Paper or Plastic - does the medium of content delivery and presentation make a difference to usability and knowledge creation?

1. White Paper: aviationexperts, AeroSoft Systems, ATA Case Study: Alaska Airlines with Boeing
Vendor Job Card: ADSoftware PLUS… How I see IT, News, Upcoming and Past Webinars, MRO Software Directory
V3.3 • JULY/AUGUST 2014
FLYING HIGH
Alaska Airlines & Boeing Mobile
Line Maintenance Success Story
MRO AND BIG DATA
The future of MRO IT today
MRO STANDARDS
Supporting better processes

2. Editor’s comment
Whether integrating systems or helping engineers be more efficient,
technology and processes are usually the answer.
The person who first coined the phrase ‘plug and play’ has a lot to answer for. Even on
the scale of our desk-top and lap-top PCs, it’s unusual for all but the simplest software or
function to work right after it has been installed or set-up. Cloud based applications and
solutions might have helped, but there will often still be glitches and blockages to be
overcome before the new package starts to do what the advertising said it would do.
Often these delays occur when two systems find that they cannot work together or that
add-ons from one program are not compatible with a new or upgraded program. Now,
if MS Outlook has compatibility problems with some aspects of, say, an Adobe package,
imagine the challenges when trying to get two major systems fulfilling different functions
for maintenance and engineering to work together and talk to each other. And yet, in
order to make best use of the IT and digital capabilities available from the latest software
solutions, airlines, aircraft operators and MRO providers need to do just that; to get diverse
systems doing different things and from different suppliers to all talk and work together.
On top of that, there is the growing issue of mobility – engineers are not always in or even near their workshop in the
hangar or the right part of that large building. So how can they continue to operate without the need to constantly be
walking back and forth in order to complete each stage of a job?
In this issue we look at the challenges of and some solutions for the introduction of mobility to maintenance and
engineering; also, we review the application of big data to bring predictive analytics into improve the efficiency of
maintenance planning. We have the first part of a keynote article on systems integration and a consideration of how
standards can contribute to better business processes.
How Michael Denis sees IT is as thought provoking as ever and you’ll be able to get an overview of the news and
information that is affecting your sector.
Also, Aircraft IT live demonstration webinars are previewed and reviewed to help readers research the software
market from the convenience of their own desk and to find a package that could meet their needs by accessing past
webinars with more focus than ever and booking their place on future webinars, a valuable resource for which readers
simply need to register.
At Aircraft IT MRO we’ll continue to bring you the best and latest information from your sector.
Ed Haskey
04 NEWS
There’s always something new for an MRO IT professional to consider. Fortunately, Reading Aircraft IT MRO News at
www.aircraftit.com/MRO/Index.aspx and here in the Aircraft IT MRO e-journal will help busy professionals to keep up
to date with developments.
20 WHITE PAPER: WHY YOU SHOULD INSIST YOUR MRO SOFTWARE IS
STANDARDS COMPLIANT
Kenneth N. Jones: Director of Electronic Data Standards, ATA e-Business Program
Standards are not simply a way for different systems to‘talk’to each other: they are a catalyst for more efficient and
effective processes throughout the business.
24 UPCOMING LIVE MRO SOFTWARE DEMONSTRATION WEBINAR
A preview of the live MRO software demonstration webinar featuring Hexaware on 31st July 2014.
25 VENDOR JOB CARD
Frédéric Ulrich and ADSoftware
In this Job Card, Frédéric Ulrich, CEO at ADSoftware explains the philosophy behind AIRPACK and what the business
aims to achieve for its customers.
26 CASE STUDY: ALASKA AIRLINES MOBILE MAINTENANCE CASE STUDY
Rob Lowy, Project Manager, Maintenance & Engineering at Alaska Airlines and Sherilyn Segrest, Program
Manager, Fleet & Maintenance Solutions at Boeing
Mobility is coming to Maintenance & Engineering and, if the project is properly managed it will improve processes,
enhance information availability and support better decisions.
30 WHITE PAPER: MRO AND BIG DATA
Benjamin Walther, CEO, and Marc Borkowsky, Business Analyst, at aviationexperts
Big Data and predictive analytics can take the vast data generated by modern aircraft and leverage them to improve
the efficiency of maintenance and planning.
33 COLUMN: HOW I SEE IT
Paper or Plastic, does the medium of content make a difference?
Given the choice of media today, how does plastic stack up to paper and which is the one that will serve us best? As
always, Michael’s conclusion will make you think.
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: AviIT, Ramco and Mxi Technologies.
36 PAST WEBINAR FOCUS: END-TO-END MRO IT SOLUTIONS
Finding the right End-to-End MRO IT solution to match your requirements is so much easier if you search the library
of recordings of Aircraft IT Past Webinars by category.
38 WHITE PAPER: CMS AND MRO SYSTEMS INTEGRATION. PART 1.
Thanos Kaponeridis, CEO & President, AeroSoft Systems Inc.
This first in a two part series considers the history of IT in the sector and how that has led to a seeming inability to
integrate the different systems we use.
44 MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
A detailed look at the world’s leading MRO IT systems.
CLICK HERE: Send your feedback and
suggestions 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
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The views and opinions expressed in this publication are the views of the
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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: ed.haskey@aircraftit.com
Telephone: +44 1273 454 235
Website: www.aircraftIT.com
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E-mail: john@aircraftit.com
Magazine Production: Dean Cook
E-mail: deancook@magazineproduction.com

3. 12 | NEWS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | JULY/AUGUST 2014
Acquistion, industry leadership and new
customers make for a busy and successful
time at Flatirons Solutions
FLATIRONS SOLUTIONS ACQUIRES
AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE SOFTWARE
LEADER CORENA
ADVANCES GLOBAL LEADERSHIP IN CONTENT
LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
FLATIRONS Solutions, announced in late April 2014
that it has acquired CORENA, a European-headquartered
software development house specializing in S1000D-based
solutions for the aerospace, defense, marine, rail, and
energy industries. This represents Flatirons Solutions’ third
acquisition in the past two years, reflecting the company’s
dedication to expanding the capabilities for specialized
CLM solutions that enable more efficient operation of
highly regulated, capital-intensive assets where material or
labor productivity is a critical factor.
Organizations that rely on mission-critical data to design,
manufacture, operate, or maintain complex assets — such
as civil or military aircraft, trains, ships, power plants and
energy equipment — are faced with increasingly complex
requirements for creating, delivering, consuming, and
optimizing technical content over the product and service
lifecycle of these assets and across a highly fractured
ecosystem. These evolving requirements stem from new
information standards such as S1000D, a shift from paper-
based to electronic documentation systems, and benefits
made possible by tablet devices. CORENA and Flatirons
Solutions’ consistent and on-going R&D investments
deliver the innovative solutions to help customers meet
these complex requirements with user-friendly solutions.
“The demand for specialized CLM solutions is increasing
dramatically,” said Toralf Johannessen, CEO of CORENA.
“We are excited to come together with Flatirons Solutions
to keep pace with increasing functional demands and
geographic coverage that respond to constant change and
user expectations.”
“CORENA and Flatirons Solutions bring together the most
recognized and respected experts in content lifecycle
management for the aerospace, aviation, and other
industries,” said Geoffrey Godet, CEO of Flatirons Solutions.
“Together, we serve the world’s leading aerospace and
defense manufacturers, the largest airline operators, and
many defense organizations. With a presence across Asia,
Europe, and the Americas, we’re pleased to reinforce
around-the-clock support for mission-critical customer
requirements moving toward Cloud/SaaS-based solutions
demanded by today’s mobile workforce.”
CLICK HERE FOR FULL SOFTWARE DETAILS AND FOR A DEMO
IDMR’s Technical Documentation Management
System, InForm, has been designed to play
a central role in the long-term survival and
proliferation of technical documentation.
InForm, written from the ground up as an
airline document management system, will
allow you to author and maintain virtually
any document. Technical Documentation
Management is now on aviation executives
agenda’s worldwide.
Technical documents are the primary
source of aircraft, engine, and component
reference InFormation which are constantly
changing. On-going revision’s and updates by
manufacturers, vendors and airline personnel
add more complexity in controlling these
documents. Failing to follow manufactures,
vendors, and regulatory agencies approved
maintenance repair and overhaul procedures
can result in poor quality control or worse non-
compliance fines.
Without a centralized approach to Technical
Documentation Management, these important
documents are usually stored in multiple
places, version control is lacking and in many
cases different automated tools are used
to create and maintain record keeping,
perpetuating a process that is extremely time
consuming and in most cases inaccurate.
InForm offers a Technical Document
Management Solution that provides a single
repository for storing electronic documents
received from outside sources such as
manufactures, vendors, and internal personal.
IDMR offers airlines, manufactures and third-
party maintenance providers the industry’s
most technically advanced, web centric, fully
customizable, easy-to-use, all encompassing,
mission critical and affordable suite of Technical
Documentation Management solutions.
www.idmr-solutions.com
sales@idmr-solutions.com
Tel: +1 888 675 4527
DOCUMENTS…MANAGED.

4. JULY/AUGUST 2014 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | NEWS | 13
CLICK HERE FOR FULL SOFTWARE DETAILS AND FOR A DEMOFLATIRONS COMPLETES MERGER
INTEGRATION WITH CORENA, INTRODUCES
NEW CORENA SUITE
COMBINATION of the TechSight/X® Suite of Products
and the CORENA Product Line creates Content Lifecycle
Management Solutions offering the highest ROI
By late June 2014, Flatirons Solutions was able to
announce that it had completed its integration with
CORENA. As part of the integration, Flatirons has
consolidated the TechSight/X suite of products and
CORENA’s product line into a new CORENA Suite, creating
the largest CLM suite available on the market today. The
introduction of the CORENA Suite is the company’s next
step in providing complete and easy-to-find solutions
through the broadest CLM coverage available today from
a single provider.
The CORENA Suite by Flatirons is the leading CLM
solution developed specifically for organizations that
rely on mission-critical data to design, manufacture,
operate, or maintain complex assets over their product
and service lifecycles as well as across multi-echelon
business networks. It includes complete CLM solutions for
aerospace, aviation, military, rail, and marine customers.
The CORENA Suite also includes stand-alone products
that enable the creation, delivery, consumption, and
optimization of technical information for capital asset-
centric, cash flow-sensitive industries.
“Today’s announcement is analogous to an airline
achieving single operating certificate as our R&D,
solutions management, and business process experts
are now aligned to deliver high-value CLM capabilities to
our customers across an expanded breath of industries,”
said Flatirons Chief Solutions Officer JD Sillion. “With
the introduction of the CORENA Suite and Flatirons’
preconfigured industry solutions, our teams are united
on our core mission of Turning Content into Knowledge®
to help customers succeed with new products that we
believe will exceed their expectations…in the areas
of efficient paperless operations, enhanced regulatory
compliance, and high ROI achieved through the adoption
of mobile solutions.”
Flatirons Vice President of Strategy and Marketing
Michael Denis added, “We are excited to move ahead
as an integrated company by unveiling new corporate
and CORENA Suite brands that highlight our combined
25-year history of innovation and customer successes. The
‘orbit’ in our new logo represents how we apply content
lifecycle management to bridge the gap between product
lifecycle and service lifecycle management.”
Flatirons is rolling out the new CORENA Suite at the
ATA eBusiness Forum / S1000D User Forum in San
Antonio and at the MRO and Operations IT Conference
in London. Flatirons’ CLM experts are giving a number of
presentations at both events. They will discuss industry
advances in S1000D, iSpec2200, Shipdex, and Spec 2300
flight operations standards as well as address building
OEM/OPS/MRO technology networks that enable and
improve service lifecycle business network effectiveness.
Participants at both events are invited to visit the Flatirons
booth to learn more about the CORENA Suite first hand.
HEAVY LINEUP OF INFORMATION
STANDARDS EXPERTS SLATED FOR SAN
ANTONIO
IN mid-June 2014, Flatirons Solutions confirmed that
its April 2014 acquisition of European-based CORENA
promises to deliver on the company’s unmatched
expertise in information standards which was highlighted
in its contributions to the 2014 ATA eBusiness Forum /
S1000D User Forum, June 23-25, 2014, in San Antonio,
Texas.
Flatirons acquired European-based CORENA in April 2014
(see above), creating an exceptionally experienced global
team of experts in content lifecycle management (CLM)
for the aerospace and aviation, military, shipping, rail,
energy, automotive, and related industries. The company
was proud to sponsor the 2014 ATA eBusiness Forum
/ S1000D User Forum and lead discussions on diverse
topics that address the value of information standards
as a cornerstone of an organization’s content lifecycle
management strategy.
LATAM AIRLINES GROUP SELECTS
FLATIRONS FOR ITS BOEING AND AIRBUS
FLEETS
RIGHT at the beginning of July 2014, Flatirons Solutions
announced that LATAM Airlines Group, the leading
airline in Latin America, has selected its manufacturer-
independent, content lifecycle management (CLM)
solution to manage LATAM’s maintenance and
engineering documentation for the group’s Boeing
and Airbus fleets of more than 300 aircraft. The choice
of Flatirons’ suite of products enables LATAM to meet
technical documentation requirements for its existing
and new-generation aircraft, including Boeing’s 787
Dreamliner and the Airbus A350, in a single system.
LATAM is one of the largest airline groups in the world,
providing passenger transport services to about 135
destinations in 22 countries and cargo services to about
144 destinations in 27 countries. It is part of the oneworld
alliance, which includes other Flatirons customers such
as American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, and Qantas. In
August, 2012, LATAM was the first airline in the Americas
to operate the Boeing 787 and is the Americas launch
customer for the Airbus A350. LATAM has 30 additional
Dreamliner’s and 27 Airbus A350s on order.
“LATAM Airlines Group is at the forefront of the airline
industry, as one of the largest airlines in the world in
terms of network connections and in its leadership
adopting the most technically advanced, new-generation
aircraft,” said Geoffrey Godet, president and CEO of
Flatirons. “Flatirons is pleased to support LATAM’s
continuous operations of its modern, mixed fleet with a
flexible system for both Boeing and Airbus aircraft.”

5. INTERACTIVE: GET INVOLVED!
Why not get involved with the debate? Send
your comments or questions to Michael by clicking here.
On Memorial Day I was watching the perennial talking heads thatdominate Sunday morning television and happened upon CNN’sRichard Quest interviewing European Parliamentarian, MichelBarnier. At the end of the interview, Mr. Quest asked Mr. Barnier ifhe preferred paper or plastic, when consuming books, magazines,news papers, and other written documents. By ‘plastic’, Mr. Questmeant computer- or tablet-based presentation of content. Ifound this an interesting question as it is one I have discussedmany times with my father, born in the ‘30s, who is squarely in thepaper camp. On the other hand I have my children, born in thelate ‘80s who rarely read anything in print.
IS MEDIA CHOICE AN AGE THING?
The question of ‘human consumption’ of content and informationappears to be a generational preference or habit with anoverwhelming trend toward plastic since the adoption of theInternet in the mid-90s. As my friend Paul Saunders says, “Thepeople we hire today don’t know a world without mobile phones(and tablets), the Internet and Facebook.”
This also begs the question: do the media by which humansconsume content make other differences besides preference? Dowe comprehend, remember, and utilize content more effectivelyor more efficiently according to the medium by which theinformation is presented? Do electronic means that enable morerobust search of interconnected information across multipleformats enhance knowledge formulation from data, content, orinformation?
WILL ELECTRONIC DELIVERY DO THE JOB?
Since this is a column and not an academic research report,let’s assume the plethora of psychology and learning studies arecorrect and the ability to reference multiple pieces of electroniccontent from a single networked source does, in fact, enhanceeffective comprehension and its efficient use. Good; so now thequestion arises, does the use of plastic improve the other purpose
of content, ‘technological consumption’ of data, information, andknowledge development?
Authoritative sources of content within aerospace, defense, andaviation are well specified but are not as well standardizedor integrated across information technologies, companies, andcountries. Technologically, it is easy to automate cascadingupdates of changing form, fit, or function of a part; rolling apart number, updating configuration in an IPC, updating of thecontent within an MPD, AMM, CMM, TSM, FIM… updating MRO ITsystems’ maintenance plans, schedules, and logistics, creationof routine and non-routine tasks, integration of diagnostics,prognostics and health management systems, automationof records for regulators and lessors, and to the feedbackmechanism from service lifecycle managers to product lifecycledesigners.
WHAT’S HOLDING US BACK?
So if both human and technological consumption of contentimproves outcomes (safety, reliability and efficiency) then whatare the barriers to wide-spread adoption of electronic contentwithin organizations and between businesses?
Our industry is highly regulated and thus subject to inefficienciesmandated by regulatory organizations or, in many cases,regulatory individuals. Most regulatory bodies authorized themove to electronic content over a decade ago. But as one seniorvice president of technical operations told me, “My PMI onlybelieves what he touches on paper.” And yes, his PMI grew up in aworld devoid of the internet, cell phones and social networking.The media used to deliver content makes considerabledifferences in improving safety effectiveness and financialefficiency of certification, maintenance, repair, and training ofcomplex assets over their product and service lifecycles. Thebarriers to improving individual companies’ performance as wellas the industry as a whole are self-inflicted, therefore, capableof self-healing. At least that’s how I see IT.
Paper or
Plastic, does
the medium of
content make
a difference?
Michael Wm. Denis, Vice President
Strategy & Marketing, Flatirons Solutions
How I see IT

6. 38 | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | JULY/AUGUST 2014
CMS and MRO systems
integration–Part1
In an industry full of standards, the challenges of electronic data interchange.
Thanos Kaponeridis, CEO & President, AeroSoft Systems Inc.

7. JULY/AUGUST 2014 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT | 39
PART 1: WHAT CAUSES THE PROBLEMS AND
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
During twenty two years in this industry I’ve lived and worked through
many developments and, as a sector, we’ve encountered more than a few
challenges. Experience lends a long-term perspective to evolutionary
changes and developments; to view challenges and solutions in the whole,
from outset to the present day. These two articles draw on my own
experience to review those challenges over the years and consider what
solutions might be applied with a particular focus on examples from the
past twelve to twenty-four months.
In this first part, I’ll expand a little about where and how I gained my
experience and how that followed developments in IT. We’ll also consider
some of the obstacles, identify some of the challenges and pose some of
the questions that will need to be tackled to achieve true systems
integration. Part two will appear in the next edition of Aircraft IT MRO.
Figure 1
CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN IT
As with many people in IT, my career started on dumb terminals; though
I’d hate to think that anybody’s mechanics might be using those devices
today. Anybody who recognizes the top row in figure 1 (above) either has
a very good memory or their systems are totally outdated. We’ve been
through many generations and developments since then. My first ‘portable’
computer was a 512K Macintosh, carried in a little backpack, but I had
to move to PC technology in 1990 when the business world moved to
that technology. In 1992 I joined Bombardier and, in the process, also
became a member of the, at that time, ATA EMMC/TICC Text Working
Group, which later became eText. I was also a member of the Flight
Operations Working Group. So, for several years, I participated directly in
the development of data interchange standards before founding AeroSoft in
1997. Now, of course, after many generations of technology, we’re working
with mobile platforms and their like. As an example of how far things
have progressed, the USB stick I carry in my wallet today has a capacity
of 64GB… more memory than all the computers in North America when
I went to university in 1972; and that was two years after the B747 started
operating commercial flights.
Hardware, user interfaces, development language… the whole sector, has
changed significantly over the years but the fundamentals of computer
science, process modelling and data modelling (data types) have not
changed at all. You could have written a very good assembler 30 years ago
and you can write some appalling C++ and Java today: having a RDBMS
engine does not make you a data modeler nor does it make you a domain
expert; and XML is not going to get you out of the data mess by itself
simply by putting two little brackets (<start /end>) around things. Most
importantly, mechanics still have to look at a PageBlock or an IPC set of
pages (graphic and parts facing each other) to execute maintenance on
an aircraft. They can’t parse a CSDB extract of data modules (in S1000D
parlance); some other programs have to do it.
LIFE ISN’T ALWAYS SIMPLE AND NOTHING
CAN BEAT EXPERIENCE
There are certainly MRO and CMS vendors with very credible, recognized
products in our industry for which they should be proud; while there are
other vendors that not only over-extend themselves, either in their MRO
or CMS capabilities, but also make incredible claims. Working on Bruce
Lee’s dictum that ‘simplicity is the key to brilliance’ they simply claim that
‘Because of <XML> you can move the data from one system to another
automatically’; whereas, as we will see further on in this paper, it’s rarely
that simple. HL Mencken’s words might be more apposite; ‘There is always
an easy solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.’
This white paper should help you perform better due diligence in your
selection process before making major decisions as to which vendor’s
solutions you acquire.
In the Software Vendor community we try to be creative in making
solutions appear easy, affordable and attainable through rapid implementation
plans: it is called the law of survival. After I’ve given a presentation, other
vendors often ask whether I really have to tell audiences it’s that complicated;
after all, ‘we’re trying to sell systems here.’ But there is no point in taking a
‘feel-good’ line for its own sake.
I value the views of CEO’s and executives in airlines and MROs, after all
they sign the payments and the contracts… but they’re often far removed
from what goes on in the trenches; from reality. In our small company we
don’t have that luxury. We’re exposed to the realities with which I want
to inform this paper — realities grounded in experience; not based on
surveys, focus groups, interviews with executives or literature searches but
on real implementation experience in digital data deployment in aviation
over the past 22 years. What is more, the most striking examples are based
on work within the last twelve to twenty-four month period.

8. 40 | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | JULY/AUGUST 2014
THINGS CHANGE — WHEN IS IT REALLY A STANDARD?
If they don’t internalize the top statement in figure 2 below (‘Electronic
Data is of little value…’) airlines and MROs will find themselves in the
business of perpetual conversion but without adding any value to their
enterprise or the wider industry.
Figure 2
The B747 first flew in 1970 and its tech manuals were typed on an IBM
Selectric. I worked next to one of its tech writers in 1992 and they were
so glad when they progressed to Mainframe based ‘two-pass’ systems to
edit those manuals. Today, 42 years later, the B747-8 is delivered with
iSPEC2200 SGML or .PDF or Toolbox. There was no Microsoft in 1970
and, in around 1981, the first version of Word ran on an operating system
called Xenix. Imagine using Word 8.1 to try and open a Xenix based
document. Had someone committed to a de-facto or de-jura standard
like that, imagine the problems there would have been over the years as
software evolved.
Framemaker is also a very popular authoring tool, built initially around
1985 for the Aegis OS on Apollo Computers and then for Solaris on Sun
machines. Only through luck in subsequent years (its acquisition by Adobe)
does it enjoy its prominent position today. Yes, today you can have Release
12 Framemaker XML editing but you can’t magically create structure where
one did not exist. I mention this for those in Flight Ops who prefer this
tool. When Framemaker was launched it competed unfavorably against
the then market leader, Interleaf, which had been around since 1981 and
used LISP in managing/enforcing structures to very large documents. At
Bombardier, in 1992, we built a complex content management system
(CMS) called ‘EPS’ (Electronic Publishing System) with reusable and
shareable content based on Interleaf and an Oracle database. For your
information, the ‘per seat’ costs of this environment was above $100K (of
1992 dollars). But I doubt whether anybody today is using Quicksilver,
Interleaf’s last version after the various owners who acquired that product.
So anybody with legacy Interleaf applications will be keen to get out from
them. But today we need to ask, will there be an Adobe Acrobat (originally
out in 1991) ‘Release 42’ by 2045 when the A350 will have been flying for
30 years? Incidentally, Adobe significantly changes the internal structures
with each release — and any programming code built to work with it also
has to be changed.
DELIVERING TECHNOLOGY VERSUS ‘STANDARDIZATION’
AND ‘VALUE ADDING’
When someone tells you they have an application that runs on iOS 7.0
and that they will soon have it on Windows and Android, they’re actually
telling you they‘re going to re-write it, with all that entails, because a proper
iOS 7 application will not use architecture that could let it work as a native
Windows or Android application; and the same is true going the other way.
And saying ‘it works on a browser’ does not make it a local application
on any mobile platforms. So, another vendor might say that their
application works on any device that supports a browser; but using an
expensive mobile platform strictly as a browser requiring continuous
real time network connection is of little value and hardly makes use of
the intelligence on that device. It’s much better to use a local application
running with network protocols that do the necessary synchronization
and updates. Rather than adopt fanatical positions about hardware boxes,
it’s important to query your suppliers to determine how effectively their
solution will fit with your mobile strategy as that strategy evolves to take
advantage of changes and improvements in technology and products.
Other vendors will push Cloud based M&E or CMS for which there is
merit, but cloud technology won’t help in remote places where the Cloud
might not be so accessible. More importantly they fall short in explaining
how the various in-house applications (financials, MRO, CMS, etc.) and
cloud based systems will interface and how the airline or the regulator
will accept the Cloud as the only source of data validation and compliance
integrity. Certain architectures were built assuming abundant and freely
available LAN speeds up to 1GB in moving data between servers or
between server/client infrastructures. Attempting such links ‘over the Cloud’
is simply a disaster in performance and costs.
There are other server based solutions (in IETP) that are superior to, say,
self-contained applications that can be written to a DVD and delivered. But
then, in locations where communications are ineffective, DVD based self-
contained solutions still work, although they still carry the disadvantages
when it comes to synchronization and updates.
S1000D AND/OR ISPEC2200
The answers are not perfectly clear but below is a favorite subject which is
often presented as an ‘either-or’ solution when it should be a ‘both’ solution.
Figure 3
Look at the list of aircraft that are iSPEC2200 then look at which aircraft
are S1000D and, more particularly, pay attention to the revision levels. If
you subscribe to a strategy of converting iSPEC2200 to S1000D, you’ll have
to be doing that every 90 days for every revision you get and to be able
to prove to your regulator that your conversion has produced an S10000D
document that is 100% correct relative to the intent of Boeing, Airbus or
any OEM in the iSPEC2200 document… and then you’ll have to present it
to your mechanics. Also, the difference between S1000D rev3.0 (the Boeing
787) and rev4.1 amounts to about 350 changes. There are deleted attributes
and there are elements — there are 343 additional elements and then some
changes from attributes to elements. So if you have a repository built for
rev3.0 it won’t fit on a rev4.1 repository: neither can you take Airbus A350
data as it comes and stick it in your perfectly working rev3.0 S1000D
directory.
If you have followed the industry news, why has a prominent vendor
who was proclaiming ‘convert iSPEC2200 to S1000D’ (and even converting
S1000D to iSPEC2200!) in fact acquired another recognized and established
vendor that has much superior S1000D technology and supports the
‘hybrid in parallel’ architecture?
As recently as September 2013, Boeing updated the B757 from rev17
to rev18 to include regulatory compliance tags (highly desirable for
referencing compliance documents with other manuals but missing so far).
However, if you had systems that were parsing the DTD as it came in and
used XSLT/XSLFO transformation to create HTML and .PDF styles, they
stopped working and you had to take measures to accommodate the new
structure and display that structure and its change management and so on.
Some proclaim that XML is all you need to go from one environment
to the other but I’d ask, what XML? Unstructured; well-formed; DTD
compliant; schema based; using X-paths or based on X-forms?.. XML is
made to look like a universal pipe that expands and contracts as needed
but it is misleading to assume it is that way.
Gary Mayer from what was then called the InfoTrust Group, now
Flatirons Solutions, gave an excellent presentation on the Real World
Experience in converting iSPEC2200 to S1000D. Look up the entire
presentation given in Montreal at ATA eBiz in 2011 by clicking here and,
if you understand it, you’ll be well on your way to understanding the
complexities of transforming iSPEC2200 to S1000D. The bottom line is that
it cannot be done algorithmically. SME hands-on intervention is required
for some aspects of it. And it’s a one-way thing; not a round trip process.
So it’s not the case that you have to have two systems: what you need is
a system that can accommodate the two data streams according to their
structures and deal with them accordingly, as opposed to convert each
revision as they come in.
“…Some proclaim that XML is all you need to go from
one environment to the other but I’d ask, what XML?
Unstructured; well-formed; DTD compliant; schema
based; using X-paths or based on X-forms?.. XML is
made to look like a universal pipe that expands and
contracts as needed but it is misleading to assume it is
that way…”

9. JULY/AUGUST 2014 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: AEROSOFT | 41
THANOS KAPONERIDIS
PRESIDENT AND CEO AEROSOFT SYSTEMS INC.
Thanos Kaponeridis is the founder
of AeroSoft Systems Inc. established
in Toronto Canada in 1997. He has
brought AeroSoft from a start-up
through organic and inorganic growth
to become a unique niche player in
the M&E Systems marketplace with
their two MRO products of DigiMAINT and WebPMI
plus DigiDOC (CMS). Thanos has built up his aerospace
and aviation experience since engaging at Bombardier
Regional aircraft in 1992 where he managed the
development of the iSPEC2200 compliant digital
document systems for the CRJ and Q400. He was a
long-standing member of the ATA/EMMC/TICC eText
and FOWG since 1994 in the development of digital
document standards. Prior to Bombardier, Thanos was
an accomplished IT/IS senior consultant with his own
practice and prior to that with the Canadian subsidiary
of Gartner Group, offering strategic and tactical
planning of IT/IS to multi-national corporations. Mr.
Kaponeridis holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from
the University of Toronto in Industrial Engineering and
a Master of Science from the University of London (UK)
in Ergonomics / Human Factors.
INTERACTIVE
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INTERACTIVE
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ARTICLE AND START OR JOIN A DISCUSSION
HANGING ON TO CONTROL OF DATA
Now we come to the
gorilla in the room;
what I call the OEM
Data Fortresses.
OEMs are not really
interested in releasing
digital data; and the
reason is obvious. On
the one hand they are
acquiring software
companies who deal
with digital data; but
they’re not really trying
to get into the software
business. They’re using the software and the digital data
to provide end-to-end total services, especially for the
smaller operators, because they realize that there’s not
much margin in selling the airplane anymore (or selling
the paper to the lessors); the income and the margin lies
in controlling it over its entire maintenance life cycle.
So, if they can generate one-stop shopping where users
can go for all the programs, all the data that they need,
including execution of maintenance and engineering
services, that’s where they’re going to make their money,
that’s why there is intentional controlled release of this
digital data.
Consequently the OEM’s have their in-house
solutions… Boeing — ToolBox; Airbus — Air@Nav;
Bombardier — Navigator. So in spite of all the open
standards we have today, airlines now ask of MRO
software vendors: do you interface with Toolbox?..
to Air@Nav?.. to Navigator?.. to Embraer CD?.. as
opposed to asking about compliance with open
standards.
Last but not least, OEM’s like Boeing refuse to
issue digital data collections based on the complete
MSN range of aircraft in a model. Instead they issue
‘customized ranges’ for the MSNs purchased by each
operator. Consequently an MRO provider often is
forced to keep 7-10 versions of AMM, IPC, etc. because
each is for a separate MSN range depending on the
original purchaser for which it was produced and who
is servicing their aircraft at this MRO. Similar challenges
occur when an operator acquires some aircraft originally
built for a passenger airline (say Delta) and modifies
them for cargo; then they supplement their fleet with
aircraft originally acquired by another passenger carrier
(say Qantas). You can’t even imagine what the different
‘digital data collections’ look like and the variances in
effectivity models, COC/STC tagging, and revision
tagging. But it is all ‘digital data’.
Now superimpose on that the OEM’s view of MPD
and TaskCard model (with the tags allocated for items
such as Interval) and how the classic ‘MRO System’
used to manage the interval(s) per their phased /
allocated packages …. But it is all ‘digital data’… n
COMING IN PART 2
So, that’s the bigger picture, some background to and
underlying causes of that seeming inability to integrate the
various systems that we use. In the next issue, we’ll look at
what all this means for the sector today, and consider some
specific issues and thought processes that might just take
us forward to the more integrated environment that would
make for more efficient and better run businesses.
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
AMM (aircraft maintenance manual)
CMS (content management system)
COC (customer originated changes)
CSDB (common source database)
DTD (document type definition)
IETP (interactive electronic technical publications)
IPC (illustrated parts catalog)
MPD: (maintenance planning document)
MSN (manufacturer’s serial number)
RDBMS (relational database management system)
STC (supplemental type certificate)
CLICK HERE FOR FULL SOFTWARE DETAILS AND FOR A DEMO
Offering DigiPLAN, DigiREPORTS, Analytics and
B2B for DigiMAINT and WebPMI MRO systems.
Our DigiDOC CMS is agnostic
of MRO with proven integration
with any competitors’ system,
in addition to our own.
only supplier of 2 MRO
‘best of breed’ plus
iSPEC2200, S1000D, DITA, SPEC2000, SPEC2300

10. Bigger is also better!
The new Flatirons Solutions is merging the
aerospace and aviation industries’ leading content
lifecycle management solutions, CORENA and
Techsight/X, into a single product suite.
Visit www.corena.com to learn more!