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COMMERCIAL MRO 20 MAY 2016 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY to be a healthy mix of competition and managed stability in an organization's MRO supply chain. The supply chain needs to be secure and able to deal with the growing risks of counterfeiting. With such challenges putting strain on maintenance operations, how do orga- nizations remain flexible, agile, and informed? How do they optimize their assets and resources so that efficient and effective MRO is the key driver to maxi- mizing profits? ONE VIEW NEEDED TO MANAGE ASSETS ACROSS THE WHOLE ENTERPRISE Businesses need to manage assets and resources across the whole enterprise. Effective asset management and MRO efficiency are, and will continue to be, critical factors in business performance and ultimately the bottom line. Many operators currently and historically use solutions that have emerged from spe- cific initiatives — for example one solution for managing air- craft fleet line maintenance, another for heavy mainte- nance, a further vendor solu- tion for technical publications management, and yet another vendor solution for an end-to- end supply chain and the close contractual engagement with key suppli- ers. An organization may also have a mix of in-house and OEM-supplied solutions. MRO is a complex process and needs industry standard, robust processes but it doesn't need to be serviced and sup- ported through an equally complex user interface. The business should be treated as a business not a set of distinct orga- nizations. How an engine is progressing through an MRO shop, where certain parts are in their lifecycle, how certain suppliers are performing, how HR man- ages the resource risks, are we meeting compliance reporting and audit obliga- tions are all parts of the P&L; success and all contribute to the enterprise. The key therefore is IS support that combines both industry standard, robust processes with an enterprise wide opera- tional information driven perspective. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? This means being able to integrate data, metrics, and operational and business objectives. The value-add of an integrat- ed approach to asset management and maintenance is a common user-interface (reducing the amount of training needed and encouraging cross-department col- laboration). Agile line maintenance — civil aviation operators need a line main- tenance solution that enables the opti- mization of resources, allocation against planned tasks, and capture of costs of work undertaken. Robust heavy mainte- nance, repair, and overhaul — MRO solu- tions need to provide an integrated, incre- mental solution to match the demands of engine and airframe MRO overhauls — on time, on budget, with safety and within regulation. Organizations need the abil- ity to work smarter and adapt through the use of agile, modular enterprise solu- tions based upon standards that can pro- vide the broader functionality needed. In addition, successful MRO providers realize that making operations smarter requires end-to-end strategic intelligent business operations. This requires solu- tions that provide a range of tools deliver- ing visual insight, decision support, and action execution at the enterprise level, to accelerate business performance. To support a complex MRO operation, three key elements are required: • Map the Enterprise — In order to reach the nirvana of well-informed deci- sion making, the first step is to have a top- down corporate business management process that gives the leadership 'Visual Insight'. Most business intelligence solu- tions are limited by using a bottom-up approach, a legacy of patching in stove- piped functional systems without real interconnectivity. • Mon itor Per for mance — Management needs a system that moni- tors the performance of activities against business goals. For example, to be able to calculate the impact of raw material price or quality changes on the bottom line in real-time. In this way, each functional leader can direct their energies toward those tasks that matter the most to achieving the corpo- rate strategic goals. • Manage the Business — Managing the business isn't just about watching things happen, it is about doing things when necessary. Business leaders need the ability to execute decisions supported by real-time 'what- if' analysis that drives their specific business and gives them a competitive edge. WHAT OTHER TRENDS WILL IMPACT CIVIL AVIATION MRO? Consumer IT is having a drastic effect on the way we work. With the growth in popularity of smartphones and mobile devices has come an expectation for the same functionality in the workplace as in our personal lives. Civil aviation is not immune from the ripple effect of consumer trends. Support solutions are becoming less about IS infrastructure and more about open access and ease of use. Mobile devices are now commonplace in maintenance hangars, and wearable technology has recently been trialed to inspect aircraft on the ground. The next generation of logistics will see the