Is There a Laptop in Your Future?
By Bill de Decker
May-June 1998
After studying this, he decides to use the troubleshooting software for this aircraft. He takes his laptop and goes to the aft equipment bay to start the troubleshooting. After running a series of tests, the program tells him that the most likely cause of the problem is the Y67 relay. The screen also shows him where this relay is located and refers him to the specific maintenance manual section for additional details.
So, John gets a new relay, scans the part number and the serial number into the computer with the bar code reader so that the work order, the inventory, and the aircraft records can be updated. When he installs the relay, the required test shows proper system operation and he is ready to sign off the maintenance log and close out the work order. With a few key strokes, he lets scheduling know the aircraft is ready and transfers a copy of the work order to accounting so the invoice can be prepared. With that done, he switches to the scheduling module to see what is up next.
Sound farfetched? If you think so, think again. All the pieces in this scenario are in place. For example:
• Integrated maintenance management software programs are available that generate, manage, and/or track work orders, maintenance status, purchase orders, and inventory. Some also transfer data to accounting
and some have built-in bar coding capability. Because data is entered only once by the most knowledgeable person (the technician), time is saved and mistakes are minimized.
• Bar coding for parts, components, and tasks is in use by a number of large operators because it saves time and increases the accuracy of the data in the system. Remember, if the serial number of a part
installed on an aircraft is different than the serial number recorded in the logbook and maintenance status sheet, it can be a very expensive problem.
• Maintenance documentation on CD-ROMs is now available from many manufacturers. Installing these on a central server gives ready access to all who have a computer. And as a bonus, updates consist of a new CD-ROM, instead
of endless change pages.
• Computer-based training software is available from a number of the
training companies. It allows technicians to quickly review a system or a schematic and get a "mini lesson" on how the system works. This prevents a lot of wasted time trying to remember how a system really works.
• Troubleshooting software for aircraft is available from at least one major manufacturer. Also, some aircraft provide system status and fault information that can be downloaded to a laptop for analysis. Troubleshooting is one of the most time consuming tasks, and good troubleshooting software
can reduce the time spent on this by up to 80 percent.
• Portability of a laptop is easy with an RF transmitter so it can be
taken anywhere. This provides total freedom to bring the available information to the problem and avoids going back and forth between the problem, the library, the copy machine, etc.
A number of flight operations are now installing the required computer and software systems to bring the benefits of this software to the hangar floor.
One is a large computer manufacturer with a fleet of five aircraft. They have installed a network that ties together all computers in the organization. Network servers operate in parallel to assure that information is not lost or work interrupted when one server goes down. Each work station in the office has a computer that can access this network and each work station in the hangar has an RF- equipped laptop.
Another organization that has done something similar is Sears. These days, their appliance repair people each have a laptop with an RF communication module and a portable printer. The laptop contains a copy of the service order (work order), records the amount of time spent on the repair and the parts used, verifies the credit card used for payment, prints the invoice, closes out the service order, and advises the technician where the next job is.
What does it take to put one of these systems in your hangar? Well, the most important thing is senior management commitment to spend the time and money to do it right. Without this commitment, you won't get the right equipment, the software that meets your needs, or the training needed to make it work. Once that commitment has been made, the first step is to select the integrated maintenance management software to manage work orders, maintenance tracking, purchase orders, inventory management, and maintenance analysis. Preferably, the software should be Windows 95 or UNIX based and it must allow networking.
An important factor to consider is support. You will need it, so look for a vendor that has been around for a while and has a good reputation for support. Next, buy the computer equipment (servers, desktops, laptops, RF modules, printers, etc.), making sure it has a lot of excess capacity for future expansion. Remember to get a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) to insure system integrity in case of power failures. Also, call the aircraft and engine manufacturers you deal with, as well as your training companies, to determine what software they have available.
The system now can be put together and put into service. However, to realize the real time and money savings that are possible, it is vital to 1) put a knowledgeable person in charge of putting the system together and keeping it up to date and 2) get all affected personnel trained so they know how to use the system.
These systems are obviously not cheap to install, but those who use them will tell you the better recordkeeping, decrease in wasted time, and wealth of management information more than makes up for the cost. In short, the day when a laptop computer is an integral part of every technician's tool chest, just like a 9/16th box wrench or a torque wrench is, is a lot closer than you may think.
