We get a chance to bring IT to a very interesting peer level conversation with the presidents of the company,” explains Gabriel Morgan, Principal Enterprise Architect at MSIT, Microsoft’s internal IT group. “When the strategy is formed, the enterprise architecture captures that strategy, analyses impact and brings back the information to inform decisions on what can and cannot be done, and what are the risks. Based on that information, the strategy is then articulated. IT is a part of that decision.” This level of integration between IT architecture and business architecture is not common within the aviation industries. But it should be.

Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

14 | WHITE PAPER: IT PLANNING | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Michael Wm. Denis

Rule 5: Use Enterprise Tools to transform Enterprise Capabilities It is also critically important to both realize and embrace change. When planning a route, it is not enough to know where you are and where you want to be – you have to understand the flight path and environment in between. As Neil Stronach, Senior Vice President, Operations at Delta Air Lines always says, “IROPS [Irregular Operations] are regular and normal somewhere in the network every day.”

Weather, aircraft on ground, crew disruptions, air traffic delays… events totally out of the control of the airline can change the best scheduled journey.

The benefit of a navigation system over a flat map is that a map is static, hence outdated and incorrect as soon as it’s printed. A navigation system is dynamic, responding in real time to changes in the air and on the ground.

The same principles apply to IT transformation.

Every IT roadmap is based on a host of assumptions that can change during execution. A vendor may discontinue one of its technologies; a merger or acquisition may transform the business; new external regulations may be enforced; geopolitical instability could spike the cost of fuel.

If you are always ready to react to these changes quickly with real time knowledge, they will be much less of a challenge. Transforming the IT organization is like being in command of a cruise ship - it needs a lot of notice to change direction. If you can see the iceberg – it’s already too late!

In order to benefit from dynamic navigation, it is vital that you keep all your information and plans together in one enterprise class system, the map of your current location and situation, the vision of your future landscape, the radar of the environment in-between and the flight plan for getting from one pace to the other.

Microsoft Powerpoint, Excel,

Visio and Word are not enterprise collaboration tools, even with the addition of Outlook and SharePoint. Even Microsoft Corporation uses specialized EA technology. Enterprise Architecture tools are the only way to ensure that the impact of any environmental change is fully understood in advance and that your navigation system is constantly updated to support corporate decision making in a way that will best achieve business goals.

Conclusions Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a framework and human capital skill set that provides structure to capability maturity; simplifying, de-risking and improving the success probability of technology implementation and business transformation.

EA must be led by business leaders supported by IT experts. Many doing a little is preferable to a few doing a lot and ensures accurate information.

Documenting the lifecycles of organizational structures, roles, workflows, processes, applications, data and infrastructure is critical to optimal decision making.

Finally, the use of specialized EA tools offers a high return on investment and is critical to business success. At the end of the day, MS Office and Post-it™ notes are no way to transform an airline.

Michael is a Principal in ICF SH&E’s Commercial & Business Aviation (CBA) practice. He has over 23 years of extensive operations and technology experience in the airline, aerospace, defense and transport industries.

Michael’s experience includes numerous positions of increasing P&L responsibility and encompasses diverse functions including corporate strategy, market analysis, scenario planning, mergers & acquisitions, designing enterprise architectures, defining balance score card performance metrics, capability maturation and process reengineering.

His key information technology experience includes aviation maintenance and supply chain management, autonomics & aircraft health management, flight operations systems, computer reservation systems, and enterprise resource planning solutions.

Most recently, Michael has focused his research on Software-as-a-Service and Business Process Outsourcing operational models combined and enabled through the implementation of innovative technologies in order to optimize the profitability of capital intensive and cash flow sensitive service oriented companies.

Prior to ICF SH&E Michael was a Principal at several aviation consultancies including Aviation Wikinomics, Inc., Blue Water Solutions, LLC, and Accenture. Michael also served twelve years in the US Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer and Gas Turbines Engineer.

Michael has published multiple articles on aligning business strategy to operations execution with enabling information technologies and is frequently called upon to present at aviation, aerospace and defense industry conferences.

Michael holds a Bachelor, Nuclear Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters, Decision Science and Operations Research from Georgia State University.

A native of Houston, Texas, Michael currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Jackie.

Ask the Expert Michael Wm Denis is one of the world’s leading MRO IT expert consultants and is available all year round for one-to-one consultancies via the Ask The Expert feature at www.aircraftIT.com.

He will be happy to assist you with your queries.

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ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

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16 | CASE STUDY: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK PHILLIPINES | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Challenges in capturing man-hours and materials consumed in airframe checks Dr. Roberto M. Asuncion, VP-IT, Lufthansa Technik Philippines outlines an analysis of the practicalities and benefits of IT systems in the MRO process.

R

apid turnaround times (TAT) and efficient materials management are both critical factors in a successful MRO event. It is, therefore, important that the correct man-hours worked and the actual amount of materials consumed during a layover are accurately recorded and reported.

The ability of a cost sensitive service organization to translate work done into hours charged can still be a daunting challenge, even in this technology driven age. But, both client and service provider need to know, with a high degree of accuracy and confidence, the actual time spent by the workforce on specific tasks and quantities of materials consumed from commencement to the completion of the contracted event. Accurately reported time and material charges are synonymous with quality operations; the transparency of the reports enhances confidence in the organization handling the check thereby improving customer relations.

A combination of efficient processes, a disciplined workforce and flexible IT systems will ensure the commercial and operational success of an MRO check. This could be further enhanced by integrating Lean practices not only in production but also in IT.

Figure 1.

Mechanics from Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) service an aircraft just outside the main hangar in Manila.

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK PHILLIPINES | 17

Capturing Man-hours Data At first sight, the process of capturing man-hours data seems a simple enough matter: book on at the start of a task, perform the task, and then book off at the end of the task. However, simple as it may seem, computer systems and personnel related issues can severely limit the accuracy of man-hours capture.

Prior to automation, work orders and task cards had to be encoded manually into the system to book on or book off a specific task. In modern MRO systems, the reference numbers of work orders and task cards are barcoded.

These barcodes are scanned by mechanics immediately at the start and at the completion of the work, substantially reducing encoding errors and speeding up the documentation process.

Although more automated features have been introduced, e.g. use of smartcards and card proximity readers, the inability of mechanics to properly book their actual man-hours remains a major problem. Accessibility and reliability of the clocking devices in the production area is also an important consideration in improving the accuracy of man-hour capture.

In many instances, a failure to book on at the start or book off at the end of the shift, is falsely recognized by the MRO system as overtime work (or as an extended shift) which is reflected as an unusually high number of man-hours charged for a task. This, in turn, introduces wrong data into the system and, in a tightly coupled system, the error propagates easily, compromising the integrity of the whole database.

Tracking Materials Consumption

Accurately reported time and material charges are synonymous with quality operations; the transparency of the reports enhances confidence in the organization handling the check thereby improving customer relations.

An aircraft check involves many stages entailing the withdrawal and consumption of materials. The location and tracking of materials, their ownership status, and associated costs are significant concerns for this aspect of an MRO operation.

For an operation that deals exclusively with a single airline, the tracking issue can be relatively simple. However, as the number of airlines dealt with increases, the operation grows in complexity, such as in the case of third party MRO providers. Because of their different operating models and layover requirements, the challenge becomes even greater when simultaneously servicing aircraft from both legacy airlines and low cost carriers.

One problem can arise when a common part owned by one airline customer might inadvertently be issued out to service another airline’s aircraft of the same type. The system may be able to prompt the store keeper that a specific part is owned by a different airline customer but it may not be able to prevent it from being physically issued out. As more airline customers have more of their owned parts stored in the service provider’s warehouse, segregating those parts in logical locations based on ownership of each part complicates the monitoring and ordering tasks for stores staff and mechanics.

Materials consumption can also be regulated by setting thresholds. These thresholds vary depending on the agreement between the MRO provider and the customer. In this case, the approval of a customer is needed for consumption beyond the agreed limit; a mechanism that is supposed to promote the efficient use of materials and limit disputes.

In some cases, provisioning for materials needed during a layover is the responsibility of the customer and not the third party MRO provider, e.g. customer supplied materials (CSM) or buyer-furnished equipment (BFE). These materials must also be tracked during the layover.

The Challenges Accurately measuring the total time taken to complete an event remains a highly process driven and human influenced activity.

From simple turn-around checks to the more extensive D- and IL-checks, the accuracy of time-stamped data is very important in determining the commercial and operational success of a contracted event.

Materials availability and consumption needs also to be closely monitored during a layover. If the required parts are not available on time, it not only delays the release of an aircraft it can also increase the cost of the layover when materials and parts consumption is not properly controlled.

Figure 2. Man-hours and materials consumption data are linked together in the MRO system when an aircraft is being serviced.

18 | CASE STUDY: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK PHILLIPINES | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Figure 3. Capturing man-hours data. A mechanic books-on his work in one of the wireless terminals inside the hangar. The work order, task card reference and start time are automatically logged into the system as he scans the barcoded information printed in the task card.

Regulatory compliance also needs to be considered, for example, in issuing parts manufacturer approved (PMA) materials. Some customers might not allow the installation of PMA parts during a layover while others will.

Hence, more stringent monitoring of materials data is required in this situation.

Challenges on the IT system Problems involving computer systems can be as complicated as personnel issues. Situations such as new applications not interfacing accurately with the MRO system, procedures not being followed by the users, system downtimes due to hardware malfunction or extended power outages are just some of the challenges faced by IT in ensuring that the whole system is running reliably and that data are being recorded accurately.

Some data inaccuracies may be introduced into the MRO system during the delivery and application of a regular software patch or a version upgrade. During the installation of a service pack, a new error can inadvertently be introduced while attempting to correct a previously reported error. Issues in data accuracy can also result from data elements being altered, lost or moved within the database because of a version upgrade resulting in a slight change in the database schema. For large systems with a history of modifications and interfaces to other applications this

situation can be very disruptive for the operations. Interfaces and other third-party applications that connect with the MRO system will have to be checked and, subsequently all the affected systems will have to be corrected. The longer these problems are left unresolved the greater are the risks that data will be lost or will not be accurately entered, in which case, there will have to be a tedious process of re-checking and validly entering corrected data into the system.

It is also possible that a new functionality might not exactly fit the current business processes. It is important to assess if any new system functionality introduces new and more efficient industry practices that can, in turn, raise productivity without incurring unreasonably high implementation costs or adding more complications to the current business processes. On the other hand, new business requirements requiring changes in business processes might not be supported by the current MRO system functionality. In this case, it is best to research to confirm whether the MRO system can be modified to fulfill the new requirement or if it would be more advantageous to have a separate application that will be linked to the MRO system.

The earlier these errors are detected and resolved, the better it will be in terms of limiting the magnitude of the errors to a manageable size. It is best to always thoroughly test any patch or upgrade before installing it into the

An MRO system cannot cater fully for all the company specific business requirements current at any given time.

It is, therefore, typical to see some customized interfaces built around the MRO system. production system.

Software issues are not the only problem. The reliability of infrastructure components such as networks, computers (desktops, notebooks and handhelds) and other peripheral devices like scanners, barcode readers and printers, can greatly affect the quality of captured data. Data accuracy is at risk whenever the system is inaccessible due to network and server downtimes.

Practical solutions Many of the IT and business process solutions introduced in the company during the past eight years have made significant contributions towards improving the accuracy of reporting man-hours worked and materials consumed. Most of the business processes in LTP are supported by three major systems: the MRO System (Trax), the Financial System (SAP) and the company portal running on Microsoft’s Sharepoint platform. A majority of the specialized applications that interface with Trax are integrated in the portal.

Compliance in the booking process is a key requirement for getting an accurate man-hours report.

Continuous improvements in the procedures, the system infrastructure

and the MRO system together with its interfaces have resulted in improved compliance and, eventually, to more accurate man-hour reports.

For example, the deployment of more reliable clocking devices, the availability of more wireless devices that can be used in the hangars and in airport terminals (including the upgrading of PCs together with training and access to speciallydesigned reporting tools) has improved the accuracy of man-hours data. Some production sections that were previously reporting manhours data in the mid-90% are now registering consistent 98%-100% manhour reporting compliance.

An MRO system cannot cater fully for all the company specific business requirements current at any given time. It is, therefore, typical to see some customized interfaces built around the MRO system. In LTP, a number of these interfaces deal with computations of actual man-hours reported based on various shift schedules and exceptions reporting on unreported man-hours and other outliers. Reporting of manhours is available on the MRO system and is also interfaced in the company portal. These interfaces were programmed in-house and have

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK PHILLIPINES | 19

been tested and approved by the users. A number of interfaces were developed to connect to the standard MRO system. These in-house programmed interfaces and applications address specific requirements of the business that are not found in the standard system. Having these small in-house applications avoids adding further complexities to the MRO system. It also makes it easier to isolate points of failure when implementing enhancements to the business processes.

One of these in-house tools is a materials request system available to mechanics on the production area and enabling them to withdraw materials based on the ownership of those materials.

The materials planner/buyer also uses it to determine non-stock items. This is particularly helpful if aircraft from several different airlines are being serviced at the same time in the hangar. A materials tracking system is also available to the personnel in the production line to determine the location of materials at any stage of the layover.

A production planning system was also programmed to provide a complete 24/7 view of the maintenance work to be done including man-hours, work orders and materials requirements.

This application is interfaced with the MRO system and is also available through the portal. It provides a global view of the work completed and to be undertaken at any given time on a ‘per aircraft’ basis.

LTP has installed both wired and wireless infrastructure inside the hangars, around the apron area and in several airport terminals in order to enable mechanics to use the MRO system, not just for clocking their tasks and ordering materials, but also to view aircraft maintenance manuals, send/receive emails, print related references etc. The wireless infrastructure has been extended to some of the airport terminal bay areas where line maintenance is carried out for several customer airlines.

Figure 4. A mechanic withdrawing materials using the MRO system.]

Recently, several LTP vehicles were fitted with wireless devices in order to assist mechanics while working on the bridgeways and in airport parking bays. Aside from carrying the mechanics’ usual tools, these air-conditioned vehicles now have a laptop and printer which the mechanics can use. Both devices are powered through the vehicle’s electrical supply. The laptop connects wirelessly to the MRO server in the main LTP office in Manila, allowing the mechanic to work beside the aircraft wherever it is parked without the need to move back and forth between the aircraft and the terminal office to gain access to the computer systems.

This facility is particularly useful when the terminal bays are full and the aircraft has to park at some distance from the offices.

As mobility becomes increasingly important to support the production operations, project teams are looking into more collaborative means of communication and more efficient computing devices, including the use of tablets and smartphones to augment the traditional PCs and laptops.

Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

20 | CASE STUDY: LUFTHANSA TECHNIK PHILLIPINES | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Finding a solution is one part of the challenge. Improving on the solution and creating a breakthrough process that changes and improves the way people work and do business is the more challenging next step.

Dr. Roberto Asuncion

Figure 5. Extending the reach via WiFi. A mechanic working on her WiFi-enabled laptop where she can order materials during a layover.

Because of efficiency enhancements and more accurate reporting of, among other things, man-hours data and materials consumption data, additional revenues and increased cost savings have been achieved through better planning and scheduling of the workload, reduced wastage and better utilization of materials, and more accurate charging of actual man-hours worked on the aircraft during layover.

Moving on with Lean MRO and Lean IT Many of the solutions above reflect LTP’s response to challenges that MROs face in providing quality service to customers. These solutions were achieved through the cooperation of several production and support teams. Finding a solution is one part of the challenge. Improving on the solution and creating a breakthrough process that changes and improves the way people work and do business is the more challenging next step.

Several years ago, LTP embarked on a Lean MRO program in order to make the production and support units more efficient in fulfilling the varying requirements and high expectations of its customers. It not only improved the way we capture man-hour and materials consumption data, but it also produced a number of process improvements that have reduced the TATs of several aircraft layovers, reduced waste in the production process and improved the quality of service delivered.

The IT department has also implemented a Lean IT program geared towards making the organization more agile and more responsive to the changing needs of the business while, at the same time, reducing IT costs. It has programmed several interfaces around the company’s Trax MRO system and has been continuously improving these interfaces to make the system simpler and more accessible to users through its web-based portal. The IT group not only provides 24/7 service desk for LTP’s internal users and customers, it also provides training and implementation services to other local and international organizations.

LTP continuously tries to find ways to improve its industry-standard business practices. At the time of writing, several project teams composed of users from the production, materials, IT and finance areas are engaged in finding more efficient ways to improve the accuracy of man-hours capture, and materials tracking and control. Continuous improvement not only raises the bar, it also brings about a positive change to the whole organization.

Dr. Roberto Asuncion is the Vice-President for Information Technology at Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), a subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik AG based in Hamburg. He is responsible for setting the strategic IT directions and managing the IT operations of the subsidiary. Since assuming his post in 2003, he has planned and initiated several projects to improve the business value of IT. He has conducted business process reviews, IT performance measurements, Lean IT activities and regular IT strategic planning sessions within his department. He is currently involved in projects dealing with mobile applications, virtualization, web services, portals and large systems integration.

Prior to this assignment, Dr Asuncion was connected with large multinational corporations in the retail, manufacturing, supply chain and banking industries, as well as, with academic and government institutions, acquiring more than 25 years experience in the Information Technology field. His interests include strategic IT management, web technologies and operations research. He has also held various teaching assignments at the University of Bamberg, University of the Philippines and the University of Asia and the Pacific.

Dr. Asuncion finished his doctorate degree in Information Management at the Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg in Germany. He also has Master’s degrees in Business Economics at the University of Asia and the Pacific (in the Philippines) and in Industrial Engineering/Operations Research at the University of the Philippines. He did graduate research and wrote his master’s thesis in dynamic programming at the Technical University of Munich. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at the University of the Philippines.

ABOUT THE COMPANY Founded in 2000 as a joint venture of Lufthansa Technik AG and Philippine aviation service provider MacroAsia Corporation, Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP) offers a wide range of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to customers worldwide including total technical support to Philippine Airlines’ fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft up to A-checks, with material management, IT support, technical management, engine and APU support services among others.

LTP renders line maintenance service to more than 20 local and foreign carriers from its main facility in Manila and has maintenance offices in Cebu, Clark and Davao airports.

In 2002, LTP started its heavy maintenance operations. It has seven hangar bays and modern, process-oriented workshops to support aircraft overhaul, major modifications, cabin reconfigurations, and aircraft painting for the A319/A320, A330/A340, B747-400 and B777.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the United States FAA, the European Union EASA and other foreign aviation authorities have certified LTP as a qualified provider of aircraft MRO services. LTP’s growth is supported by the availability of highly skilled English-speaking mechanics, engineers and support personnel and the number of employees has grown to more than 2,700 from 1,300 when the company started.

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SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | WEBINARS | 21 Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

Upcoming Live Software Demonstration Webinars at www.aircraftit.com Sign up to free live online software demonstrations for a perfect introduction to two of the world’s leading MRO Software vendors and to learn how they can assist and add value to your operations

The whole fleet at your fingertips: Lufthansa Technik MRO-IT solution manage/m® • Keep control • Quality-assured • Airline-proven

O

ne of the many values that AircraftIT MRO Portal can deliver to you is the live software demonstration webinars; each webinar presented by a different IT vendor and creating the ideal conditions for you to learn directly, about the range of MRO software solutions and how they might add real value throughout your operations.

Each MRO IT vendor presenting an online webinar session delivers a live software demonstration of their solution, explaining how it can assist airlines, MROs and aircraft operators. As an online delegate, you can ask questions via the interactive white board or simply sit back and watch the demonstration. Two separately scheduled sessions will be held during the day to accommodate all time zones.

As an example, our June webinars, hosted by Volartec and Mxi Technologies, attracted attendance from more than 60 different airlines and MROs worldwide including: Malaysia Airlines, Flybe, AirAsia, Aeromexico, United Airlines, Aeroman, SAMCO, AirTran Airways, Cascade Aerospace, FL Technics, TAP Portugal, Boeing Shanghai Services, Ethiopian Airlines, Aeroplex, HAECO, Aerolineas Argentinas, ST Aerospace, Barq Aviation, TAM, Egyptair, Corendon Airlines, Gol, Croatia Airlines, American Airlines, Delta, Air Contractors, Jetstar Airways, Air Canada, Indaer, Aerologic, Meridiana Maintenance, Vietnam Airlines and GMF AeroAsia.

AircraftIT MRO webinars bring users and vendors from around the world together on a single platform from which users can take the value they want in the form that best suits their needs and continue with the extent of relationship and information exchange they wish. AircraftIT MRO webinars deliver global MRO IT knowledge to your desktop for you and any colleagues who could also benefit and contribute.

Click on the links below for full details about each session and to sign up.

Enigma and Lufthansa Technik will confirm your participation and you will receive your login details with full instructions on how to enter the Webinar sessions.

manage/m® Technical Operations WebSuite

Lufthansa Technik AG E-mail: info@manage-m.com Visit us at www.manage-m.com

More mobility for the world

22 | WEBINARS | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | SUMMER 2011

Live Software Demonstration Webinar: Enigma’s InService Job Card Generator, InService Revision Manager and InService MRO solutions n Session 1: 28th July 2011, 5am GMT n Session 2: 28th July 2011, 3pm GMT n Duration: 1 hour plus Q&A.

Enigma’s InService Software Suite for Aviation Maintenance n Session Agenda z Processing OEM revisions and reconciling with operator/MRO modifications; z Dynamic job card generation; z Technical Content Viewer - browsing, viewing and searching technical content; z Q&A Enigma will provide an outline of their Live Software Demonstration Webinar and what you can expect to see during the sessions

J

oin us on July 28 to learn how Enigma technology enables airlines and MRO shops to dynamically integrate and deliver aircraft service and parts information to maintenance engineers, planners and technicians.

This demonstration, led by an Enigma MRO Solutions Manager, will review Enigma’s InService Job Card Generator, InService Revision Manager and InService MRO solutions. These solutions simplify the management, distribution and implementation of maintenance and parts revisions and synchronize updated content across the IT environment.

Webinar attendees will learn how Enigma…

• Streamlines publication processes; • Manages and reconciles new OEM revisions with previous versions and engineering supplements; • Delivers key parts and service information across the maintenance environment (planners, engineers, line maintenance, tech pubs, base maintenance).

The benefits of Enigma solutions will also be demonstrated, including…

• Increased aircraft uptime; • Increased efficiency and consistency of maintenance planning and execution processes; • Improved regulatory compliance.

Who should attend?

This webinar is ideal for maintenance planners and engineers, maintenance executives and technical publications managers.

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SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT OPERATIONS | WEBINARS | 23

Live Software Demo: Lufthansa Technik’s Technical Operations WebSuite manage/m® n Session 1: 11th August 2011, 5am GMT

n Session 2: 11th August 2011, 3pm GMT

n Duration: 1 hour plus Q&A.

manage/m® – The whole fleet at your fingertips n Session Agenda

Y

ou run an well managed airline, so how could Lufthansa Technik provide enhanced MRO services for your fleet? It will give you access to an exclusive, web-based management tool which is ready to go and which does not require any IT investment on your part: manage/m.

Lufthansa Technik’s Technical Operations WebSuite comprises a comprehensive portfolio of powerful WebServices from which you can choose, allowing you to control all aspects of your fleet’s technical operations online – anytime and anywhere: quality monitoring, reliability trends, status reports, documentation and tracking of shop events in real-time are just a few of the available WebServices.

Join us for this Webinar to learn how manage/m can help you to manage the technical operation of your whole fleet. We will take you on a 30 minute Guided Tour through the core applications highlighting the key functions of the Technical Operations WebSuite manage/m. The tour will be followed by a Q&A session.

The Guided Tour will cover the following areas: • MPD management and revision service; • Task scheduling and control; • Management of technical findings (PiRep & MaRep); • Compliance Reporting; • Technical Records; • Reliability Management.

By joining us in this exclusive live-demo we will show you how you can benefit from the following advantages of manage/m: • Live up to your responsibilities as an operator; • Enjoy the benefits of a web-based system; • Trust in Lufthansa Technik’s operational experience; • Protected by the latest encryption technology; • Easy implementation: Short time to market.

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Sign up for this free webinar about Lufthansa Technik’s Technical Operations WebSuite manage/m today!

24 | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT SYSTEMS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

MRO IT; managing Job Cards in 1980-2000 era

An inconvenient truth CMS has been an afterthought to MRO system selection, until now: Thanos Kaponeridis, President and CEO at AeroSoft Systems outlines a vendor’s perspective on an increasingly important issue.

I

n short, the simple reason behind the title claim could be ‘Because MRO/IT Systems are complex’. But, as is often the case, there is much more to it than that.

Historical perspective Looking back, in 1997 I was among the true believers in the value of Digital Documents and Standards and the benefits they would bring to airlines. For me, this belief was based on a major involvement with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and the launch of their new aircraft programs. However, the stark reality was very different. Through involvement in the ATA/EMMC/TICC (the Air Transport Association and its executive levels) standards process I observed the following trends during the period 1994-2000: • Some Tier-1 carriers (including airframe and engine OEMs) who, as early adopters of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) technology and early versions of SPEC2100 (what the ATA standard was then called) had spent tens of millions of dollars, yet achieved less benefits and poorer results than they had expected; • The elimination of paper alone was not enough; • Tier-2 and 3 carriers considered as digital data, anything that they could see through the proprietary viewers made available by the OEM. (Maxwell Data Systems, Interleaf/Worldview and other names long departed from the market).

When we made our first round of marketing/sales visits in 1997 and presented demonstrations of prototype systems that automatically generated Job Cards by linking the maintenance planning document (MPD) with the aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) aircraft maintenance and task oriented support system (AMTOSS) coded tasks and delivered them over the Internet, the airlines said that they were highly impressed but believed they needed one integrated system that does ‘everything’. At that time, the airline industry, especially at the Tier-2 and 3 levels (both in North America and Europe), had a limited understanding of digital documents and their capabilities. They always equated them with the CD ROM and proprietary viewer based systems with very limited features and availability, and confined only to some of their aircraft models or engine OEMs, which they received from their suppliers.

Most of these airlines had home-grown and highly convoluted and inefficient means of authoring and linking job cards with their 1st or 2nd generation MRO systems and printing them on paper tomes for production control and sign-off on their execution and completion. They dreaded the fact that MPD changes and AMM and illustrated parts catalog (IPC) changes produced huge additional workloads, and generated time delays for revisions and updates — a situation that led, in some cases, to issues of non-compliance and stiff fines. Ironically, while content was authored as ‘reusable’ at the OEMs, according to SPEC2100 and later iSPEC2200, its distribution and delivery to the airlines was done on paper and on CD-ROM with limited or proprietary capabilities. Temporary Revisions (TR) were managed relative to a CD-ROM that contained the previous revision. Those were the days of continued stuffing of the TR yellow pages into the tomes of white pages, in the airlines’ technical libraries.

As a business, we suspended digital document development in favor of getting into the MRO solution space. We acquired other systems and their intellectual property (IP), with a wealth of proven business logic, and embarked on migrating them technologically to contemporary tools and platforms while enhancing them to match the best and latest industry practices. We added electronic document libraries and links to CD’s/directories of OEM content etc. and local job card editing, like other Best of Breed MRO IT systems.

Where did MRO Best of Breed come from?

If you were to examine the history of the development of MRO systems, you would find that often they were built not by software scientists but by individuals who learned on the job (mechanics who learned programming on a PC or self-taught programmers who started writing small business applications on an IBM System 34/36). They did not have in-depth information technology and systems credentials or methodology knowhow, but especially, they lacked comprehensive knowledge across the full domain of aviation. They had some limited finance, accounting and inventory management background and, yes, some were ex-mechanics focusing on individual features and the ease of use for their customers. Their approach was inadequate and, as a result, many applications were developed around a financial or inventory management core.

These self-styled developers would model and create an additional function, as per the customer’s request, and then, when another similar request was received, they would copy, rename and make another table similar but wider, without any further considerations. In the process they sidestepped all the basic requirements of 3rd level Normal Form Data Models creating data redundancy and violating referential integrity. Subsequently, some of them started using application generators to re-write their next generation systems but the overall fractured approach was unable to accommodate an integrated parts-oriented MRO and a full digital document content management system (CMS). As readers will know, application generators can be used to build

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT SYSTEMS 25

good and bad systems. If the data and process models are poorly designed, not normalized or simply incomplete, things won’t get any better by switching to Oracle, Unix, WebServices, etc. In all fairness, a true ATA iSPEC2000 Data Model had not been completed or validated seriously at this time.

This conclusion is not anecdotal but based on a direct knowledge not only of applications but also relative to all their associated derivatives in the market which were built by developers who left companies then subsequently, and very rapidly, managed to create their own new MRO software solutions.

Data Model discipline was truly lacking in all of those Generation 2 Best of Breed (BoB) applications. In fact, some Generation 1 mainframe systems had better structures than the emerging minicomputer-based BoB systems.

To restate, the derivatives’ data models were as good (or poor) as the previous system the developers were copying. Technical Documentation (ATA100 Tech Doc) meant 100 tons of paper, huge libraries and distribution systems, and attempting to synchronize the yellow TR’s with incoming revisions whilst ensuring that the AMM, illustrated parts catalog (IPC), Task Cards, wiring diagram manual (WDM), and the rest (the MPD in particular) were for the same configuration or version of the aircraft! (in other words, synchronizing the OEM’s as-delivered aircraft effectiveness with what the airline had implemented in the current as-maintained aircraft status).

ERP enters MRO IT True enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) first emerged around an enterprise’s horizontal business application areas (finance, human resources, inventory, discreet process control, continuous process control) but they were not engineered or architecturally designed around the aircraft and maintenance process data models in a commercial aviation environment. The most prominent ERP tools and applications allow(ed) users to build the application on the basis of the documents that were currently being circulated within the enterprise; purchase order (PO), repair order (RO), Invoice, Bill of Lading etc. If users wished to customize the application, that could be achieved but at great expense and by being forced to change the fundamental data model

“The initial data load/clean up and verification is the costliest and riskiest part of any project. After that point, data gets introduced in small increments through the keyboard or through direct interfaces” and data types. This, in turn, led to the enormous projects and more so to the even bigger migration costs when the ERP engine was upgraded by its vendor from one generation (of database and technology) to the next. All in all, it made name brand-ERP a four letter word in some circles while contributing to the wealth (and occasional demise through legal suits) of the big seven global consulting and accounting firms.

Highest risk in MRO: Data Conversion / Initial Data Load One more critical factor emerging from MRO implementations is the process of initial data load. All Best of Breed MRO system vendors will attest to this.

The initial data load/clean up and verification is the costliest and riskiest part of any project. After that point, data gets introduced in small increments through the keyboard or through direct interfaces with Flight Ops or Finance Systems as new parts, aircraft or individual service bulletins (SB) and airworthiness directives (AD) continue to arrive.

The reason why MRO systems are challenged in initial data load is that there is no standard input format or structure against which they can be compared.

They all provide their own, preferred, Excel spread sheets with the required data elements that can be populated using tailored programs or through direct manual entry, after which the spread sheets are imported into the MRO system.

In cases where aircraft move for long periods in or out of the system — for example when being leased for six months to another operator with a dissimilar system, and then returned to the owner airline on an annual basis — the Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

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26 | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT SYSTEMS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Mainframe, Mini/terminals, Client Servers, Three-tier Application Servers/ DB Servers, WebServers and WebBrowsers are all essential and sound complex. For example, when they talk about WebBrowser, do they mean remote desk top (RDT), native http screen on Internet Explorer or deployment on ‘any Java device’?

Yet MRO system vendors continue to strive for the next generation of technology standards without addressing the inherent functional deficiencies and data model flaws in their existing systems. They’d prefer to move from Mini-computer implementations to Client Servers then perpetuating Citrix accelerator delivery until they could create their native WebServer/WebBrowser Java versions, presumably hoping that this would mask all of their problems.

History of standards guiding MRO

challenge of updating the complete and accurate history in central records and times — time since new (TSN), time since repaired (TSR), time since overhaul (TSO) is something the Best of Breed have not yet conquered. As a means to avoid this challenge, the recommendation that ‘the lessee should use the same system as the lessor’ is not always feasible or practical.

In contrast with MRO system landscape, true aviation CMS Systems must be designed and built so that repeated and frequent imports of large volumes of data (OEM revisions) can be made and automatically validated, before they are put in the workflow for any post processing. They must accommodate a wide range of data types — from very well structured and granular to unstructured, as well as scanned content with mixed typed and handwritten information. This is one critical design difference between classical MRO IT and CMS. Many software vendors would like to draw your attention to Technology Standards which were and are of the least concern while they will continue to evolve. Their references to

A screenshot of AeroSoft’s DigiDOC system.”

The standards available today were incomplete and, in some case, were even undefined 15 years ago, when the roots of the current MRO systems were being developed. Three of these are worth mentioning: a. SPEC2000: it’s been around a while from its ATA 200 roots but the XML dimension was not added until XML became prominent in the late 1990’s. b. iSPEC2200 with the Common Source Data Dictionary (CSDD) and DataModel, SPEC2300, S1000D Rev 4 (Released 13 September 2008). In its evolution SPEC2100 took its reference from continuous acquisition and life-cycle support (CALS) and their adoption of SGML in their MIL-SPECS and their interactive electronic technical manual (IETM). c. The Initial XML Draft was first published in November 1996 (but its value was largely confined to a relatively small group of people who did understand SGML). The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommendation for digital content came out in October 1998 and XSTL, XQUERY and XPATH standards did not mature until 2001. In reality, true XML database engines were not available until 2002-2003. The following links provide important background information as to how the current standards evolved over time.

For more information visit: http://www.w3.org/XML/hist2002 and http://www.totalxml.net/sources-versions.php Then there are application and inter-process standards like Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA 3.0), Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), Open Document Architecture (ODA), Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) and others which matured between 2001 and 2005.

The Paradox of ‘Traditional Best of Breed MRO Systems can do CMS’ The question is, how was it possible for the MRO applications, initially built in the 1985-1990 period and then repurposed and rebuilt ten years later, to be capable of utilizing these standards (which are basic essential building blocks within a true CMS), in their core process and data models? And what did the enterprising owners and developers of these MRO/IT systems do when digital documents became the buzz? Quite simply, they unabashedly issued statements saying that, ‘We have it’, ‘We are adding it to our system’, ‘A dedicated CMS is not needed’, ‘We will release it in three months’, etc.

The only credible position adopted is that of major brand ERP based MRO Systems which have made project specific or other longer term and formal agreements with CMS systems providers and are undertaking major integrated implementations.

Yes, most BoB did add functionality for editing job cards (aka allowing the editing of database records in the MRO application and attaching PDF content from well-known locations/ directories where OEM content CD/DVD’s were installed or copied). And this was better than nothing but it was not Digital Content Management. In part this is because the relational databases (RDBMS) which lie beneath all MRO systems can only

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT SYSTEMS | 27

manage text and graphics as binary large objects (BLOBs) within their record structure.

The roots of CMS Standards in Commercial Aviation The pioneers of Digital Document System implementations (content management systems) were the aircraft and engine OEMs. Actually, before even that the CALS-US Defense OEM initiatives drove earlier implementations on standardizing on SGML. These early iterations of OEM systems were based on technical authoring tools like Interleaf, Framemaker and relational data base management system (RDBMS). Object oriented databases were not available or mature in the late 1980’s. However, since these systems had large investments in design, data modeling and architecture they implicitly incorporated the constructs of ATA-100/AMTOSS and were able to establish the concepts of minimum revisable units.

Subsequently these OEMs spent hundreds of millions of dollars migrating their 1st generation document management systems and implementing in SGML, CGM, repository-based authoring, publishing, revision and configuration management systems; from which they initially were sending to their customers printed paper (and still do in some cases) whilst the iSPEC2200 took a very long and circuitous path in maturing to its final ‘as good as it gets’ version, considering the deficiencies of the Document Type Definitions (DTDs). Boeing specifically demanded the inclusion of ‘.PDF’ as

“The pioneers of Digital Document System implementations (content management systems) were the aircraft and engine OEMs. Actually, before even that the CALS-US Defense OEM initiatives drove earlier implementations on standardizing on SGML. “ Advantages of CMS over MRO/IT ‘bundled document management’ 1. XML and CGM editing tools supporting both DTD and Schema, and associated validation.

2. Job Card Editor (XML) linked with digital MPD, AMM – not a cut and paste paradigm but rather a reference anchor based solution.

3. Management of revisions from OEM, official revisions at the airline.

4. Anchor Management.

5. Minimum revisable unit management.

6. Customer originated changes.

7. Temporary revisions surviving against full revisions – if necessary.

8. Attaching SB’s / AD’s.

9. Resolving effectiveness for tail-MSN and SB’s against published content.

10. Ability from a single collection to generate subset of views and intentionally offer different revisions of manuals to different end users / consumers.

11. Audit trail for all changes and revisions.

12. Audit trail: the ability at any point to be able to produce any previous revision and ensure authenticity and change authority.

13. Publish content to the Web but also to media, to portable and mobile communicating devices like electronic flight bag (EFB), iPAD, etc. (ensuring management of revisions).

14. Effective architecture that supports databases’ multi-TeraBytes of data.

15. Deals effectively with .PDF and with scanned image documents from originals.

16. Web 2.0, W3C and IT Standards compliance such as SOAP, SOA, CORBA. 17. Industry standards compliance (and continuous validation) for iSPEC2200, S1000D (in all its revisions).

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28 | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT SYSTEMS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

part of the iSPEC2200 Standard and, consequently, masses of .PDF started being given out free (it was cheaper for an OEM to burn DVD with PDFs than print and ship).

When ATA SPEC2100 (the predecessor of iSPEC2200) started taking shape, OEM systems were migrated to SGML authoring, CGM graphics and, in many cases, were still managed within RDBMS. With the introduction of XML in 1997, and the subsequent maturity of object oriented databases, the industry embarked on a migration to XML DB, XML editing and XML schema, rather than document type definition (DTD). However, their published digital data services remained based on iSPEC2200 SGML DTD’s. After several years, in 2004, the ATA finally embraced the Association Europeene des Constructeurs de Materiel Aerospatial (AECMA) standard S1000D based on the Common Source Data Base (CSDB).

I cringe when I hear prominent marketing people in the CMS domain making statements like “S1000D is the collection of the iSPEC2200 DTD’s”.

In reality S1000D is a lot more than just XML and Schema based definitions. It is based on Product Management Data Base (PMDB) and productbuild configuration at the OEM — which in the S1000D parlance has become the Common Source Data Base (CSDB). It is important to recognize that S1000D is also an evolving interchange standard (just like iSPEC2200) and is not necessarily the optimal internal database schema for an airline’s or MRO’s internal reuse of digital documents. In fact it is mathematically / algorithmically impossible to

convert iSPEC2200 to S1000D — without direct manual subject matter expert (SME) intervention.

Also, one needs to appreciate that while the database characteristics of S1000D are very valuable, the mechanics for the next 20 plus years will expect to see page blocks of AMM, IPC, Task Cards and, so on, to perform their work. This means extensive XSL transformations (XSLT- the transformation language of XML to other formats) will be required to create viewable and usable information.

And last, but not least, there are no commercial aircraft flying in service in 2011 with technical content developed based on S1000D. The first few will be the B787s, A350s and the C-Series. The major OEM’s have categorically stated that they will continue with their aircraft in service according to the standards which were in place when they were launched — aka iSPEC2200 — for the lifetime of those aircraft. Consequently, a CMS has to be capable of accepting/importing content which will be iSPEC2200, .PDF, S1000D, images, and other de-facto enterprise content (MS-Office documents) and dealing with each according to the structure and intelligence it affords. Again, this can hardly be the add-on capability the MRO system BoBs are marketing.

As with early ERP implementations, where tens of millions of dollars were spent and, in some cases, vendors and implementers were sued and lost, the experience was also grim in the early major CMS system implementations during the nineties resulting in very large, experimental, ‘built at the customer environment’, one-off solutions. Just ask airlines

like United or Delta, or OEM’s like Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and Bombardier, to share their early SGML systems implementations experience.

Stage enter: XML What changed the landscape was the introduction in 2004/05 of XML, XML DB, XSLT, XPATH, Xquery, Java products, Web Services 2.0. This has allowed previously custom built solutions to be reproduced at levels of reliable implementation but at much lower price points. Yet the painful issue of integration with MRO IT was still not fully addressed as illustrated in recent years where a major Pacific Rim carrier invested over $100 million in customization for such an integrated solution.

The MRO systems had created, as much as possible, within their data and processes, the ability to take Compliance while managing Job Cards, Maintenance Programs and Work Packages. However, when mature CMS came along and provided the vehicle for dealing with continuously updated OEM input with each revision and process it quickly and correctly, the MRO systems had to re-assess their boundaries and where the Change Authority should belong for such core data.

For example, an IPC is a great source of data load to a parts master. An MPD management tool with controls and audit trails and revision to revision change impact analysis is another great feature that can reduce engineering workload and elapsed time to compliance in recreating the airlines approved maintenance program.

But here is an anachronism. Today, in the pure

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ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

Piecing the IT jigsaw together

• EA: the beating heart of the business • MRO IT Project Management: keeping

How long did that take? capturing man-hours Measuring electrical load Using and keeping information with CMS White Papers: ICF • AeroSoft • EnvelopeAPN Case Studies: Lufthansa Technik Philippines Aircraft IT MRO V1.2 June-July 2011.indd

the plan

• Marshall Aerospace

1 12/07/2011 09:04

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT SYSTEMS | 29

“…to be in full compliance and have the benefits of integration between your MRO system (Best of Breed or ERP) and a Digital Content Management System (CMS) you have to engage with products and vendors that offer commercial aviation MRO/CMS expertise and products…”

MRO business there is essential dependence on component maintenance manual(CMM) illustrated parts lists (IPLs) produced by the 15,000 plus component suppliers. Only a handful of these have migrated to standards-based digital data offerings and most of them still supply .PDF or MS Word documents. So a CMS system must indeed accommodate these significant data types. Another anachronism exists in the world of Business Aircraft which is somewhat stuck back in the 1990’s and bound to the proprietary viewer based CD-ROMs as a source of digital content data.

Factors contributing to CMS gaining front row and center in MRO IT Why is it that in 2011, there is such a lively interest, from global participants in airline operations and MRO, in CMS with it no longer being considered an afterthought to MRO IT implementations? a. The growth in the airline industry is being driven by far eastern and developing economies, which have not been caught up with the European/North American financial crisis.

Developing economies have younger populations with access to better jobs and economic futures, essential elements for sustained growth in airlines. b. Regulators have increased the number of non-compliance fines or have threatened to do so to airlines and MRO’s which could not prove that the documentation they used was the most current and effective relative to the configuration of the aircraft they were flying. c. Price, performance and variety. The domain of XML and associated tools is truly mature and there is a wide choice in products and expertise available. While most product and consulting services are based from North America and Europe, it should not be underestimated that some key expertise is now available at outsourced major services providers at rates 25%-50% of typical North American/European expert rates. As CMS and MRO system integration is often resource intensive, this will have a key impact in the market. d. Some key integration projects between major pure MRO IT and pure CMS have been successfully announced and completed. e. Following airline consolidations, new managements have discovered decades of legacy systems that are inappropriate and inadequate for their newly defined integrated needs and they’re willing to invest to achieve the full benefits of their corporate consolidation through rationalization and replacement of their IT systems. f. The claims of pure MRO system BoB vendors have been proven to be insufficient for the airline industry’s complete CMS needs and, in some cases, some of their technology / expertise partners are no longer viable concerns. g. The integration points and interfaces have been well defined and proven between major ERP and CMS and, in some cases, between Best of Breed and CMS. They have been understood and proven and some traditionally cumbersome processes within MRO systems are now being delivered more effectively by CMS. If you want to be in full compliance and have the benefits of integration between your MRO system (Best of Breed or ERP) and a Digital Content Management System (CMS) you have to engage with products and vendors that offer commercial aviation MRO/CMS expertise and products, and have proven their ability to achieve such integration.

Why do we need both MRO IT and CMS in commercial aviation?

Here are some classic examples why both CMS and MRO systems are essential to prove compliance: a. Effectivity resolution between CMS and MRO system. Digital Content (AMM, IPC, MPD) have effectivity breaks by tail-MSN and by SB (pre- and post-modification). Effectiveness resolution must be performed by the CMS software so that the mechanic or the planner can be shown the most effective tasks to complete or parts needed to obtain for the problem at hand. However, the true effectivity is known only by the MRO system as it records where the effective components/rotables are really installed, as opposed to the manufacturer serial number (MSN) they were attached originally at the OEM factory. Also, the MRO system knows which SB has been applied to which tail by which date. So this information needs to be passed back to the CMS for it to selectively display the valid information through the

Interactive Electronic Technical Manual (IETM) viewer. I am unaware of any Best of Breed MRO system which performs this task on its own. b. How, for compliance purposes, is it possible to link and imbed your temporary revisions and your incoming SBs to the requisite AMM page blocks or IPC figures, without a full scale CMS? The short answer is that it’s not possible. c. Similarly, how do you introduce the correct Job Card content by linking the MPD line items to the requisite AMM tasks and then passing them to the Work Package which is scheduled for Production by your MRO system, without a full scale CMS? d. How do you attach link the 8130/EASA Form1 to a serviced component? e. Where do you record the completion of an SB/ AD or a Job Card? And, how do you keep the permanent record — with some tasks and subtasks requiring two signatures (mechanic and inspector) and some requiring three?

But I feel that I must really stop here, before some readers start arguing that CMS and MRO Systems are overly complex!

Thanos Kaponeridis

Thanos Kaponeridis is the founder of the AeroSoft Systems Inc. established in Toronto Canada in 1997. He has brought AeroSoft from a start-up through organic and inorganic growth with development, acquisitions and equity investments to become a financially strong niche player in the M&E Systems marketplace.

Thanos has built up his aerospace and aviation experience since engaging at Bombardier Regional aircraft in 1992 where he managed the development of the iSPEC2200 compliant digital document systems for the CRJ and Q100.

He was a long-standing member of the ATA/ EMMC/TICC eText and FOWG since 1994 in the development of digital document standards. Prior to Bombardier, Thanos was an accomplished IT/ IS senior consultant with his own firm and prior to that with the Transition Group - the Canadian subsidiary of Gartner Group, offering strategic and tactical planning of IT/IS to multi-national corporations. Mr. Kaponeridis holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from University of Toronto in Industrial Engineering and a Master of Science from University of London (UK) in Ergonomics / Human Factors.

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30 | CASE STUDY: MARSHALL AEROSPACE | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Power Play and the consequences of equipment upgrades and overhauls Karl Jones, Head of Avionics and Technology Development at Marshall Aerospace Ltd outlines the inhouse development of SERIES, an Electrical Load Analysis program that models an aircraft’s distributed power architecture and loading under varying scenarios.

T

he phrase ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ really does encapsulate what engineering is all about, and every now and then we create, either by accident or intentionally, something that will be of great benefit to others. This case study recounts how and why we developed a PC-based tool (for in-house use) for modelling electrical loading on an aircraft, and how doing so laid the foundations for SERIES; a commercial software product and associated support services.

Requiring Proof Within our industry, upgrading aircraft avionics – typically to keep pace with industry regulations – is of course a common practice for both commercial and military aerospace platforms. Also, making modifications to accommodate changes of role or to meet other operator demands is a regular occurrence too. However, modifications and/or upgrades cannot be made without considering the

ramifications of doing so, and this includes the impact on the aircraft’s electrical system.

In many of the projects Marshall Aerospace undertakes we are aiming to add equipment (i.e. new electrical loads) to aircraft without necessarily upgrading their generators or power bus bars (which tend to be original-fit). However, an aircraft’s electrical system is a relatively dynamic entity; designed to accommodate different modes of operation (e.g. flight phases) and to provide varying degrees of redundancy in the event of losing a generator or key power distribution point.

Accordingly, there are many permutations to consider when predicting the effect on the electrical generation and distribution system of adding new loads. Moreover, the aviation authorities require proof that proposed changes to an aircraft will not affect safety - under any mode of operation and/or envisaged fault condition.

The normal method of providing that proof is

through conducting an Electrical Load Analysis (ELA) which is a steady-state, worse case view of all the AC and DC loads summed and compared to the ability of the aircraft’s generation system to provide power. The necessity to assess the generation system’s ability to cope in abnormal conditions has long been a desire in our industry. Rarely though does this assessment get any further than particular cases in the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) - which is normally a text based document that references some of the ELA’s key findings.

More frequently the ELA is in the form of and displayed in a spreadsheet, as it is better suited for calculations. Indeed, before developing our own software we too handcrafted ELAs using spreadsheets and therefore speak from experience when listing the following difficulties: • Even before tackling sums it was always necessary to apply a variety of rules to validate the legitimacy of some of the figures that would be

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: MARSHALL AEROSPACE | 31

entered, for example sensible power factors (typically between 0.9 and 1.0) and duty cycles (which cannot be greater than 100%).

• The spreadsheets were often large and cumbersome, mainly because we were trying to represent a multidimensional problem (i.e. introducing potential failure modes over different aircraft configurations operating in a number of modes) in a 2-dimensional format. In other words, the permutations are such that you can’t help but end up with separate columns (or even tabs) for the different scenarios with cells across tab pages linked to one another; • The size and complexity of the spreadsheets increases the risk of errors propagating throughout – adding to the amount of time required to verify the validity of the conclusion (even with rules in place).

• Illustrating spare capacity (or ‘power headroom’), whilst not required by all aviation authorities, is always popular with the operators, as it indicates how accommodating the current generators and bus bars might be to other modifications. Again though, the task requires extensive number crunching in spreadsheets.

In addition, commercial spreadsheet tools are aimed at a very diverse audience.

The software companies want their products to be useful for book keeping, maintaining tables of contacts, presenting data as pie charts, creating histograms for presentations and a host of other tasks. Accordingly, as tends to be the case with any general purpose business focused application, we only used about 10% of the spreadsheet tool’s functionality – and what we were using, we had to work hard.

Surprisingly, a similar (if not worse) situation would have existed had we attempted to employ a Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tool for our purposes. There are several CAD/EDA tools available for modelling electrical/electronic circuits, cable harnesses and systems, but these are focused purely on design for manufacture (DFM). They are not optimised for conducting ‘what if’ scenarios and cannot store or represent an entire aircraft’s electrical configuration.

Figure 1: A considerably clearer picture than can be achieved using any spreadsheet, the user interface we created looks like the distributed power architecture it is meant to represent. Zooming in makes clearer the name of each bus item plus appends the loading (in Amps for DC elements and kVA for AC). At this level though we are more interested in the architecture/connectivity.

“modifications and/or upgrades cannot be made without considering the ramifications of doing so, and this includes the impact on the aircraft’s electrical system.”

The Catalyst A new aircraft will normally have a paper air publication, depicting the ‘as delivered’ configuration of the electrical generation system and equipment loads.

This is typically referred to as the Original ELA. Incremental modifications are usually approved on the basis that, after careful examination of the Original ELA, the theoretical safety margin between existing loads plus proposed additions and the generating capacity is acceptable.

Demonstrating the theoretical safety margins requires conducting several ELA scenarios, and it is fair to say that the need for a dedicated software tool for ELA has been recognised within Marshall Aerospace for several decades. However, whilst having the capabilities and recognised approvals of an aircraft OEM we have a very modest budget set aside for R&D compared to the OEMs. It was during discussions with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), a few years ago, that the subject of modelling aircraft power architectures arose, and the operator recognised that the continued airworthiness of its C-130 airlift fleet would be demonstrably more robust with a more efficient means of doing ELA. As Marshall Aerospace has operational support and maintenance contracts with the majority of progressive C-130 operators around the world we therefore helped the RAAF with an update to its paper ELA. At that time it became apparent that improving the ELA method for the reasons cited above, would be beneficial and offer all operators more confidence in the accuracy of the ELA. Hence development on a software-based ELA tool began, and we were soon referring to it as SERIES (standing for System Electrical Rating Integration Evaluation Software).

We started our development programme by modelling the connectivity that exists in an aircraft’s electrical distribution system, using a number of icons to represent certain ‘bus elements;’ such as generators, transformer rectifier units (TRUs, for converting AC to DC), inverters (for converting DC to AC), transformers (AC to AC) and batteries (DC). We colour coded the bus elements to indicate their output type, yellow for AC and green for DC, and used arrows to provide an indication of upstream or downstream connectivity logic. Figure 1 shows the results of our efforts.

With the electrical system represented we then set about devising a way of loading it, and came up with a means whereby components (by which I mean anything from a light bulb to a galley oven) can be dragged from a library and dropped onto the bus elements; to load them.

It was at this stage that we started adding the kind of ‘intelligence’ that was and is so painstaking to handcraft in a spreadsheet. For example, single supply components placed on a suitable bus element will automatically be accepted; and contribute to bus loading at that point. However, if there is a mismatch between a component’s (required) power type and the bus element’s, placement will not be permitted.

In addition, if a component requires connection to more than one power type, this will be indicated to the user until it is fully connected. Moreover, when connecting a single phase device to a three phase supply we have made it so that the user must select one of the phases.

To support our intended ‘what-if’ scenarios we had to make it easy to see the electrical loading at the bus elements, and accommodated this by allowing the user to zoom in and see the power consumption (in Amps for DC elements and KVA for AC elements, giving a breakdown for each phase if applicable). We also designed the user interface so that left clicking on a bus element will list, in a panel, all the components connected to it. And right clicking any of those components allows its properties and assignments (such as phase allocation) to be changed.

Further building on the ease of use approach, dragging a component out of a bus element list disconnects it from the bus and makes it available for use on a different bus; and in the case of components still connected to another bus element, it will be indicated on the main screen that there are missing connections.

32 | CASE STUDY: MARSHALL AEROSPACE | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Figure 2: Attention to detail. This is the user interface we devised for detailing how a component will load its respective power supplies (and there can be more than one).

Not shown, but different modes of operation can be represented. A radio for example, draws more current transmitting than when receiving.

Clearly, for our ELA tool to be as representative as possible of real life loading much would hinge on the level of detail we could assign to the components.

We particularly wanted to reflect that some components have multiple modes of operation (each potentially equating to a different load). For example, a radio that, in receive mode, has lower power consumption than when transmitting.

Worthy of note is SERIES’ support for multiple power supplies. Figure 2 shows the details of an Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) that can connect to three power sources (28V DC, 26V AC and 115V AC) and that the first and third are required. In its default mode the INS draws 32VA when connected to a 115V, 400Hz AC supply; and its inductance leads to a power factor correction of 92%.

Not shown, but when connected to its 28V DC supply, in default mode the INS represents a load of 0.9W, and the power factor correction is 1 (which always the case for DC).

Figure 3: Above, failed bus elements are indicated by red crosses; and the links between them and their immediate children have broken. Also, where the (real) system is able re-route power this is reflected by new connections. For example, no longer able to take power from Gen No. 2 (as per Figure 1), the Essential Aircraft Bus (ESS AC Bus) now takes its power from the LH AC Bus (adding to both its loading and that of Gen No 1).

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SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: MARSHALL AEROSPACE | 33

With the ability to add and remove components (with multiple modes of operation where applicable) we next addressed the issue of failure modes, and decided that failing a bus object should be as easy as Right Click, Fail.

Figure 3 shows the failing of Gen No. 2 and TRU No.2. Note: you might want to compare Figure 3 against Figure 1 to see how power is re-routed. Importantly, this re-routing (on screen) is not because of intelligence within the ELA software, rather it is reflecting the intelligence designed into the aircraft’s systems.

SERIES is a modelling not a design tool.

Flight Phases & Loading Armed now with the ability to add new components (i.e. as part of investigating the safety of a proposed modification or upgrade) and explore the effects of failed bus elements we then needed a quick and easy way of visualising short-, medium- and long-term loading.

The military standard MIL-E-7016F defines what constitutes short-, medium- and long-term (loading) durations and states that each depends on a number of factors, including whether the component is AC or DC, and for how long it is operational during certain flight phases. Indeed, it is this complexity that makes ‘flattening’ (in a spreadsheet) how an aircraft’s electrical system really operates so difficult.

A snapshot of short-, medium- and long-term loading on an LH AC Bus for different flight phases is shown in Figure 4. Also, note the Analysis Type option. As shown it is set to Realistic but it can be switched to Worst Case, which assumes all components are in their highest current drawing modes; something which in reality should not happen if the aircraft’s avionics is doing its job and is scheduling systems correctly. But then again, this wouldn’t be a truly useful ‘what-if’ analysis/modelling tool if we were to assume

Figure 4: Above, a snapshot of Short-, Medium- and Long-term loading on an LH AC Bus, for different flight phases. It is our intention that a future version of the software will overlay the graphs with limit bars, or use some other means of showing that loads have been exceeded.

certain things could never happen.

Whilst colourful and useful, the image is of course a summary of the facts and figures that must be submitted, in accordance with MIL-E-7016F, to the aviation authorities when attempting to demonstrate that (on paper) a modification or upgrade can be made safely.

Figure 5 shows some of the data – presented as required by MIL-E-7016F - that can be exported into a report.

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34 | CASE STUDY: MARSHALL AEROSPACE | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Figure 5: The hard facts. Calculations submitted to the aviation authorities need to be in accordance with industry standards, such as MIL-E-7016F. Reports can frequently run to 100 pages worth of data, and to calculate such a volume by hand (using multiple spreadsheets) is laborious and error-prone.

presented in a different report format, and we were able to accommodate that. Also, it is our current thinking that, subject to sufficient interest from industry, we will create formats as required for the commercial sector.

In Action No engineering tool would be complete without considering how it is to be used and by whom. In this respect we identified three levels of user and built appropriate profiles; Normal User, Super User and Administrator. Both types of user can run what-if scenarios but only a Super User can make permanent changes to an aircraft’s configuration. Normal Users can only make temporary changes.

This approach supports the ‘Prepared By’ and ‘Checked By’ sign-off procedures that are common throughout the industry; as we wanted SERIES to dovetail with our existing QA processes.

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ISSUE 1 • APRIL/MAY 2011

ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

Piecing the IT Are you ready? jigsaw together

Selecting and implementing an MRO solution

True ERP software for airlines?

Joined-up thinking: Linking multiple solutions Fast MRO Implementation: the benefi ts MRO IT: mapping the future White Papers: SAKS Consulting • Conduce Consulting Case Studies: Gol Linhas Aereas • Kingfi sher Airlines • Sol Linhas Aereas Aircraft IT MRO V1.1 April-May 2011.indd

1

• EA: the beating heart of the business • MRO IT Project Management: keeping

How long did that take? capturing man-hours Measuring electrical load Using and keeping information with CMS White Papers: ICF • AeroSoft • EnvelopeAPN Case Studies: Lufthansa Technik Philippines Aircraft IT MRO V1.2 June-July 2011.indd 27/04/2011 13:06

the plan

• Marshall Aerospace

1 12/07/2011 09:04

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: MARSHALL AEROSPACE | 35

The Administrator, a profile which is typically hidden from view, can access much deeper functions within the software, such as configuring the starting architecture (of the ELA) and editing the meta data of library components. The Administrator goes in via the ‘Security’ button shown on Figure 6.

To start an ELA, the tool must be set up by an Administrator. Super and Normal Users then work together trialling the loading of the system as described above. They can report back their findings at the preliminary and critical design review (PDR and CDR respectively) stages of the project; using tables and graphs from SERIES to support their findings. Once a configuration change is agreed upon (usually at the final design review or when the supplemental type certificate [STC] is confirmed) the fleet data can be updated and controlled on a tail number by tail number basis.

Present & Future During the development of any software application, features will always be added, refined and moved around. SERIES was no exception to the rule, and we feel we have the balance just right to assist engineers and operators to execute their responsibilities. Moreover, we feel it was built in an extremely logical way – i.e. driven by avionics engineers.

Going back to the flaws of using spreadsheets for ELAs; because they are not dynamic enough to schedule load changes, the operator will, through the course of time, reach the conclusion that a proposed modification will push the generation system beyond its safe limit. Therefore an [expensive] upgrade to the electrical generation system will be deemed necessary: whereas, in reality, the safety factor tends to be larger than can be depicted by the spreadsheet method. Indeed, toggling between ‘Realistic’ and ‘Worst Case’ on our Chart output (Figure 5) frequently produces significantly different results.

We designed SERIES to help visualise the dynamic nature of an aircraft’s electrical system and to help engineers and operators draw a safety margin conclusion that is closer to reality than has previously been possible. Indeed, how many times have we been left wondering just how well the proposed upgrades to an aircraft have been captured in the prevailing ELA during the in-service period?

SERIES is a tool designed to work alongside the lifecycle of each fleet, with the ability to be updated as the configurations of its aircraft change. Indeed, SERIES is sufficiently versatile to be able to encompass changes to the generation systems within the fleet. Whether the user is operating a helicopter, a business jet or the latest military strike fighter, SERIES can be configured to help with the often crudely analysed electrical load situation.

Future versions will enable subscribing customers to point their internet browsers at a secure server and access the existing configuration of their fleets, run a variety of what-if scenarios, failure modes, update records and print reports.!

KARL JONES

Karl Jones is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the IET. He is a specialist in the integration of new avionics into legacy platforms and has worked in aircraft avionics for his entire career; and is currently a department head in the Engineering division of Marshall Aerospace.

He has worked on fixed- and rotary-wing platforms and was initially concerned with the development of new military aircraft. Latterly, Karl has specialised in the modification and upgrade of civil and military aircraft and has led a diverse range of integration projects from radios to radars, CNS/ATM packages, glass cockpits, electronic warfare and also the development of in-house data convertors that facilitate easier integration of dissimilar systems.

A particular passion of Karl’s is ensuring his engineers understand the end-to-end project engineering lifecycle - from requirements capture, verification goals, systems engineering, rig test, installation design, test and collection of validation evidence.

Karl holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree with First Class Honours in Communication Engineering from Polytechnic South West, in Plymouth, and is based at the Marshall Aerospace in Cambridge, UK.

About Marshall Aerospace

Figure 6: The frontend to SERIES: • Aircraft is for managing platforms on either a fleet basis (as military operators may wish to do if all aircraft have the same configuration) or a tail number by tail number basis (as commercial operators may wish to do if aircraft are similar but not identical).

• Components accesses the library of loads.

• Sorting & Grouping enable data to be presented in different ways.

• Security is how the Administrator configures and controls the tool (as to be used by Super and Normal Users).

• Modes is where Short-, Medium- and Long-term loading can be controlled and results investigated (as per Figure 4).

• Power Ratings relates mainly to generators and batteries.

• Modifications launches a library of modifications, so that they can be explored on a case-by-case basis or in groups.

• View Current Configuration presents a view similar to that shown in Figure 1.

Note: Scenarios are effectively the ‘what-if’ investigations we wish to perform. SERIES has the ability to record what we’re doing, and the New, Open and Delete buttons are for managing those ‘recordings’.

Marshall Aerospace is the United Kingdom’s leading independent aerospace company and is renowned and respected for its qualityof-service, engineering excellence, flexibility and reliability. The company specialises in the conversion, modification, maintenance and support of aircraft, and its capabilities include: engineering design; manufacture and test; and the provision of personnel, training and advice.

In addition, Marshall Aerospace holds many type approvals - granted by national and international authorities, airlines, airframe manufacturers and defence agencies – enabling the company to design and certify modifications on a number of commercial and military platforms. The company is an approved Continuing Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) and is authorised to issue Airworthiness Review Certificates (ARCs).

Marshall Aerospace is expert in supporting OEMs with the design, manufacture, test and certification of platform modifications - either post-line fitment for retro-fitting or upgrades as well as supporting other MROs.

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36 | WHITE PAPER: ENVELOPE APM | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

A

s an MRO IT software consultant and project manager, I focus on successful implementation of MRO M&E software using project management principles. Project management is a broad topic: this article will look into the basic framework of project management and how this practice is utilized during the implementation of MRO software. It will also cover important points to consider before and during an implementation.

Before we can discuss the management of an implementation, we must first understand the definition of project management.

In the future we can discuss the framework, consisting of process groups, knowledge areas, and component processes and how they relate to MRO software implementation.

Project Management Project management is the application of skills, tools, knowledge, techniques and project activities in the processes required to successfully undertake a project. A project is a temporary endeavor: it has a definite beginning and end, and creates a unique product or service. The five basic process groups of project management include: Initiation, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing.

Project Process Groups Overview

A discussion on Project Management Wes Parfitt, CEO and Founder of EnvelopeAPM Inc, outlines a framework for successful MRO software implementation.

When looking at a project life cycle we work through the above five processes with the first being project initiation. At this stage, a business issue or a business opportunity is identified; for example, the need for a new MRO software package.

A feasibility study should then take place, investigating all possible solutions to the business issue/ opportunity. Next, the scope and the sponsor (either an individual or a committee) of the project will be selected. A full analysis of the new MRO software will be established with a description including a detailed list of required functionality with deliverables: this is the time to establish goals and objectives for the new MRO system. Structuring of the project will take place during initiation and the project management team will be identified. This team may be from internal resources or an internal PMO (project management office), or may be an outsourced project management firm.

Once the initiation phase has been completed along with the project

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: ENVELOPE APM | 37 Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

A project is a temporary endeavor: it has a definite beginning and end, and creates a unique product or service. The five basic process groups of project management include: Initiation, Planning, Executing, Controlling and Closing. scope we can look towards the project planning phase, creation of the project plan, resource plan, financial plan, quality plan and risk planning. We then move to the execution phase which is generally the longest part of the project. This is when the deliverables of the project are completed with actual project delivery and implementation. During this phase, we build the deliverables, and monitor, control and manage time, cost, change, and risk. It is at the end of the execution phase that a final review is carried out to confirm that the project has met the objectives outlined in the initiation phase.

Following the completion of all project deliverables and the final acceptance of the project closure by the customer, i.e. the operator, a formal project close should take place. Activities that should be visited during this time will be to identify any outstanding items, producing a formal hand over to the customer environment, cancelling supplier contracts and releasing project resources internally and externally as well as communicating the closure to all stockholders of the project. Finally, documentation recording lessons learned should be finalized at post implementation and presented to the project sponsor.

Following best practices in project management will ensure that your organization completes a successful project. Remember that a successful project requires having a clear roadmap that will support finishing on time and on budget with all the required deliverables being met. This roadmap will ensure that you stay on track during the course of the project.

Fig 1: What the project management team must do at each stage of the process

38 | WHITE PAPER: ENVELOPE APM | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Points to consider during the project Project management principles are universal: if you are tasked with the adoption of new MRO software, a few important matters need to be considered. To ensure successful implementation of the MRO software package, project management principles should be followed. Each operator is unique and there are numerous MRO IT products available but project management principles are universal so if the principles are followed correctly, your implementation will be successful regardless of the operator and the MRO IT product you have selected.

Defining the problem Before starting the selection process, it is important to precisely define the problem you are trying to solve. Are there specific businesses processes you need to systematize or are there best practices you need to adopt? Do you need to shorten processing lead times or reduce extensive paper shuffles or is the legacy system simply no longer being supported? Are there requirements of specific quality programs or regulations to which you must adhere? And, perhaps most importantly, how will solving these problems pave the way for the operation to be successful with the newly implemented software? Project management isn’t a simple task and requires much work and knowledge. Without a grasp on the project direction, you simply will not succeed in the delivery. MRO IT systems cost a great deal to implement and you definitely do not want to find that you have gone through the expense for nothing; so be sure that you have defined the problems identified and to be overcome with the induction of a new system.

Investments needed For successful implementation to take place, a certain number of investments are required. It requires an investment of financial resources, time, and staff. Other important points are enthusiasm, determination, decision making, planning, execution and continuous improvement.

The right time Projects are always desirable and generally someone is always pushing for them to happen immediately. The key is to examine whether the project is right for

Project management is both a science and an art. It is more than planning and project execution, involving maintenance of schedules and budgets plus requiring considerable project management skills. the present time and situation. An analysis must be done to see what projects are already in place and how the initiation of another may impact them or vice versa. Many operators tend to already have too many projects in place and it is almost impossible for them all to succeed. Since all projects require access to limited or even scarce resources, it is vital that each project has a clear reason for existing. It must be determined that the present time and situation are right for the project and whether the existence of this project might effect the success of another.

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ISSUE 2 • SUMMER 2011

Piecing the IT jigsaw together

• EA: the beating heart of the business • MRO IT Project Management: keeping

How long did that take? capturing man-hours Measuring electrical load Using and keeping information with CMS White Papers: ICF • AeroSoft • EnvelopeAPN Case Studies: Lufthansa Technik Philippines Aircraft IT MRO V1.2 June-July 2011.indd

the plan

• Marshall Aerospace

1 12/07/2011 09:04

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: ENVELOPE APM | 39 Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo

The project manager – the right person for the job One of the major factors in predicting success for any project is selecting the right project manager. Project management is both a science and an art. It is more than planning and project execution, involving maintenance of schedules and budgets plus requiring considerable project management skills. This is where the project manager comes into play. For a project to be successful, the project manager must have the backing and support of upper management, and that can sometimes be tough. If the project manager wants to please everyone, he/ she is not the right person for the role. The project manager ensures that the deliverables are met regardless of whose toes he/she needs to step on to get the job done.

Upper Management Upper management cannot afford a loose involvement but must be actively involved during the implementation process. Support from top management will allow for a more seamless implementation because they are responsible as key stakeholders and so should play a pivotal role at the initiation stage. Should they be only partially involved or not involved at all, their lack of involvement will lead to delays and eventually, to a failure of the implementation. With the backing of top management, quick decisions will mean less delay, ensuring a smooth implementation process.

Costs Another important aspect to consider is project resources, specifically costs.

Project resources should be adequate to complete the project. Too often when resources are being allocated, the true costs are not accurately calculated missing the hidden costs. Hidden costs, when not taken into account, will lead to out of control finances which, in turn, can mean project failure.

People Insufficient resources and an insufficient number of team members will also play a major role in the project’s success. A lack of resources or insufficient resources required for the MRO software implementation will lead to failure or serious problems in achieving the project objectives and milestones. The system needs proper infrastructure and resources for its successful implementation. To avoid errors in implementation and to ensure a smooth process, there should be sufficient resources available. Choosing the right people and the right team is a key contributor to success. Team members must all possess the necessary skills and must be willing to be involved in the project. A project will not work with team members who do not want to be involved or do not see the long term value of the new MRO software. The right people will be enthusiastic about the project. No matter how enthusiastic a team may be, it is generally not possible for members of teams to carry on with their day to day activities while also implementing the new MRO software so additional internal or external resources are usually required.

Once a project starts to fail because of lack of manpower, it is difficult to negotiate for the additional time and money which will be necessary to ensure success. A commitment to enough manpower resources must be settled upon before starting the project implementation. A complete resource analysis should be carried out in the initial phase to justify the expenditure and need.

With respect to the implementation and possible success of your project, you may additionally need to identify other external resources such as facilities, equipment and managerial staff. These resources are a major cost and will impact the budget. Failure to identify outside resource costs could place a considerable burden on the project; however utilization of outside specialists or consultants may reduce this risk.

Lack of understanding Over a decade working with MRO software projects, I have found that one of the most difficult challenges for implementation is the lack of education and understanding of MRO software. The other main challenge is a limited knowledge of the true scale of a product implementation from operators and upper management.

Development of methodologies There are several ways for assuring project realization and success. We can do this with the development of methodologies and quality processes that are now considered standard. Despite the existence of standard methodologies, projects

40 | WHITE PAPER: ENVELOPE APM | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

still fail because companies do not have them in place in the organization as policy. You must set in place your company project management methodologies. Without them, projects undertaken in your organization simply have no foundation for success.

Selecting MRO IT Implementing an MRO solution is a difficult practice. It is important that the organization makes the correct decisions when selecting the best MRO IT for their purposes. Consideration must be given to projected growth, geographical locations, long term abilities and the investigative factors when selecting the MRO IT package. This practice is difficult for typical MRO facilities that simply have limited exposure and knowledge about the MRO IT environment selection process and bench marking the required deliverables.

Whether you are working with a consultant or your internal PMO or simply the engineering department heads, the more detailed an idea you have going into application selection and then implementation, the more likely you are to choose the best application for your purposes and to have that application configured to fit your specific needs today and in the future.

Excess customization Excess customization and multi-location implementation can have an effect on the system.

Many modern MRO systems allow for some customization, however too many alterations to suit the requirements of the business outside of the initial intended use can and will cause issues if the product is customized to fit the organization and not the organization to fit the product. The risk is that the software will have too many alterations which can change the software totally and result in project failure. A little customization is helpful but too much can lead to errors in the implementation.

Initially, it is best to allow the software to operate off the shelf; then, only after running-in, production and a gap analyses, implement the required customizations.

Project failure Often companies that implement MRO IT systems have only a vague notion of what deliverables they want to see from implementation of a new system, and this is really where companies should focus their attention. With this, we should look at project failure and how to overcome improper management and execution. Most aviation software implementations have a terrible implementation record as do software implementations generally for that matter. A study

by PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) concluded that “half of all projects fail, and only 2.5% of corporations consistently meet their targets for scope, time and cost goals for all types of projects” - www.pwc.com.

Why do software implementation projects fail?

There are lots of reasons such as poor sponsorship, weak reporting and communication and a lack of management leading to improper control of the project. Other reasons for which projects fail include poorly defined objectives, poor planning, continued utilization of old technologies, lack of project management methodologies and utilizing poorly trained or inexperienced staff with insufficient levels of knowledge. The number one reason for failure is that project managers often fail to set a clear direction for the project. Without a clear direction, their projects suffer scope creep, cost overruns and delays.

Training Extensive training programs need to be given to users to overcome implementation troubles. The users of a newly implemented MRO IT software must be given sufficient time to understand the new system and get used to it. They should be allowed more time to learn the system logically as well as being provided with opportunities to work through complete system workflows perhaps with small workshop scenarios prior to the ‘go live’ phase. The initial investment of time and support for new users will give greater returns into the future operation of the system. Allowing department heads and users to be involved with the workshop scenario creation will allow for local users to become ‘Super Users’.

The new system should be made as easy as possible

to learn; when we look at training programs we must look at the benefits, advantages and value of trained and knowledgeable staff, as they are the foundation for MRO software implementation and future operations.

For the greatest return on your investment with your system, users must fully understand the software capabilities. Training must focus on technical and non-technical aspects. Training programs should be defined for each level of user. For example, senior managers may need training on a broader level compared with an operator who may need training on analytics and reporting aspects of the system. Different training approaches and styles may need to be made available as not all individuals learn the same way.

The best approach for training delivery is a rolledout approach over a specific period of time. This allows for comprehensive learning without overly taxing the students. Also, use the latest technologies available for delivery; available technologies include video blog, web based, and computer based. Other training styles include classroom, web application format, printed materials, on the job, and e-Courses.

One of the most important factors for continued successful use of the MRO IT software should be continual long term training. Over time, most users will develop short cuts with the program; they will tend to find the shortcomings of the application and create ‘work arounds’. These short cuts and ‘work arounds’, in my experience, can mean dropping over 25% of the systems features and functions. Another issue is that many users tend not to look outside the module in which they work and are simply unaware of the secondary effects that short cuts may cause within other modules of the program. A blended training approach will, over time, provide students with the appropriate information in the best environment to comprehensively absorb the wider functionality of the system and will also expose students to the best learning styles for them.

When planning your training program, remember to review the following questions: Who will be the audience? What type of training deliveries will be used? If using classroom training or workshops, will the training be held at the head office environment, or will the trainees come to a specific training center on-site or will they be required to travel regionally or internationally? Will the training roadmap be completed internally or via the MRO software company? Who will be responsible for the delivery of web based training options? Will the software company develop the initial training materials including the manuals and e-learning courses?

Will there be any score card for the training? Will students be required to undertake examinations?

Change management Change is difficult for most people and companies and it must be managed; but it is inevitable and so staff must be flexible. The software company and the software itself will often introduce changes, including to roles, responsibilities, procedures and processes. Your management team must be able to deal with these changes, adapt and continue to control the project. This can be done with continued education and management, as well as communication. Where there is a lack of information, there will be lack of control over the change. Remember, to overcome resistance to

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: ENVELOPE APM | 41

change is to give clear communication and education. Resistance usually comes from fear so educating the employees will reduce this. Some people will resist change and will have adjustment issues and some employees will simply have anxieties during these transition periods. These employees should be supported. Management needs to be supportive. Special training programs may be required.

People and departments will be greatly affected because of the implementation of a new MRO IT system. Some individuals may lose considerable power that they currently hold within the old system and will resist change as much as possible. If the employee refuses to cooperate, a more forceful approach may be required. In such cases, the employee will be offered an incentive to leave the company with either buyout options or perhaps retirement options; or perhaps be internally transferred.

For the successful implementation of an MRO software package, you cannot allow resistance from those in current positions of power. As a last resort, forceful coercion tactics can be used. Management can explicitly or implicitly force employees into accepting change. Successful implementation depends on making it clear that resistance to change can and will lead to jobs losses, dismissals, employee transfers or loss of promotion opportunities. Unpleasant as that may seem, the success of the project could depend on it.

Other issues Other issues that can occur are that the system may not work in the way that was planned. To overcome MRO IT implementation troubles, a contingency plan must be developed at the beginning of the project.

Strategies should be established in detail in order to avoid any errors.

Make sure that proper research about the software has been completed.

The selected MRO software package should be suitable for the company and the selection of the software vendor should be done only after proper research has been undertaken including an evaluation of internal processes, and talking and meeting with actual users and/or current customers of the short listed software vendors. Request onsite customer visits and involve your own internal users. Your internal users of the current legacy system are the ones who know the environment best.

Some of the factors that lead to errors with MRO software

“Where there is a lack of information, there will be lack of control over the change. Remember, to overcome resistance to change is to give clear communication and education.”

implementation could occur if care is not taken.

Implementation takes investment meaning time and budget investment, resource investment and upper management investment. Regardless of all that, if the new software is not implemented the right way from the initial phases, you will have long term and continual loss on that investment, more than likely for the life of the software. It is therefore important to consider all possible risks to ensure that the software is implemented successfully. It is also important to have as much control as possible to produce as few errors as possible.

WEs PARFITT

Wes Parfitt, PMP® is CEO and founder of EnvelopeAPM Inc. and Global Aviation Audits. He has more than 10 years’ experience in aerospace project management, audits and MRO software implementation having inducted over 30 MRO M&E systems in 20+ countries in the past decade. Based first in Australia and now Canada, and with broad aviation software and technical records knowledge, Wesley has worked with high profile, fixed-wing and helicopter operators and MROs across the world.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Fig 2: A Gant Chart to track progress in each element of the project

We have covered some of the points that will need to be considered for successful implementation of an MRO IT product plus possible problems that operators may encounter if project management principles are not followed. In order to achieve a successful implementation, one that is running with the desired deliverables and in which the users are satisfied with the improvements to their day to day work, it is recommended that project management principles be followed. A successful MRO IT implementation will provide a good return on investment.

“The users of a newly implemented MRO IT software must be given sufficient time to understand the new system and get used to it.

They should be allowed more time to learn the system logically as well as being provided with opportunities to work through complete system workflows.”

EnvelopeAPM Inc. provides Aviation Project Management advice and technical services to clients around the world, specializing in Aviation Project Management. The principal of EnvelopeAPM Inc. has worked with customers on-site in over 20 countries; from airlines to helicopter operators, regional airlines, tourist operations and governments.

Their consultants are certified project managers, with (PMP)® credentials, the world’s most important industry recognized certification for project managers. Along with aviation backgrounds, EnvelopeAPM Inc. approach every aviation software implementation from the stand point of helping companies with best business practices and meeting their critical business requirements. They have worked with MRO software implementations, continual project management and MRO systems auditing programs in Asia-Pacific, Australasia, North America and Europe.

ASK THE EXPERT In addition to being available now to answer any questions you have arising from this White Paper, Wesley Parfitt is available all year round for one-to-one consultancies via the Ask The Expert feature at www.aircraftIT.com. He will be happy to assist you with your queries.

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42 | SOFTWARE DIRECTORY | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

MRO Software Directory

Key ‘at-a-glance’ information from the world’s leading MRO software providers.

There are three recognized categories of MRO software solutions: 1) Pure-play MRO solutions also known as Best of Breed (BoB) 2) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solutions 3) Specialist Point Solutions Software solutions assigned to categories 1 & 2 offer a complete end-toend MRO solution for airlines, MROs and aircraft operators and meet most business system requirements for MRO facilities and airlines of any size seeking a new MRO software solution or looking to replace or renew an existing one.

Pure-play, BoB and ERP MRO Solutions:

2MoRO Solutions

W: www.2moro.com T: +33 (0)559 013 005 (EMEA & Asia) T: +001 514 861 8686 (Americas) E: 2moro@2moro.com Company formed...................................................................2004 Office Location......................................France (HQ) and Canada Name of Product Marketed • Aero One®, Aero-Webb®, BFly® Number of Modules....................................................................6 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Fleet Management • Technical Referential Management • Maintenance Forecasting • Inspection, Sentencing, Workbench • Configuration Control Created in 2004, 2MoRO Solutions is an innovative company dedicated to software development for the Aerospace & Defense market (operational and R&D needs).

We are located in America and in Europe. Our solutions are operated in 17 countries. We provide three high value products: Aero-One®, Aero-Webb®, BFly®.

We have partnership with the world best of class ERP and PLM software providers, SAP® and PTC®. Our products are fully integrated with ERP offering cross functionalities: Accounting, Financials, Sales, Purchasing , Operations, Inventory & Distribution. We offer specific A&D functionalities: Fleet Management, Technical Referential Mgt, Maintenance Forecasting, Maintenance Execution, Inspection & Sentencing, Configuration Control, CRM & CSM.

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Pure-play systems are designed specifically for the aviation MRO industry and typically offer a complete solution to fit with the highly regulated nature of the industry. ERP MRO Solutions are part of a complete end-to-end enterprise wide software package and allow for extended capability with other systems such as Finance and Human Resources.

Specialist Point solutions are MRO systems that are particularly strong in certain niche areas and usually complement the pure-play solutions.

For ease of reference the directory below is divided into two sections: Pureplay and ERP MRO Solutions; and Specialist Point Solutions

ADT - Applied Database Technology

W: www.adbtech.com T: +1 (425) 466-5013 +1 (614) 377-9644 E: sales@adbtech.com Company formed...................................................................1992 Office Location............... Bellevue, Tampa USA; Istanbul, Turkey Name of Product Marketed • Wings NG Number of Modules..................................................................14 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Fleet Management • Maintenance Engineering • Material Management • Production Planning • Labor Collection, Billing 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 the aerospace companies.

ADT has been in the software business since 1992 and 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.

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AeroSoft Systems Inc.

W: www.aerosoftsys.com T: +1 905.678.9564 E: sales@aerosoftsys.com Company formed...................................................................1997 Office Location.............................................Mississauga,Ontario, Canada; Miami,FL,USA; Austria Name of Product Marketed • DigiMAINT, DigiDOC, WebPMI/DJM Number of Modules....................................................................5 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Maintenance and Engineering Management • Digital Document Content Management • Business Intelligence Reporting • Business 2 Business transaction interface • Interface to Financials, Flight Operations AeroSoft Systems Inc. is unique in MRO /IT, born in 1997, out of aircraft OEM digital document systems and the evolution of ATA iSPEC2200 and SPEC2000 standards.

AeroSoft has two distinct MRO/IT products: DigiMAINT and WebPMI sharing a common set of optional modules for BI, B2B, Finance and Flight Operations, plus DigiDOC, a state of the art digital content management system. AeroSoft has the unique expertise to integrate DigiDOC with any competitive MRO/IT system. AeroSoft’s strategic partners include Hexaware Technologies Inc. who are jointly going to market internationally offering large IT capacity at competitive rates.

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Looking for MRO Software Solutions?

• Are you looking for the best MRO IT, software at the cutting edge?

• Want to find out what products are on the market and how you can find out more about each solution?

• Use the AircraftIT Portal to search through a list of market leading MRO software providers. Either search by vendor or drill down further and search by module or software type to find your perfect solution.

• Learn about the different solutions by requesting a private demo or signing up for Live Software Demonstration webinar sessions.

Click here to begin your search

SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SOFTWARE DIRECTORY | 43

Cimber Air Data AS W: www.amicos.com T: +45 7443 3222 E: sales@amicos.com Company formed...................................................................1985 Office Location...............................................................Denmark Name of Product Marketed • AMICOS Next Generation Number of Modules................................................................ n/a Five Key Business/Software Areas • Maintenance & Engineering / MRO • Logistics and Procurement • Reliability & Statistics • Planning • Manpower & Cost control 25 years of successful design, development and implementation makes Cimber Air Data (CAD) one of the most seasoned players in the business. Our staff averages over 15 years of experience in Aviation MRO. Close contact with our customers assure that we are constantly up to date with the latest developments and business requirements. When you talk to CAD staff, you are talking to a proficient Aviation Professional.

Cimber Air Data is a profitable company, and we are constantly developing the product.

The AMICOS NG (Next Generation) MRO system is an affordable “Enterprise” solution exclusively developed for Aviation. Our focus is on in-depth functionality and total process control. The diversity of our customers and their business processes ensures that AMICOS covers almost any possible variation of MRO data management.

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Communications Software (Airline Systems) Ltd

W: www.commsoft.aero T: +44 (0) 1621 817 425 E: nsg@commsoft.aero Company formed...................................................................1971 Office Location...................................... Tiptree, Derby, Norwich, Gatwick, UK; Brisbane, Australia; Coimbatore, India Name of Product Marketed • OASES Number of Modules..................................................................10 Five Key Business/Software Areas • User Friendly - ease of use for all levels of expertise • Excellent Support - full support throughout the life cycle of the product • Scalability - can grow with your business • Cost - low ‘cost of ownership’ • Security - proven security Communications Software Ltd provides the Open Aviation Strategic Engineering System (OASES), covering all aspects of aircraft maintenance for airlines and third-party maintainers. Areas covered include: inventory control; rotable tracking; demand handling; requirements planning; PO and RO processing; component and aircraft technical records; maintenance forecasting; aircraft check planning and documentation, plus check accomplishment analysis; aircraft technical log recording; shop floor data collection; work in progress; time and attendance monitoring; and system and component reliability analysis, plus repetitive defects, sales order processing, full quotation management, invoice passing, advanced scheduling, line maintenance control, AD/SB evaluation and deferred defect management. The company provides electronic AMMs and IPCs linked electronically to, and accessible by, the system.

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Lufthansa Technik AG

Ramco Systems

W: www.lufthansa-technik.com/manage-m T: +49 69 696 91628 E: info@manage-m.com

W: www.ramcoaviation.com T: +1 305 538 8499 E: agatag@rsc.ramco.com

Company formed...................................................................1995 Office Location............................................................Worldwide Name of Product Marketed • manage/m® Number of Modules..................................................................15 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Compliance Reporting • MPD management and revision service • Task scheduling and control • Material management • Management of technical findings (PiRep & MaRep) Lufthansa Technik’s unique Technical Operations WebSuite manage/m® allows commercial aircraft operators to manage all core functions of their fleet’s technical operations as an entirely web-based system online – anytime and anywhere. manage/m® is provided at no extra costs to every customer holding a MRO contract with Lufthansa Technik.

Rounding out Lufthansa Technik’s all-encompassing portfolio of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, the modules of manage/m® comprise a complete range of airline-proven support functions that permit operators to live up to their responsibilities towards the aviation authorities.

Reflecting Lufthansa Technik’s MRO competence in all of its facets, manage/m® provides you with the necessary information to live up to your responsibilities as an operator in full. Quality monitoring, reliability trends, status reports, documentation and tracking of shop events in realtime are just a few of the available WebServices.

Company formed...................................................................1996 Office Location..........USA, Canada, Europe, Middle East, Africa, India, Asia-Pacific, Singapore, Malaysia Name of Product Marketed • Ramco Aviation Enterprise Solution, Ramco Aviation M&E solution, Ramco Aviation MRO Solution, Ramco Aviation Analytics, Ramco Electronic Flight Bag(EFB), Ramco ePublications, Ramco Aviation Manufacturing OnDemand, Ramco eProcurement Number of Modules..................................................................20 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Maintenance & Engineering • Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul • Aviation Manufacturing and Repair Stations • Human Resources • Finance Ramco Systems is the world’s largest provider of Aviation M&E, MRO and Manufacturing software solutions designed from the ground up for Commercial Passenger and Cargo, Military, PBL, PBM, Fixed Wing & Rotor, Fleet Operators, MRO providers and OEM organizations. The solutions are offered On-premise (in-house), through an Application Service Provider, or OnDemand utilizing its solutions and automation tools in running lean, efficient and profitable operations.

Ramco’s Series 5 provides a positive impact on reducing turn times while increasing operational performance and compliance through the full integration of engineering, supply chain, maintenance planning and execution, and compliance modules in an elegant graphical interface.

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Mxi Technologies

Rusada SA

W: www.mxi.com T: +1 613-747-4698 E: info@mxi.com

W: www.rusada.com T: 03333 440730 E: sales@rusada.com

Company formed...................................................................1996 Office Location.................. Ottawa, Amsterdam,Detroit, Seattle, Washington, Sydney, Tampa, Saudi Arabia Name of Product Marketed • Maintenix, Maintenix CE Number of Modules....................................................................5 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Maintenance Engineering & Information Management • Maintenance Planning • Maintenance Execution • Material management • Business Support & Analytics With solutions designed specifically for aviation maintenance, Mxi Technologies provides integrated and intelligent software, support, and services to commercial airlines, MROs, OEM aftermarket service providers, and defense operators. Mxi Technologies’ Maintenix® software uses a modern architecture and provides advanced capabilities such as a role-based Web browser interface, long range and automated line planning, automated workflow, electronic signatures, support for portable wireless devices, and a comprehensive range of integration APIs. Our customers range from emerging, small to midsized organizations to the largest global enterprises. For more information and to find out how you can join the evolution of aviation maintenance, visit www.mxi.com today.

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Company formed...................................................................1987 Office Location..................... Europe, Middle East, Asia, Far East Name of Product Marketed • Envision Number of Modules....................................10 (Single database) Five Key Business/Software Areas • Technical records and Asset Management • Asset and Stock Management • Operations • Engineering & Maintenance • Quality, Safety and Analytics Rusada is a global leader in the development of complex asset management software for the aerospace industry.

With over 20 year’s heritage, Rusada, provides a range of tools and integrated IT solutions to enable the complete management of fleets of aircraft and the optimisation of the service provision around them. Headquartered in Switzerland with operations in the Far East, Middle East, Asia and Europe, Rusada serves over 60 major customers worldwide, spanning clients that include Operators, MROs and OEMs. Rusada’s Envision toolkit is an industry benchmark within aviation managing over 1500 aircraft in 20 countries. Latest innovations include the development of an Analytical Manager for live KPI analysis and monitoring against thresholds via a web based dashboard, and a new Safety Management Module designed to assist with a company’s Safety Management Procedures.

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44 | SOFTWARE DIRECTORY | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SUMMER 2011

Sheorey Digital Systems Ltd.

TRAX USA Corp.

W: www.sds.co.in T: (+91-22) 2281 9198/ 2281 1086 E: rohit.jha@sds.co.in E: vicky.sheorey@sds.co.in

W: www.trax.aero T: +1 305.662.7400 E: sales@trax.aero

Company formed...................................................................1993 Office Location...........................Mumbai, Bangalore, Singapore Name of Product Marketed • ARMS®: Airline Resource Management System, InfoPrompt®: Integrated Document Management System Number of Modules....................................................................4 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Engineering & Maintenance Sub-System (ARMS® - EMSS) • Heavy MRO Sub-System (ARMS® HMRO)* • Logistics & Inventory Management Sub-System (ARMS® LIMSS) • InfoPrompt®: Integrated Document Management System * Under development Sheorey Digital Systems Ltd., (SDS), is an established, fast growing, ISO 9001:2008 Certified Software Company, focused on providing Software Solutions to the Aviation Industry.

ARMS®: ‘Airline Resource Management System’ is an internet rich, current-generation, state-of-the-art Information Technology System that effectively addresses the extremely critical and cost sensitive nature of Airlines/Commercial Air Transport operations. ARMS® is one of the few costeffective, fully integrated software solutions that seamlessly addresses – Flight Operations, Maintenance and Logistics functions of an air transport operator - designed and developed to control costs which is so very critical for Air Operators today! ARMS® is readily and easily ‘customizable’ to specific business & operational requirements.

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Company formed...................................................................1997 Office Location........Miami, Fl, USA; Horsham, West Sussex, UK Name of Product Marketed • TRAX Maintenance & Engineering Software Number of Modules..................................................................23 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Engineering & Planning • Production & Shop • Technical Records & Reliability • TRAXDoc Document Control • Supply Chain Management TRAX is the global leader in the aviation Maintenance and Engineering software industry. Deployed at airlines with fleets of all sizes, TRAX is the most advanced maintenance software solution available today. TRAX Maintenance has been developed with Airlines and for Airlines.

Consisting of over 20 modules, TRAX Maintenance is a completely integrated product. Organizational efficiency gains can be substantial when using TRAX 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.

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Volartec

Specialist Point Solutions

AIRCRAFT DATA SYSTEMS (ADS)

W: www.technicalrecords.net W: www.adsfrance.net T: +33 (0) 975 333 675 E: jalbrecht@technicalrecords.net Company formed...................................................................2005 Office Location.......................................................Nîmes, France Name of Product Marketed • ADS TRM (Technical Records Management), ADS TPA (Technical Publication Authoring) Number of Modules....................................................................5 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Searchable Dirty Finger Print • 7 OCR engines • 3 seconds or less to find a 25 years old log book page with its exact content • Scan in Color, high definition • EN-9100 Our software can be tailored upon customer requirement.

This allows us to input and organize records in any architecture in order to meet the exact requirements and internal rules of our customers. The records presentation shape is established just as customer wishes.

A mechanic, a financial assessor or a leasing company representative don’t have the same needs to collect and explore records but will be interested in the same content of data. Once scanned, the records can be presented, searched and exported in any customized way.

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EmpowerMX

Swiss AviationSoftware Ltd. W: www.swiss-as.com T: +41 61 582 72 94 E: marketing@swiss-as.com Company formed..............2004 (project AMOS started in 1989) Office Location.....................Basel, Switzerland; Miami, FL, USA Name of Product Marketed • AMOS Number of Modules..................................................................10 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Material Management • Engineering • Planning • Production • Maintenance Control Swiss AviationSoftware unites over 20 years of IT experience with profound MRO expertise and offers its customers the functionally unsurpassed and technologically state-of-the art 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, almost 100 customers worldwide steer their maintenance activities with AMOS, which makes AMOS the industry-leading MRO software in Europe and one of the best-selling solutions globally.

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W: www.volartec.aero T: +353 617 49010 E: marketing@volartec.aero Company formed...................................................................2004 Office Location................................................Ireland; Argentina Name of Product Marketed • Alkym ® Management & Control System for Aircraft Maintenance Number of Modules..................................................................15 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Maintenance & Engineering • Logistics • Quality Assurance / Human Resources • Planning & Reliability • Document Management / Technical Library Alkym® is the most comprehensive and cost-effective software solutions available in the market today. It is specially designed to improve MRO Technical Operations performance by a professional team with strong aviation background. Alkym® is a completely integrated software solution to meet the demands of Aircraft operators and MRO providers.

The key difference is our proven ability to deliver the fastest ROI. This is achieved by providing all the functionality at a fraction of the cost of others on market.

We deliver the implementation project in record time with a dedicated team. Typically this is done in 4 to 5 weeks.

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W: www.empowermx.com T: +1 866-498-3702 E: info@empowermx.com Company formed...................................................................1999 Office Location....................................................Minnesota, USA Name of Product Marketed • Fleetcycle MRO Suite, Fleetcycle Execution Suite Number of Modules....................................................................8 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Maintenance Program Manager (FCMPM) • Planning Manager (FCPM) / Materials Manager (FCMM) • MRO Manager (FCXM) • Production Manager (FCXP) / Reliability Manager (FCRM) • Line Manager (FCXL) / Maintenance Intelligence (FCMI) FleetCycle® MRO ERP allows mros, airlines, lessors and any aviation maintenance entities to effectively manage the entire maintenance lifecycle or portions of the lifecycle they are responsible for. Airlines can jointly manage their outsourced and all insourced activities like Engineering Reliability, QA, Maintenance Programs, at the line, heavy, and shop levels. FleetCycle® ERP can significant reduce cycle times and enhance labor productivity to the order of 16%-30% and reduced costs, as well as increased aircraft availability, and reduced delays and cancellations. Third party MROs can run their entire operation of contracting and bidding on an aircraft to invoice the customer.

FleetCycle® MRO ERP is the only tool currently available in the market place that reaches down to the technician on the floor and completely automates the process.

Intelligence gathered with this system provides an accurate, timely basis for dramatic improvements in the efficiency and integrity of maintenance processes and the forecasted availability of aircraft.

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SUMMER 2011 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | SOFTWARE DIRECTORY | 45

Enigma W: www.enigma.com T: +1 781-273-3600 E: infous@enigma.com Company formed...................................................................1992 Office Location....Burlington, MA USA; Singapore; London, UK; Tokyo, Japan; Hertzlia, Israel; Stockholm, Sweden, Name of Product Marketed • InService MRO, InService Job Card Generator, InService Revision Manager, Enigma 3C Number of Modules................................................................ n/a Five Key Business/Software Areas • MRO Technical Documentation Delivery • Revision Management/Control • Job/Task Card Automation • Illustrated Parts Catalogs • Service and Parts Documentation Enigma solutions help airlines and MRO facilities reduce costs and improve service efficiency and consistency by providing maintenance technicians with the latest maintenance manuals, spare parts and service information, filtered by tail number. Enigma takes data from enterprise applications – such as MRO Planning and Engineering, ERP, etc. – and creates an interactive maintenance solution that delivers the latest service, parts, and diagnostic information.

By offering dynamic, integrated parts and service information, and links to inventory, order management and other systems, Enigma enables engineers to quickly update and distribute technical publications, and technicians to swiftly perform maintenance and repairs.

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Gen2 Systems Limited

Hexaware Technologies

W: www.gen2systems.net T: +44 (0) 121 351 6563 E: adrian.ryan@gen2systems.net

W: www.hexaware.com/travel-transporthospitality-solution.htm T: India: +91 22-67919595 T: Americas: +1 609-409-6950 E: vaibhavs@hexaware.com

Company formed...................................................................2007 Office Location............................... Birmingham UK, London UK Name of Product Marketed • FLYdocs Number of Modules....................................................................9 Five Key Business/Software Areas • Aircraft Management • Engine Centre • Repair Centre • Search • Current Status / EoL Centre FLYdocs is a highly efficient system used for electronic Document Storage, Aircraft Returns, Engine Management, Repair Management, Landing Gear Management, APU Management, Thrust Reverser Management, instant online Searching and Lease Company Management….plus much more…

The system is incredibly flexible and easy to use and provides clients with integrated options to connect to internal Maintenance Planning systems to create a closed loop for record keeping. FLYdocs uses a highly advanced and exceptionally intelligent platform to perform manual tasks with ease, vastly reducing the time it takes to manage documentation as well as providing major cost savings and value for money.

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Company formed...................................................................1990 Office Location...........Mumbai, New Jersey, London, Frankfurt, Singapore, Japan, Dubai, Mexico Name of Product Marketed • Hexaware is a Technology and Business Services Company providing end to end services to the Aviation market.

Number of Modules................................................................ n/a Five Key Business/Software Areas • Custom MRO Software development and maintenance • System selection consulting & system integration services • Implementation, upgrades and migration of MRO products • Interface Development • Customization and Enhancement across modules Hexaware is a niche, focused IT and BPO services company providing end-to-end system integration and IT services to customers across Travel & Transportation, Banking and Financial Services, Healthcare and Manufacturing industries.

With annual revenues of USD 230M for FY 2010, Hexaware has a global workforce of around 6300 consultants working across various industries and technologies. Hexaware has a strong experience working in various business functions in MRO and Technical Documentation domains and specialize in System selection, custom software development and maintenance services, Business Intelligence / analytics, Infrastructure Management Services (IMS), and Quality Assurance and Testing services.

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EVOLVE The world of aviation maintenance is evolving. Maintenance organizations looking to maintain their competitive edge and safeguard their future need adaptable maintenance software. With its unparalleled commitment to quality and innovation, Mxi Technologies delivers industry-leading software that lets you keep pace.

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What’s coming up in the next edition of AircraftIT MRO Available early October at www.aircraftIT.com Case Study Acquiring an MRO IT System - Is a home-grown system or an off-the-shelf system preferable?

Juswil Adriani, Engineer (Project Manager MRO IT), AirAsia

White Paper Mobile Device Considerations for Supply Chain, MRP, and ERP Systems Byron Clemens, President / Principal Consultant, CKK Solutions LLC

Case Study The application of Wireless Sensor Network Technology in MROs and at Turkish Technic. How the network functions and the practical benefits are analysed.

Dr. Orkun Hasekioglu, CIO, Turkish Technic

White Paper Continuing improvement through process modelling and adaption Peder Falk, Aviation Systems Professional, Aviro AB

Case Study IT Project management on the basis of a complex MRO process (time control of engines).

Dr. Andreas Richter, Project Manager internet based MRO, Lufthansa Technik Maintenance International Plus: Latest News and Technology Updates, Preview of upcoming Live Software Demonstration Webinars, Latest Industry Vacancies (New Feature), Software Directory...

Click here to subscribe for free now to reserve your copy Contact us for further details Visit: www.aircraftIT.com email: ed.haskey@aircraft-commerce.com or call +44 1403 230 700 / +44 1273 700 555