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forecasting reports such as component health projections, create
current system and assembly health analysis, or project the health
analysis 20 years out to evaluate future obsolescence. “The system
receives and processes automated product change, product dis-
continuation, and counterfeit notification alerts directly from the
parts manufacturers, as well as from Government Industry Data
Exchange Program (GIDEP) notices to inform users of upcoming
obsolescence issues,” he informs.

Benefits of Planning Ahead
Oliver Wyman says timing maintenance procedures to match main-
tenance needs is improving rapidly, thanks to Big Data analytics,
while smarter equipment is able to provide operators with real-
time condition information. By reducing time-consuming routine
maintenance, for example, experts estimate that Airbus’s and
at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., last year had Boeing’s predictive maintenance systems in the aviation space
announced a US$8.1 million contract option to could increase fleet availability by up to 35 per cent.
BAE Systems Technology Solution & Services
segment in Rockville, Md., for support to the Need a Digital Mindset
Air Force Diminishing Manufacturing Sources Predictive maintenance, no matter how sophisticated, won’t identify
and Material Shortages (DMSMS) programme. every potential failure. Parts will still break, and additional repairs will
The Air Force DMSMS program provides be discovered in the course of scheduled maintenance and inspec-
program management of an obsolescence-pre- tion, and repairs will be required. But IoT data, combined with an
diction system called the Advanced Component MRO’s own repair and maintenance records, will provide additional
Obsolescence Management (AVCOM) tool, information the MRO’s team can use to fine-tune the deployment of
as well as provide analysis and resolution for material and resources for maximum effect. The value of predictive
end-of-life programmes. The DMSMS program maintenance is already well recognised by the biggest players in
seeks to mitigate the effect of obsolescence the industry. For instance, Airbus’s Aircraft Maintenance Analysis
on Air Force weapon systems from acquisi- (Airman), used by 106 customers, constantly monitors health and
tion through disposal. The programme’s goal transmits faults or warning messages to ground control, providing
is to help the Air Force manage component rapid access to maintenance documents and troubleshooting steps
obsolescence in Air Force weapon systems prioritised by likelihood of success. Meanwhile, Boeing’s Airplane
and groups such as the 448th Supply Chain Health Management (AHM) is used on 2000 aircraft for 53 cus-
Management Wing; F-16 jet fighter, B-2, B-1 and tomers. Experts estimate such approaches can increase aircraft
B-52 jet bombers; E-3 Sentry airborne warning availability by up to 35 per cent. However, unlocking the secrets of
and control system (AWACS); KC-135 airborne big data in commercial aviation is still to be tackled.
refueling aircraft; and the C-5 Galaxy cargo jet.
“In commercial aviation, there’s huge potential for using data to
As per the contract, BAE Systems will provide enable everything from predictive analytics to greater inventory
additional data loads and maintain previous optimisation and better monitoring of health of equipment in real-
data loads of the enterprise-wide DMSMS time. But so far there has been little in the way of answers for its
predictive tool. This work involves analysing key uses, or more importantly, the means of identifying which data
program bills of material, system status, and life is useful, and which is not. By providing key data around asset
cycle procurement efforts. According to a BAE failures, this can then be integrated into logistics systems to help
spokesman, the tool enables users to load and inform and improve future designs, in order to optimise usage and
maintain unlimited levels of component data lower the total life cycle cost,” comments Zilvinas Sadauskas, the
and how those components interact with each CEO of Locatory.com, an aviation IT company primarily acting as an
other, based on technical orders, drawings, flat aircraft parts locator. Going by a survey by Curtiss-Wright, multiple
files, and other source documents. During the operators expect to save US$5000 per aircraft per year with a
loading of source documents, the AVCOM pre- mature predictive maintenance programme in place.
dictive tool identifies discrepancies and routes “The most important prerequisite for a successful transition
them back to the managing authority for offi- from a reactive to a predictive approach is a “digital mindset”. This
cial corrections. Identifying and correcting includes, among other things, a flexible, agile and service-conscious
source documentation helps ensure a correct organization in which the customer challenges are known and in
configuration in parts databases. “Once users focus. In fact, this is a business transformation that focuses on end
load electronic and non-electronic component user needs. If this succeeds, companies will change from pure tech-
types into the system, experts can evaluate nology users and data collectors to service-oriented value-adding
aircraft and other weapon systems for current partners and will be successful in the long term,” says Stefan Issing
part status and analysis. Users can generate Global Industry Director, Automotive at IFS.

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