June - July 2012 • Issue 118 The leading international magazine for the manufacturing and MRO sectors of commercial aviation Large turbofan engine MRO Market review and dynamics The best IT solutions In my opinion: Moog Widebody freighter Maintaining relations: for scheduling MRO GM Kate Schaefer conversions update MRO/OEM partnerships photo: Swiss-AS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IT for maintenance scheduling and planning The complexity of scheduling and planning aircraft maintenance requires sophisticated IT solutions which can handle a web of logistical, operational, financial and regulatory considerations. Joanne Perry speaks to eight IT providers about the products they offer and hears about recent moves to introduce smartphone applications. he aviation industry is a sophisti- birth information, parts traceability, configura- Toner, managing director at AerData. The infor- cated industry and challenged as it tion control and life limitations. Rajan Bindra, mation is correlated in a central source and pre- “Trelates to maintenance scheduling engineering systems manager at British Airways sented in the form which best suits user and planning,” observes James Elliott, product (BA) Engineering, likens the situation to having objectives. According to Andrew Valley, VP of marketing manager at Mxi Technologies. “It’s “a lot of balls in play at any one time” — balls sales at Component Control, the majority of cus- highly regulated across the board and around the which have to be juggled according to “exacting tomers “are running separate systems” and “not globe,” he continues, adding that the compli- quality standards unsurpassed by other indus- all aspects of the business are integrated”. He says cated assets, business processes and models in- tries”. that maintenance schedules, manpower, and ma- volved “breed a high level of complexity that IT scheduling and planning packages collate terials systems must function in unison “to really needs to be resolved and handled by the IT solu- and organise the large amounts of information gain productivity”. tion”. involved in maintenance processes, enhancing Looking at the market as a whole, Elliott ex- Ronald Schaeuffele, CEO at Swiss Aviation- visibility and accessibility. “The software aids by plains that IT solutions have progressed from Software (Swiss-AS) agrees that aviation IT re- removing multiple areas of information within first-generation computerisation of legacy paper- quirements are “unique and immense”, an organisation that’s being held in [for example] based systems, through semi-automated second- encompassing considerations such as back-to- Access databases [or] Excel files,” explains Patrick generation software, to third-generation 68 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 118 S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Above and right: ‘Maintenix’ from Mxi Technologies is an integrated, web-based software solution which enables real-time data recording and reporting, access to detailed historical information and the modelling of future projections. web-based packages “that can model business (APIs). In addition to the core modules, value- Other software packages which serve varied needs with advanced processes and feature capa- added features include a long-range planning ca- user groups include ‘EFPAC’ from AerData, bilities down to the component level”. Mxi’s own pability which helps users to build and manage ‘AMOS’ from Swiss-AS and ‘TRAX Maintenance’ solution, ‘Maintenix’, was launched at the third- long-term strategic maintenance programmes by from TRAX. generation level back in 1996. Elliott regards this analysing inputs and scenarios and identifying EFPAC integrates technical, operational and as an advantage over competitor offerings that areas for concern. Indeed, Elliott describes financial information through a range of mod- have to be retrofitted with web capability to reach ‘Maintenix’ as a “business platform” more than a ules which handle issues such as engine trend the third-generation. software product, and as such especially support- monitoring and airframe check planning. A Another trend is the increasing entry into the ive of evolving customer needs. In Elliott’s words, “what-if” scenario capability assists asset man- tier one market of best-of-breed systems “where this adaptability is “bi-directional”, assisting agement decisions, while configurable display previously only ERP [enterprise resource plan- businesses whether they are “ratcheting up or details and “drag-and-drop” functions create an ning] type systems were considered,” according scaling back”. easy-to-use interface. Toner says that EFPAC is to Schaeuffele. He believes that for providers of Users of ‘Maintenix’ benefit in three key useful for lessors as well as airlines and MROs. generic ERP products such as SAP and Oracle “it areas: cost reduction or revenue generation — “Airlines would primarily use it for planning is even more difficult to reflect all special regu- depending on organisation type; change man- their engine shop visits,” he explains, “for calcu- larities and conditions of the aviation industry as agement — including growth, mergers and the lating the cost of their fleet or portfolio of en- well as to keep pace with the changes (regulari- addition or retirement of aircraft; and risk man- gines throughout the course of its life inside the ties and customer requests) in the MRO sector”. agement. Elliott says that data configuration, airline.” He says it is “particularly beneficial” to rather than customisation, is used to create a tai- airlines when they are approaching the renegoti- Diverse users lored solution which is “user-friendly, asset-cen- ation of power-by-the-hour (PBH) arrangements Elliott says that ‘Maintenix’ users are spread tric, role-based and workflow-driven”. The fully with lessors or OEMs because of its ability to across all sub segments of the aviation industry web-based user interface is fed by workflow data highlight a “delta” in the cost of the agreement. — commercial, business jet and military — in- and the roles of specific personnel within the Lessors, meanwhile, can use the software for cluding OEMs, operators and pure MROs. The client organisation; consequently, vast amounts tasks such as maintenance reserve analysis, for software enables real-time data recording and re- of information can be made digestible to individ- example checking the status of engines when porting, access to detailed historical information ual users. Elliott believes that the data configu- moving them on rentals or leases. “A lot of the and the modelling of future projections, with ration is “a markedly different approach” from MROs would have their own engine lease portfo- systems and departments such as flight opera- more standard software products, which he says lios and they utilise it in a very similar way,” says tions, procurement, electronic logbook and often require “high-cost, complex customisa- Toner. MROs also use EFPAC internally for shop third-party maintenance being integrated tions” in order to achieve “somewhat similar re- visit planning. The software is applicable not just through application programming interfaces sults”. to engines but to any asset, including airframes 70 S Aircraft Technology - Issue 118 S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The ‘TRAX Maintenance’ user interface is designed to enhance the visibility of maintenance requirements through colour-coded displays which combine graphical and spreadsheet data. redeploy 19 personnel from a 26-strong planning “The main value of ‘AMOS’ lies in the fact that, due to the department. Like ‘TRAX Maintenance’, the modular system's flexibility, full functionality, open technology and ‘AMOS’ from Swiss-AS is also sold as a highly in- data transparency, the prerequisites for informed business tegrated bundle. The software, which Schaeuffele describes as “exceedingly user-friendly”, is tai- decisions are fulfilled.” lored to the needs of each customer by parameter —Ronald Schaeuffele, CEO, Swiss-AS setting during implementation and follow-up ad- justments. The package has a built-in adaptabil- ity which enables administrators “to shape and and components such as auxiliary power units document”. Regardless of size, Reed notes that model ‘AMOS’ according to the requirements of (APUs) and landing gears. the control and visibility of compliance in all their business without any involvement from Chris Reed, managing director of TRAX, says maintenance work is “critical” for customers and Swiss-AS,” says Schaeuffele. This includes a ‘Re- that his company’s software initially served air- the authorities alike. port Designer’ framework with which users can lines which were conducting their own mainte- The ‘TRAX Maintenance’ user interface pro- alter existing reports and create new ones. nance or third-party MRO, but that since vides visibility of all aircraft maintenance re- Schaeuffele says that the “main value” of completing an installation with Lufthansa Tech- quirements through colour-coded displays which ‘AMOS’ lies in its “flexibility, full functionality, nik Philippines (LTP) it has gained a MRO cus- combine graphical and spreadsheet data. It in- open technology and data transparency”, which tomer base. Additional functionality, such as a corporates “drag and drop” functionality to create he believes are “the pre-requisites for informed third-party customer billing module, has been work packages on a timeline which co-ordinates business decisions resulting in efficient cost added and Reed says the software is now “equally with flight schedules and