Aircraft Phase-In Series: Additional Data Sets
In the previous aircraft phase in series blogs, we discussed all the major topics and data sets that are to be considered when phasing in an aircraft to your M&E/MRO system. Next to these topics, there are a few smaller topics that can also be considered, these will be highlighted in this final blog of the aircraft phase in the series.
Additional data sets
We covered topics such as:
However, there are still a few other topics that have been unaddressed. These topics are not the most critical ones, but it is good to be aware of.
Tooling and Equipment: Tooling and equipment are essential to perform maintenance on an aircraft. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all the required tools and equipment are available in the system so that they can be booked and handed out through the system. This includes hand tools, power tools, and specialized equipment like testing equipment.
Training and Qualifications: Training records are a set of data that provide details of the training that has been completed by the maintenance and operations personnel. It is important to ensure that this data is accurate and up-to-date and that the person who will be working on the aircraft has the required training and qualifications to perform the maintenance tasks. When properly implemented in the system resource planning can be tied to performing maintenance tasks on the aircraft.
Configuration Management and Parts Tracking: Configuration management refers to the process of identifying and tracking the configuration of an aircraft. This includes information on the aircraft's systems, equipment, and components. Especially when phasing in an older aircraft it can be of added value to have this data in the system so that the historical movements of parts and configurations are available. This brings us to the next data set, reliability management.
Reliability Management: Reliability data is a set of data that provides details of the aircraft's reliability and performance. It includes details of the aircraft's maintenance history, component failures, and system performance. There is an opportunity to analyse this data to identify areas where improvements can be made to the maintenance program, component data, and modification control data. Having historical data available and of good quality will significantly improve (the value) of this analysis.
Warranty Information: Warranty information is a set of data that provides details of the warranties that are associated with the aircraft's components and systems. Especially for new aircraft coming directly from the OEM, this can be relevant to enter into the system. It can also be relevant for certain vendors for which warranties are agreed.
In short, what we have done with the aircraft phase process is the following:
Data migration: The transfer of data from the existing system or external source(s) to the new system using an advanced ETL tool.
Data cleansing: The identification and correction of errors, inconsistencies, and duplications in the data. This is an important step in the aircraft phase-in process as it ensures the data is accurate, complete, and consistent. Data cleansing should be performed using established standards and procedures to ensure the quality and reliability of the data.
Data integration: Data integration involves combining data from different sources and systems into a single, unified system. Data integration should be performed in a way that ensures data consistency, accuracy, and completeness.
Data analytics: Upon completing the first three steps data can be utilized to gain insights and make informed decisions. This is an important aspect of the aircraft phase-in process as it allows for the identification of trends, patterns, and anomalies in the data.
In conclusion, the data-related aspects of the aircraft phase-in process are critical to ensuring the safe, efficient, and effective operation of the aircraft. This includes data migration, data cleansing, data integration, and data analytics. By paying close attention to these data-related aspects, you can ensure that your aircraft maintenance and operations are supported by accurate, reliable, and actionable data.
Once the aircraft phase-in process is completed you can start to think of maintaining high data standards by scheduled reporting and regular data health checks. These are data consistency checks that aid in maintaining high data standards and prevent deteriorating data quality which could lead to less reliable data analytics. (NEXUS data health checks and self-service reporting)
Making use of data analytics and data visualization is it can help make complex data more understandable and accessible, which can aid in decision-making processes. (AVILYTICS)
How to avoid common pitfalls
Performing the aircraft phase quickly and dirty. It is common to see that an aircraft has to be operational within the system on short notice. It is therefore tempting to approach it the quick and dirty way, however skipping the data cleansing and integration part will become an issue in the long run and more work will present itself in the future in order to clean up and standardize the data appropriately.
Deteriorating data after aircraft phase-in due to neglecting or mismanaging agreed data standards in the system. Inaccurate data could lead to incorrect maintenance schedules, which could in turn result in safety hazards or increased costs. Ensure to have regular data health and consistency checks in place.
It is a common mistake to start with data analytics because that is the foreseen end goal. Take it step by step, starting with the correct data migration, cleansing, integration, and analytics in that specific order.
How EXSYN can help
EXSYN's team of aircraft data and aviation experts utilize a proven framework and methodology that has been applied to millions of terabytes of master data and includes:
EXSYN’s data management software NEXUS reduces project costs and duration
EXSYN’s data warehouse to accelerate your phase-ins
Set up the best strategy for your situation based on years of experience with any aircraft type
Migration of both structured and unstructured data
ISO 27001 data security certified migration approach