Aircraft IT MRO eJournal "2014 Predictions" How I See IT

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White Paper: Flatirons Solutions, 2MoRO Solutions, Holocentric Case Study: National Airways Corporation Vendor Job Card: 2MoRO Solutions PLUS… How I see IT, News, Upcoming and Past Webinars, MRO Software Directory V3.1 • MARCH/APRIL 2014 HOW YOU USE YOUR DATA However collected, data improves performance on all fronts DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT Who is adopting new standards and how are they fitting in LEVERAGING CHANGE If you’re going to upgrade, upgrade everything

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Michael Denis provides reviews the trends in aviation IT - to include mobility, cloud 2.0 tying product and service lifecycle management via content lifecycle management and the rise of the Chief Digital Officer within organizations.

Transcript of Aircraft IT MRO eJournal "2014 Predictions" How I See IT

Page 1: Aircraft IT MRO eJournal "2014 Predictions" How I See IT

White Paper: Flatirons Solutions, 2MoRO Solutions, Holocentric Case Study: National Airways CorporationVendor Job Card: 2MoRO Solutions PLUS… How I see IT, News, Upcoming and Past Webinars, MRO Software Directory

V3.1 • MARCH/APRIL 2014

HOW YOU USE YOUR DATAHowever collected, data improves

performance on all frontsDOCUMENT MANAGEMENT Who is adopting new standards and how are they fitting in

LEVERAGING CHANGE If you’re going to upgrade, upgrade everything

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Editor’s commentMRO IT is about the latest technologies and solutions leveraging value from the whole fleet, all the time

The first flight of the Boeing 737 MAX in 2017 will mark a significant aviation milestone. First flown in 1967, this is no ‘legacy’ aircraft: the 737 MAX will illustrate that new technology efficiency and established reliable success are far from mutually exclusive ideas. I mention this because ability to span several generations of technological enhancement matters in commercial aviation as it is and as it is likely to become.

Given the high cost of development, it is likely that future new designs will need to adapt to changing requirements and possibilities over a production cycle spanning many decades. Also, given the purchase price of new aircraft, owners (airlines and lessors) will want to apply whatever technologies and processes can best ensure a long and productive life for their investment. Most of these technologies and processes will be Aircraft IT or use IT for their effectiveness.There is an article in this issue from an airline using an engineering upgrade requirement

to leverage a whole lot more IT capability which will serve for many years to come. There’s also an article on the latest information exchange standards, making documentation more useful and easier to use… and, at the same time, better able to manage engineering, technology and IT changes emerging in future years. Efficient use of aircraft is a key to business success for airlines; so the article on using data culled from experience to better plan maintenance and forecast wear offers real value. Finally, an article on leveraging business value from an unavoidable process: compliance generates lots of useful information; so use it profitably.

As always, you’ll learn what makes a key software vendor tick plus How Michael Denis sees IT. All wrapped with useful news and information from your sector.

The Aircraft IT live demonstration webinars allow readers to research the software package most appropriate for their needs and access past webinars with more focus than ever while, of course, future webinars are open for every reader who registers.

Technology and IT solutions will continue to amaze us but they will have to be able to benefit existing as well as new designs and processes to be economically acceptable to the market. At Aircraft IT MRO we aim to keep you up to date on new ideas as well as the latest developments in established ideas and designs that work.

Aircraft IT MRO: what you need to know about what works in your world.

Ed Haskey

CLICK HERE: Send your feedback andsuggestions to AircraftIT MRO

CLICK HERE: Subscribe for freeAircraftIT 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 2014 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: Ed Haskey E-mail: [email protected] Telephone: +44 1273 454 235 Website: www.aircraftIT.com Copy Editor/Contributor: John Hancock E-mail: [email protected] Magazine Production: Dean Cook E-mail: [email protected]

04 NEWSThere’s always a lot going on with Aircraft MRO IT which has to deliver ever more in the age of the connected aircraft. MRO IT managers can follow developments on www.aircraftit.com/MRO and here in the Aircraft IT MRO e-journal.

18 CASE STUDY: STEPPING UP WITH MRO SOFTWARERob Vogel, Senior Manager, National Airways CorporationWhen National Airways Corporation (NAC) decided on a system, it had to achieve much more than a simple engineering upgrade: read how the change was managed.

21 VENDOR JOB CARD: 2MoRO SOLUTIONSPierre Dagois reveals the principles and ethos which have made 2MoRO Solutions the success it is todayIn this Job Card, Pierre Dagois, Chief Executive Officer of 2MoRO Solutions explains the philosophy and practice on which 2MoRO has built its IT and business achievements

22 UPCOMING LIVE MRO SOFTWARE DEMONSTRATION WEBINARSA preview of live MRO software demonstration webinars featuring AD Software on 20th February 2014 and Volartec on 6th March 2014.

24 WHITE PAPER: EARLY ADOPTERSDavid Boyer, VP of Aerospace Operations, and Tim Larson, Global Product Manager at Flatirons SolutionsThis final article looks at how organizations in the civil aviation ecosystem are adopting best practices to support iSpec 2200 and S1000D information exchange standards to accommodate both existing and new-generation fleets.

29 COLUMN: HOW I SEE ITMichael Denis looks at the predictions for 2014Who would have thought it? Michael Denis offers his as usually well-informed and succinct predictions for the year ahead and they include some interesting thought provokers for MRO IT executives.

30 WHITE PAPER: USING DATA TO IMPROVE MRO SCHEDULE MANAGEMENTA. Ben Zakour, Research and Development Engineer, 2MoRO SolutionsApplying intelligence and real in-service data to maintenance planning and wear/failure forecasting can make MRO more efficient and more effective.

34 PAST WEBINARS: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND ACCESS FOR INDUSTRY EXPERTS View Video Recordings of our Past Live MRO Software Demonstration Webinars. See full information and view video recordings of past Live MRO Software Demos, including: Lufthansa Technik AG, 2MoRO Solutions, AeroSoft Systems, Aircraft Data Systems (ADS).

36 WHITE PAPER: STRONGER WHEN TACKLED TOGETHERGeoff Zuber, Director, HolocentricIt’s all too easy to see regulatory compliance as a burden on the business when, in fact it can be leveraged and arranged to deliver a range of real business benefits.

38 EVENT PREVIEW: AIRLINE & AEROSPACE MRO AND OPERATIONS IT CONFERENCE

43 MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORYA detailed look at the world’s leading MRO IT systems.

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Bombardier, and other airframe manufacturers – that have identified S1000D as the information standard for their new-generation programs. Early adopters also include suppliers to the primary OEMs who provide components and systems for new-generation aircraft. These OEMs are creators of technical information and, as such, play a role early in the lifecycle of an aircraft and the creation of its technical information.

In contrast, airline operators and their technicians are consumers of technical information. Being further downstream in the introduction of new aircraft, they have not been early adopters actively working with S1000D content. This is largely because airline operators are just now taking delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, while the Airbus A350 and Bombardier CSeries aircraft are not yet in general production or in active service.

Second, and more importantly for the purposes of this article, early adoption applies to best practices being implemented by OEMs to supply data in the S1000D standard while still supporting data standards for existing aircraft programs. It is this second type of early adopter that is setting the standard by which others in the civil aviation ecosystem will measure their systems in the 21st century. Let’s take a closer look.

Best practice in a single systemSuppliers to primary airframe manufacturers are taking the lead as early adopters of best practices to adopt systems that let them create and manage S1000D-based information in a single system with iSpec 2200 data, while airline operators have largely stepped out of the conversations determining how critical information technology that makes their businesses run will impact them. All participants in the civil aviation ecosystem are at a crossroads to identify what the adoption of new-generation aircraft means across their organizations and determine how they will equip themselves to compete in the 21st century.

Part 4: Early AdoptersEngine manufacturers, say David Boyer, VP of Aerospace Operations, and Tim Larson, Global Product Manager at Flatirons Solutions, take the lead in adopting best practices to support S1000D in a multi-spec world.

THE FOCUS OF this series is the emergence of S1000D as the new information exchange

standard for civil aviation and the significant step-change it represents in the way all participants in the civil aviation ecosystem will create, manage, deliver, access, and use information in the future. Along with the gradual adoption of S1000D for new-generation aircraft programs is the ongoing requirement to

simultaneously support iSpec 2200 standards for existing programs.

When looking at early adopters, let’s start by specifying what early adoption means in two respects. First, early adoption applies to organizations that are actively creating or working with S1000D content. Early adopters in this sense are the primary original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) – Airbus, Boeing,

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ADOPTION OF S1000D: ENGINE MANUFACTURERS TAKE AN EARLY LEADOne segment of the civil aviation ecosystem that is actively adopting S1000D as required by the primary OEMs, and tackling head-on the challenges of supporting multiple specifications, is engine manufacturers.

Living in a multi-spec environmentPrimary OEMs including Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier are driving adoption of S1000D across the civil aviation ecosystem by requiring technical information in S1000D for new-generation aircraft. The primary OEMs drive the information standard with which everyone else in the ecosystem has to work. Other OEMs have to produce information for Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, etc., in both iSpec 2200 and S1000D, and airline operators live in the middle of this multi-spec environment. OEMs and airline operators need to figure out how to accommodate both sets of standards and can adopt best emerging practices to mitigate the cost and complexity of meeting evolving requirements.

Global manufacturers of aircraft engines face a dilemma common to many OEMs — steadily rising costs to capture, manage, and distribute technical information in multiple exchange standards for complex product lines, global partnerships, and business process needs. Like other large OEMs, in order to support their customers’ and suppliers’ requirements, engine manufacturers must produce technical information in iSpec 2200 and now S1000D standards. New S1000D requirements have meant that they faced the costly and complex possibility of developing multiple systems. For some manufacturers, supporting S1000D also has meant the

possibility of adding systems not just within one business division but across several divisions.

These large OEMS have recognized early on that adding a new technical information management system to handle S1000D requirements in parallel to their existing systems is not a sustainable approach. The resulting complexity would be costly, time-consuming, and subject to error. At the same time, they have recognized that cobbling together various applications and databases over time to meet changing requirements is not an alternative or feasible solution either.

What these large manufacturers have done is adopt a single solution suited to their technical information requirements for the 21st century.

THE SOLUTIONLeading engine manufacturers are calling on technical information management specialists with expertise specifically in aerospace and aviation to develop best practices for next-generation systems. The technical information management systems they are developing include key functionalities as discussed in previous articles, including:

• A SINGLE SOURCE FOR REUSABLE CONTENT: A solution that provides authors with a ‘one stop shop’ for all content (including XML/SGML, 3D models, graphics, and metadata), which is stored centrally in a Common Source Database (CSDB) for use by multiple sites and business units.

• USER-FRIENDLY AND INTEGRATED XML EDITORS: XML editors that reduce the learning curve for authors who are new to XML yet provide the sophisticated XML functionality of traditional editors and that are tightly integrated with other components of the larger system,

“…adding a new technical information management system to handle S1000D requirements in parallel to their existing systems is not a sustainable approach. The resulting complexity would be costly, time-consuming, and subject to error.”

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SOFTWARE DETAILS AND FOR A DEMO

The author view in TechSight/X Editor

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• ON-DEMAND DATA TRANSFORMATION VIA PUBLICATION MANAGEMENT: Powerful publication management capabilities automate content transforms for both in-bound technical information (from supplier partners) and out-bound support and maintenance content (for end-customers). This lets OEMs take in, store, and publish out content for both legacy iSpec 2200 and next-generation S1000D fleets — without requiring the OEMs to alter or abandon legacy document type definitions (DTDs). By normalizing content through on-demand data transformation, data can be presented to end users in S1000D or iSpec 2200, PDF, and HTML publishing options, providing the required level of flexibility needed to support a wide array of spec-defined programs and contractual commitments from within a single publishing environment.

• INTEGRATION WITH CRITICAL ENTERPRISE INFRASTRUCTURE: By providing not only a content management capability but also a powerful workflow engine capable of managing business processes both within and outside the client organization, the technical information management solution is tightly integrated with the client enterprise resource planning (ERP) and reporting infrastructure to ensure that the solution’s capabilities are accessible and quantified.

BEST PRACTICES: MODERN TECHNOLOGY PLUS DOMAIN EXPERTISEIn addition to adopting modern technology that underlies a single technical information management system for both existing and new-generation fleets, these early adopters are also doing something else that is different. They are calling on vendors who are experts specifically in aviation and aerospace. Many of the components of an information management solution are available from a variety of vendors that serve a broad range of industries. However, a key differentiator that allows OEMs to get the most benefit out of advanced technology is working with aerospace domain experts.

For example, while an organization can use a number of generic XML editors, a CSDB, or integrations between its technical information and other enterprise systems, it can fall short of getting the full value of the technology if not applied to its specific use cases. OEMs that call on product-based solutions adapted for the specific use of the aviation community show marked added value in terms of time to deployment, productivity, and lower overall cost. What’s more, these early adopters have researched the time, effort, and budget required to develop custom solutions based on generic technology. They have made the wiser decision to invest in providers with dedicated aerospace solutions with roadmaps set to mature through time based on the input of other aerospace customers.

RESULTSThese large OEMs are not going cold-turkey, jumping quickly from their existing systems to the new technical information management system. Rather, they are making the transition to a new multi-spec system over the course of multi-phase implementations in order to minimize the cost and disruption of solution adoption. The single system combined with the phased approach has helped OEMs realize benefits that include:• Through the consolidation of multiple platforms,

dramatic and quickly achieved reductions in content conversion costs, IT maintenance and administration costs, as well as lower training costs for end-users previously charged with working in multiple application platforms.

• Efficiency gains resulting from speedier review and decision-making processes through the use of both internal and external workflows to capture and respond to business and technical requirements from the manufacturer’s end customers.

• New revenue streams through improved business flexibility to meet customer needs for custom publications, automated delivery of content to external portals or data stores, or other revenue-generating customers or program-specific requirements that were difficult to respond to using legacy system capabilities.

• Lower cost per publication with improved support for custom publications, distribution of updated content to end-customer portal sites, and traditional content delivery mechanisms.

• Improved content consistency and accuracy thanks to increased re-use of material that is common across multiple products, publication types, or business units.

AIRLINE OPERATORS: PASSIVE PARTICIPANTS IN A CHANGING INDUSTRYWhile, on the OEM side, there are several early adopters of single systems designed to handle multiple specifications for existing and new-generation fleets, the picture is much different on the airline operator side.

S1000D became the international exchange standard in technical information for civil aviation in 2004.

As of mid October 2013, 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliners had been delivered out of a total 131 orders1. Orders for the A350 stood at 7252, and Bombardier had received more than 170 orders for its CSeries aircraft3. Each aircraft program uses S1000D for the basis of its technical information.

Nearly a decade has elapsed since S1000D entered into civil aviation and the first new-generation aircraft began rolling off the production lines. That decade saw airline operators step back from conversations on information exchange standards and the technology discussions that will impact them for decades to come.

Northwest Airlines was the sole early adopter

such as TechSight/X® Editor based on Serna XML Editor from Flatirons Solutions (formerly InfoTrust Group). It offers a word processor-like interface, instant XML validation, and other user-friendly features that make the adoption of XML easier while providing advanced capabilities experienced XML authors expect. Its integration with the TechSight/X CMS (content management system) also facilitates content authoring and editing to increase authors’ productivity and speed up the delivery of up-to-date information to end users.

The overview tab in TechSight/X CMS

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supporting multiple specifications in a single system among airlines. Delta gains that benefit through the merger of the two airlines. Outside of this, airlines have been slow in preparing for this change in the industry. Since new-generation aircraft are just now entering service, this is somewhat to be expected. However, because airline operators have removed themselves from discussions in the S1000D User Group, the ATA e-Business Program’s Civil Aviation Working Group, and other civil aviation conversations, they are not poised to scale their existing technical information management systems to meet requirements of new-generation aircraft programs.

Instead, the majority of airline operators are taking what’s coming to them from the primary OEMs by default. Rather than making business decisions from an informed perspective, they are now starting to live through the changes that are on their doorstep without knowing what these changes mean. Absence from the conversations about information standards and technology means airline operators are dependent on others to guide them through this process. This can be a challenge for both the airline and the solution provider. Here the solution provider needs to be able to share S1000D knowledge and provide training and coaching as well as a product that aids the airline in producing, managing, and delivering content in the multi-spec environment.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION, GET PREPAREDRather than highlight early adopters among operators, then, here we recommend to airline operators that they take proactive steps to learn about what new S1000D specifications mean for their maintenance and engineering teams as well as their technicians. Get involved with the ATA e-Business Program, attend the S1000D User Forum, discover training options available today. Read the previous articles in this series about who is impacted by new information standards and why; as well as options for charting an optimal course to meet new requirements. Explore options available to you from vendors offering solutions, request demonstrations, watch webinars.

Now is the time to start establishing plans. If you began making plans for a single authoring tool and IETP (interactive electronic technical publication) in the past (as airline operators started to do several years ago), dust them off and fill in the gaps. Start from this foundation and build a plan that uses best practices so that you can fully understand the decisions you need to make as you take delivery of new-generation aircraft. Transitioning from a legacy system to one that will meet your needs for years to come should start now. Rather than backing into decisions because you lack information, face the future and walk into it with the right information so you can make the best decisions to support your business and your customers.

TIM LARSONCHIEF PRODUCT TECHSIGHT/X SUITE, FLATIRONS SOLUTIONSTim Larson has more than 30 years’ experience in commercial aviation and has played a key role in promoting and developing the S1000D

specification in the ATA e-Business standards body. He serves on the ATA e-Business Steering Group (ESG), is a member of the ATA Civil Aviation Working Group and the S1000D Steering Committee, and supported the design and delivery of the first S1000D production solution for a commercial carrier. Tim currently serves as the chief product owner for InfoTrust Group’s TechSight/X suite of products that support both ATA iSpec 2200 and S1000D specifications.

DAVE BOYERVP OF AEROSPACE OPERATIONS, FLATIRONS SOLUTIONSDave Boyer is vice president of Aerospace Operations for Flatirons Solutions’ TechSight/X suite of products. He has more than 20

years of experience as an aircraft technician and maintenance supervisor with the U.S. Air Force and several commercial airlines, applying this experience to help airlines, OEMs, and MROs increase productivity, reduce costs, and achieve profitability.

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FLATIRONS SOLUTIONSFlatirons Solutions provides information management consulting services and solutions for Fortune 500 and other companies in the

aviation and aerospace, enterprise, government, high-tech, and publishing and media industries — helping customers deliver the right information, at the right time, to the right people.

The TechSight/X suite of products is an independent solution for technical information management developed specifically for the aerospace industry to create, manage, and deliver large volumes technical information in support of the production, operation, and maintenance of aircraft throughout their lifecycle.

Did you know?The TechSight/X suite of products is today’s leading manufacturer-independent, technical information management solution used by the world’s largest airlines and OEMs.

The TechSight/X OEM Edition helps OEMs support their customers and suppliers in the production, ongoing revision, and automated distribution of aerospace technical information specifically designed to support multiple formats and standards — like iSpec 2200 and S1000D — with reusable, dynamic content to support a wide range of programs, specifications, and delivery formats.

The TechSight/X Aircraft Maintenance Edition is designed for airline operators that have ordered and are taking delivery of new-generation aircraft. It is a suite of applications for managing maintenance and engineering information across both existing iSpec 2200 and new S1000D program fleets — including the Airbus A350, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and others — so you can accommodate both existing and new-generation aircraft programs in a single system.

The solution delivers the most current, accurate, and regulatory-compliant information for all aircraft to technicians at the point of performance — and gives your airline control of your technical documentation for all of your fleets in a single system — relieving pressures of technical information management so you can retain your competitive advantages and focus on flying.www.techsightx.com

Get InvolvedJoin the conversation on technical information standards for new-generation aircraft programs.• ATA e-Business Program Membership Information www.ataebiz.org/meminfo/ • ATA e-Business Program, Civil Aviation Working Group (CAWG) www.ataebiz.org/apps/group_public/ • ATA e-Business Forum and S1000D User Forum 2014 www.ataebiz.org/forum/

CONCLUSION: NEW-GENERATION TECHNOLOGY FOR NEW-GENERATION AIRCRAFTStepping onto a Dreamliner or watching the test flights of the Airbus A350 and Bombardier’s CSeries are tantalizing. These new-generation aircraft are ushering in a drastically new era of civil aviation. The flying public can see many of the differences that set new-generation aircraft apart from their older kin. For those less-visible organizations that are building the components and systems of these new-generation aircraft behind the scenes, one cannot underestimate the urgency to adopt sustainable solutions to support new-generation aircraft and your day-to-day operations. If you’re an OEM or supplier struggling to meet multiple technical information requirements for multiple customers, take a look at the technology and solutions available today from aerospace specialists to help you meet head-on the challenges of a multi-spec world. Learn from what early adopters already have done and chart a course to support your business.

On the airline operator side, we eagerly await to see who the early adopters of 21st century technical information management technology will be. As operators take delivery of the 787 and eventually the A350 and other new-generation aircraft, unless they take proactive steps they will have missed the opportunity to adopt solutions to keep their fleets running smoothly without incurring exploding costs, a lag in delivery of information to their technicians, increased risks of fines, and other consequences. If operators don’t soon join the conversation on technical

information standards and technology, they’ll be in a reactive position; and we have to hope that the consequences won’t be negative for the flying public.

All players in the civil aviation ecosystem can reduce the complexity they face in meeting new requirements by adopting a single system that supports multiple specs for technical information management for existing and new-generation fleets. Leading OEMs are making the business decision to consolidate their technical information management systems into one and are achieving tangible results. Airlines can plan ahead and experience the same benefits. Get started now to identify and develop your technical information management solution for the 21st century. n

FOOTNOTES1 http://active.boeing.com/commercial/orders/index.cfm 2 www.a350xwb.com/x-tra/od 3 www.bombardier.com/en/media-centre/commercial-aircraft-status-reports.html

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INTERACTIVE: GET INVOLVED!Why not get involved with the debate? Send

your comments or questions to Michael by clicking here.

How I see ITPredictions for 2014Michael Denis

New Year’s resolutions and annual predictions are like earnings forecasts; the longevity of their accuracy is often short lived. Although the lifespan of predictions may be short, here are some of my predictions for the aerospace and aviation industries for 2014:1.Mostairlinesreachsustainableprofitability.Decadesofanalysis show a high correlation between country gross domestic product and air travel, a trend we continue to see in 2014 as the global economy continues to recover fromthefinancialmeltdownof2007.2. Fuel prices will remain relatively low and stable. Fuel prices are not expected to increase . Of course, the problem isthatthebenefitofanimprovingglobaleconomyalsocauses increased demand for oil and raises jet fuel prices.3. The rosy future for operators overall does not necessarily translate into a rosy everywhere. Air carriers in India will continue to suffer from the combination of a weaker economy, too many carriers providing excess capacity, and laws that increase costs while preventing direct foreign investment. Australia is another country where government regulations and over capacity are resulting in air carrier financiallosses.

4. Merger mania is over. Mergers in the Americas seem to be complete with the AA/US and LAN/TAM marriages. With the exception of Alitalia, Europe, too, seems to have finalizeditsM&Aconsolidations.Fortherestoftheworld, consolidation and its associated capacity discipline are unlikely, as carriers will be bolstered by good enough financialreturnstoavoidbankruptcybutnotgoodenoughtospurM&A.5. The short-term outlook for providers of MRO services is positive. Forecasts of MRO spend, measured in labor hours, material and overhead, are strongly correlated toincreasedassetutilization,laborandsupplycostsaswell as asset lifecycle stage. The continued introduction of new-generation aircraft will, however, put downward

pressures on the industry as demand wanes. 6. MRO skill shortages continue to increase. Technologically advanced new-generation aircraft require higher skills in an industry already suffering from aging demographics and geographic skills shortages. This trend, coupled with the cost of ferrying aircraft, will level the offshore outsourcingplayingfieldand,tosomedegree,resultinrepatriation of work both on-shore and in-house.7.OEMs’landgrabforincreasedaftermarketrevenueswill accelerate via control of IP. OEMs’ move in to the more lucrative aftermarket by bundling asset acquisition, financing,logisticsandmaintenancearecommonplace.OEMs are now increasing the intensity of IP protections and IT mandates on new-generation aircraft. They are betting on the long view that affordable bundling of asset acquisition,financing,logistics,andmaintenancetodaywill reap high margins in the coming decades and lock in cash-strapped operators. The expansion of MRO Networks and OEMRO joint ventures continue to negatively impact fullyindependent,non-airlineaffiliatedMROs.So what do these predictions mean for MRO IT in 2014?• Mobility solutions that increase labor productivity and dispatch punctuality will become ubiquitous. • Servicepartsoptimizationtechnologiesthatimprovepartsdistribution, turn times, and pooling will continue to see increased usage. • As OEMRO ventures expand, integration of Product and Service Lifecycle Management technologies will increase. • Mergers are an impetus to replace mainframe legacy systemsresultinginenterprise-wideITmodernizations.• B2B integration of MRO business networks will continue to increase demand for MRO IT networks with modern industrydataexchangestandards(SPEC2000,S1000D,S5000F).

Or at least that’s how I see IT.

“This trend, coupled with the

cost of ferrying aircraft, will

level the offshore outsourcing

playing field and, to some degree,

result in repatriation of work

both on-shore and in-house.”

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