Smart phones drive MRO innovation

Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul workshops are no longer places of sweat, noise and elbow grease as the mobile app drives innovation in the aviation workshop.

by CHIEF CORRESPONDENT, TOM BALLANTYNE  

November 1st 2014

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Today’s generation of MRO engineers grew up with computers at home, cell phones in their pockets and, more recently, smartphones and tablets as a part of their everyday lives. Read More »

Espen Olsen, director aerospace and defence business development and sales at Europe’s IFS, a major supplier of solutions for fleet management, contractor logistics support, MRO, and defence manufacturing, said: “They are well versed in how such technology works. In this age of ‘bring your own device’, mobile applications can drive innovation in MRO.”

In a White Paper released in September by IFS, “The Pivotal Role of the Mobile in Civil Aviation MRO.” Its authors said new mobile applications, combined with agile resource planning tools, will enable MRO shops to avoid costly new software developments or extensive training as the business’ practices change.

“Nowhere is the use of smart devices more practical than in the world of aircraft MRO. The numbers of aircraft in service today is unprecedented and MRO is a major and swiftly evolving market. New developments have to take into account increasingly competitive profit margins, extensive regulatory frameworks and passenger safety,” the authors said.

“With some [analysts] claiming that 99% of the revenue received per flight by airlines is needed to break even, MRO mobile technology will drive innovation and profitability in this market,” Olsen said.

Traditional MRO involves a lot of paper maintenance manuals, he said, whereas a mobile app offers the manuals on a device in a technician’s pocket. “Work becomes more interactive, more interesting and, arguably, more effective with the inclusion of videos and 360 degree images,” he said.

“Tablets are adaptable to the support of general MRO, are portable and relatively robust, providing the ability to take photographs of a specific part which needs repairing, as well as incorporating wearable technology.

“Maintenance engineers on the ground will enjoy the most benefits from this mobile MRO new age,” said Olsen.

Instead of assessing the situation, attempting to identify the specific manufacturer part number, returning to the warehouse to retrieve the relevant part and finding that it isn’t currently in stock, engineers will be able to examine faults on an aircraft in real time using a mobile device to identify the asset, determine its immediate availability and have the part delivered to the aircraft repair site.

The White Paper pointed that mobile devices offer a window to enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, its maintenance processes and sign-off, as well as supply chain and configuration management.

“Businesses should look to integrate mobile apps as an extension of their full ERP suite, as opposed to a separate entity,” said Olsen. “In this way, MRO providers can significantly improve efficiency, improve the accuracy of data capture and simplify what is traditionally a slow, paper-based process. The more holistic an ERP solution is, the simpler it is to extract management information and benefit the bottom line. This includes the integration and use of mobile technology.

“A mechanic can target the exact information he or she needs to carry out a repair at any location and follow a rigorous MRO process whether it is in a sprawling hangar complex or on the tarmac at a remote location.”

Wearable technology, such as smart watches, are expected to play a role in future MRO operations. IFS’s research and development team is trialling notifications from IFS applications on a Samsung Gear 2 smart watch as a proof-of-concept. The research team hope to demonstrate the ability of the device to engage with content from ERP and asset management systems. The project aims to show that users can read updates, make transactions, send alerts for processes and receive important notifications in real time.

IFS, a major MRO company in the defence sector, has been expanding its commercial airline MRO portfolio. Emirates Airline has selected IFS Applications™ 8 to manage its new engine overhaul facility in Dubai. The solution will support all business processes, including MRO and corporate performance management (CPM). The Dubai airline is building an engine overhaul facility in Dubai which could service up to 300 engines annually after it is completed.

Mobile technology is only one leg of advanced information that will benefit future MRO operations. Speaking earlier this year at an MRO event in the U.S., Richard Brown, principal at ICF International, a U.S. management, technology and policy consulting firm, predicted the MRO market will produce significant cost savings because of the big increase in e-enabled aircraft.

“In the next decade, as the fleet of next generation IP-enabled passenger jets increases from 400 to 11,300, MROs will use IT technology to improve prognostics and predictive maintenance, better coordinate maintenance planning, boost productivity, better manage supply chains and parts inventory and streamline technical record keeping,” Brown said.