Why Aerospace And Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile Mro

Transcript

White paper Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO Content Forward position .................................................................................................... 1 A case in point.......................................................................................................... 4 Conclusion............................................................................................................... 5 About IFS .................................................................................................................. 6 Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO B y K e vi n D e a l V i c e P r e s i d e n t o f A e ro s p a c e a n d D e f e n s e IFS N o rth A m e ri c a Aerospace and Defense (A&D) maintenance and sustainment do not take place in an office, or any other stable environment for that matter. Yet most enterprise software used to sustain A&D assets seems to have been designed under the assumption that these activities occur in a controlled and predictable setting. Even when software vendors take into account the need for mobile access to software used to maintain and sustain assets in the field, they may not be taking into account the context within which the software is used – from headquarters to the front line. As the number one enterprise asset management (EAM) software vendor to the aerospace and defense industry, IFS sees a strong case for enhanced mobility solutions for the war fighter. In this whitepaper, we will examine the different ways enterprise software is used to sustain and support military assets. We will also examine the different types of mobile access required in different settings, and how enterprise software must evolve accordingly. Which settings require a mobile app, which require support for tablets and which are best handled on traditional or ruggedized laptops? Forward position When EAM software is used in a depot repair environment, personnel using the software in these settings require a full complement of enterprise suite functionality. EAM at this level is not a repetitive data entry task. It requires MRO, fleet management, supply chain management, even human resources to manage qualifications, compliance, configuration management and of course finances. EAM and MRO software can also be used at a forward position, and in these situations are usually provided through mobile servers, netbooks and tablets. In these forward positions, EAM and MRO software must be all about line maintenance, management and real time communication with supply squadrons, distribution and convoy management and more. 1 Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO Once we get to the FOB, the requirement for mobility in EAM and MRO software changes, and for obvious reasons. The attention of the individual warfighter is almost entirely focused on his or her immediate surroundings rather than on a fully-featured set of EAM functionality they may have at their disposal. However, mobile interaction with the EAM or MRO software is critical. Data related to what happens to the asset while it is being operated is critical to the support chain. The extent to which it may have sustained damage or been exposed to heavy duty cycles, performance issues in flight or while in use—all must be recorded and communicated with the entire support chain so that parts and technicians and reverse logistics resources can be made available to keep the asset operational. Operations must also have visibility of the condition of these assets in real time so they can assess readiness, a critical factor in battlefield decision making. They need, business intelligence dashboards, spare part stock level analysis, technician staffing information and other data necessary to ensure they can project the MRO and maintenance needs and then marshal resources to meet those needs. Soldiers in theatre do not need such deep functionality, however. The hostile environment in which these soldiers operate require them to focus on only the information required to make immediate decision and not superfluous data. They need a decision support system to allow them to quickly solve problems in the field. Their input into this software traditionally has been paper-based and therefore prone to error. Some data suggests that fault reporting from the front line on paper has an error rejection rate in the area of 40 percent. Some enterprise software vendors accustomed to providing software to military locations try to solve this by imposing functionallyrich solutions onto soldiers on the front line. This happens for a number of reasons. Good-intending military IT staff may see implementing a wide-ranging solution as a value add. However, what soldiers often need in these hostile environments is an anticipatory depiction of the information that allows them to solve the problem quickly. It needs to be efficient and elegant in design, although limited in functional footprint. From the standpoint of practicality and usability, EAM and MRO software for the warfighter must be delivered through native apps for ruggedized handheld devices. These apps must be developed for very specific purposes, eliminating extraneous functionality in favor of very simple and direct ways for the warfighter to get data back into the support chain. These apps must also provide immediately relevant critical data necessary for the completion of MRO tasks in the field. In order for these apps to deliver the enhanced usability and practicality the soldier needs on the front line, they must meet certain criteria: These apps must give soldiers only the sections of functionality they need for what they are doing. This is difficult to do if the software developer does not understand the defense sector. In order to limit unnecessary functional footprint, the vendor needs to know what is in fact truly necessary and critical for the decision maker. 2 Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO • Offer the functionality in a form with which they are familiar. The average war fighter today is comfortable with the mobile hand held form factor. It is easier to recognize than it is to remember. The solder recognizes the navigational conventions of the device and understands a mobile app, and similar functional and navigational patterns need to carry over into apps that communicate with EAM or MRO back at a depot repair environment. • Make the apps chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense (CBRN) friendly. That means the navigational elements must be large enough to be used when wearing gloves, and they must be easy to see. The user interface must be bold in appearance and focused on a simplistic presentation of the process being facilitated. • The app itself, in its design, architecture and delivery model, must be agile and flexible. It must be easy to create and evolve, and the soldier must have access to a new or amended apps tailored for each campaign. This is in contrast to the lifecycle of a more full-featured software product that might extend over 10 years or more. Security is also important. That is why asset data must reside not on the device but on a back end server, with the app only offering a window to only the data required by the individual warfighter. A cloud intermediary, used as a gateway to this data, can also be used to cut off access the mobile device has to the back end applications should it be lost. IFS FLIGHT LOG IFS Flight Log is part of the IFS Touch App series, and is currently available on Microsoft and Android mobile phones. It is privately hosted to reflect the requirements of the A&D Industry. It enables key operational data to be recorded on smartphones and then relayed back in real-time into the IFS Applications 8 ERP system. It eliminates the need for paper records and lengthy keying-in processes by providing a full flight log of all events pertaining to any vehicle during operations, including flight details, disruptions, faults, crew associated with the flight, and pre- or post-flight inspections. The data captured, which was often previously scattered in different silos, is instantly integrated into IFS Applications 8 to enhance the planning, delivery and monitoring of ongoing maintenance activities. 3 Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO A case in point IFS has been developing a number of these apps for specialized tasks performed in the field, including the IFS Flight Log app -- an extension of a full enterprise application for aviation MRO. Rather than a simple point solution that replaces a printed flight log, this application will tie the flight log into all of the parties and systems required to sustain aviation assets in both commercial and military settings. The flight log, of course, is the authoritative record of what transpires during a flight, and is therefore an indispensable source of information for an organization charged with aviation MRO or sustainment. The value of a mobile flight log app is also obvious, allowing information to be recorded as the flight occurs. There are of course simple downloadable flight log tools aimed at the private aviator, as well as commercial solutions that run on designated handheld devices. Rather than a simple point solution that replaces a printed flight log, IFS Flight Log ties the flight log into all of the parties and systems required to sustain aviation assets in both commercial and military settings. It serves as an effective window for flight line operators to reach back into the back office, and for back office personnel to handle reverse logistics, diagnostics and spare parts management. The utility of this approach is fairly obvious. Any time you have a geographically separated maintainer and operator, that maintainer will need access to fault data on weapons systems in the field. You want to be able to make a decision about whether to repair or replace a given component immediately, or whether the repair can be delayed. Is the craft still airworthy or not? Lack of real time access to this data—in either direction -- can be a flight safety issue. Must the operator pull the asset from duty until the problem is resolved? Or can they simply order the requisite part and then repair the asset when the part comes in? Or perhaps that line operator, using the app, can determine while the problem is in fact a safety flight issue, there are two of the requisite parts in stock, and can simply run one out to the asset for immediate installation. IFS Flight Log is designed for the aviation space, and is usable by commercial aviation companies, performance based logistics (PBL) contractors and anyone sustaining aviation assets. But the app is easily adaptable to any asset management or MRO setting including ground vehicles, weapons systems and more. In a PBL or contractor logistics support (CLS) setting, you are gathering that information through the app not only for decision support, but to meet contractual demands. In a commercial environment, the app would be used to capture data for preventive maintenance purposes. Regardless of the asset or setting, capital intensive assets where the line operator is geographically removed from the sustainment effort can benefit from this low profile window into the back office from the tip of the spear. 4 Why Aerospace and Defense Maintenance Needs Mobile MRO At IFS, we feel our approach to front line mobility is unique. There are very specialized devices from various vendors that are tailored to the needs of ground maintenance crews—but they tend to be integrated with very specific software tools that are limited in scope. We feel IFS Flight Log and other, forthcoming, apps are taking advantage of the next step in communications with smartphones by extending the investment in comprehensive back office EAM and MRO out to the line operator in a way that is clearly beneficial. For users of IFS Applications, the IFS Flight Log app can be downloaded off the Android store, replacing the paper logs and immediately and opening up the required functionality of IFS Applications to the front line operator. Conclusion Consider, for example, a reconnaissance vehicle in Afghanistan. That line operator can, using IFS Flight Log, record any damage, a failure of digital radio assets or issues with vehicle engine performance, and this information can be instantly relayed back to the support chain and command. The ease of use and increased visibility provided by mobile apps such as IFS Flight Log will significantly improve efficiency of military and others supporting military and aviation assets, improve the accuracy of data captured, and dramatically simplify what is traditionally a slow, paper-based process. Longer term, with the development and use of apps, the military will no longer need to take their IT infrastructure with them on deployments. Soldiers will be using specialized apps to share immediate operational updates with the support chain—all immediately integrated into the central asset management solution. Kevin Deal is vice president for aerospace and defense at IFS North America. Previously, he has held management positions at Broadvision, Cincom, and The Battelle Memorial Institute. Deal holds a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering from Wright State University. 5 About IFS IFS is a public company (OMX STO: IFS) founded in 1983 that develops, supplies, and implements IFS Applications™, a component-based extended ERP suite built on SOA technology. IFS focuses on agile businesses where any of four core processes are strategic: service & asset management, manufacturing, supply chain and projects. The company has more than 2,000 customers and is present in 50+ countries with 2,800 employees in total. 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