By providing highly bespoke services based on accumulated service records unique to each airline customer, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul organizations (MROs) are just as vital as OEMs in assisting in keeping airplanes operational and airworthy. During the pandemic, the industry-wide collapse has caused MROs to suffer billions in loss of business globally. In fact, the near absence of commercial flights has nearly removed commercial MRO from the equation as airlines constantly postponed MRO activities due to low flight hours and aircraft utilization.
However, as aviation emerges from the pandemic and thousands of planes return to operation, demands for MRO services have spiked out of control. As a result, most MRO organizations are still struggling to capitalize on those returning opportunities due to various challenges.
Like airlines and OEMs, the MRO sector faces a major challenge with a “post-crisis” labor shortage after large portions of aviation workers – including many technical assets – have already departed the industry. As airlines are rushing to get thousands of planes off the ground, there are simply not enough MRO techs to service them. In the MRO sector, having been massively downsized in human resources, the aviation industry could be emerging into an uncertain future with no technical talents to service actively flying aircraft.
To meet those demands (and keep the revenue rolling in), MROs must find many new technicians and engineers to fill vacant positions while trying to retain their current staff. As many tech talents have made a permanent change to their career, MROs may be forced to hire juniors who fall far short of the experience usually required. In that scenario, they must find a way to have these new hires expeditiously trained with the help of senior techs, most of whom are retiring.
It’s also important to remember that the global fleet profile has been altered in the last few years. Narrowbody planes are being produced to address fuel consumption and wide bodies are being converted to cater to the rise in cargo hauling. There will be a need for efficient information exchange and training systems to aid workers with servicing both newer and older models of planes.
The second major problem faced by all aviation organizations is supply chain disruptions. Already forced into relative dormancy due to the pandemic, OEMs are now struggling to ramp up production fast enough to meet the sudden, massive demands for airworthy parts. This directly affects MROs and airlines’ tech departments with their ability to procure the parts vital to maintenance works. In fact, smaller independent MROs could easily end up the biggest losers in the contest for parts.
Improving data exchange – a way to help address the current challenges
As modern aviation is heavily reliant on fast digital information exchange, having these technologies and processes internally enhanced may likely be the key to helping MROs improve the quality of their work when servicing customers and partners.
One way which MROs can achieve that is by adopting a more modern system for data collaboration, particularly the exchange and utilization of technical manuals and publications (IETM/IETP) – both internally between staff and externally with partners (airlines, OEMs). Being one of the main consumers of technical content, MRO engineers will benefit from an excellent and easy-to-use IETM/IETP tool, helping them work smarter and more efficiently during this difficult time.
For example, with its modern architecture and highly specialized features, the NIVOMAX suite of applications for IETM/IETP offers the much-needed help for MROs to navigate the challenges of labor shortage and supply chain disruptions.
First, NIVOMAX natively supports multiple versions of S1000D and Legacy OEM-provided data, providing a true multi-spec platform for MROs to work with mixed fleets – including both older and newer models of planes and parts currently manufactured by major OEMs.
Second, NIVOMAX Viewer offers Shareable Annotations, a tool to turn any digital technical content into a “collaboration document”. For example, seniors can access a wide array of annotation options (e.g commenting, highlighting crucial information) to explain procedures and transfer knowledge to inexperienced technicians and partners outside the organization (airlines). These annotations can be shared and even documented to help foster skill growth and immersion in the aviation technician environment.
When using Shareable Annotations, MROs may also combine the Feedback System extension to help boost communication with external parties. Involving the airline customers and partners allows technicians to address needs more accurately, providing better and faster services. As the most important measure for success for any MRO, getting planes airworthy fast will be key to capitalizing on the returning demands for aircraft services.
Deepening relationships with OEMs is also a huge advantage in parts procurement. While already an excellent tool to help identify required parts, the NIVOMAX Viewer also offers technicians the choice to purchase supplies directly from OEMs via Online Part Ordering (OPO). Reserving high-quality OEM parts online exactly at the time of availability is a smart tactic to keep the inventory well-stocked while parts are getting increasingly scarce and expensive. Persistent and predictable buying behaviors from an MRO also help OEMs confidently increase production to accommodate the MRO’s specific procurement needs.
Quality assurance has become one of the key metrics drawing the most attention from the aviation community. Due to events that occurred in the past few years, ensuring maintenance is performed in regard to safety will be difficult and absolutely mandatory. Via the NIVOMAX Viewer, the capabilities of the Workflow Extension module allow master schedules to be set ensuring that quality assurance checks are performed at the correct times prior to the return of the client’s product. Planning maintenance further out will be a tactic used to deal with the current state of affairs and can be accomplished using the Workflow capabilities as well.
Even though MROs are hard-pressed just like everyone else within aviation, these technical experts stand in a pivotal position to bridge the various gaps and inefficiencies of this ecosystem. In this post-crisis time, there exist numerous responsibilities and rewards for MROs who successfully prove themselves to be exceedingly reliable service providers, partners, and procurers. Boosting communication with the utilization of recent technologies is a smart start to help MROs solve internal issues, as well as to attach themselves to valued clients and suppliers.
A fast track to modern IETM/IETP software adoption
With over a decade worth of knowledge and experience implementing aviation data technologies, SYNAXIOM has created numerous values for many global partners including one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. Capable of handling the most complex software implementation, we can expeditiously empower your organization with next-level IETM/IETP innovation that guarantees next-level results.
NIVOMAX by SYNAXIOM – the suite of applications for managing and exchanging technical content. As one of the first user-centric IETM/IETP solutions, NIVOMAX can help end-users achieve optimal efficiency when working with technical manuals and publications compliant with S1000D and ATA standards.