Why Specialized ERP Software is Critical for Modern MROs

Specialized ERP software designed for MROs and maintenance departments could make all the difference in optimizing processes and use of resources, according to experts at Ramco.

We spoke with Sam Jacob, CEO of Ramco Aviation, Defense and Aerospace, about ERP solutions at Ramco and steps the company is taking to ensure MROs have the software they need to embrace digitalization and improve productivity.

Why does aviation maintenance require specialized ERP software?

Discussing why maintenance departments and MROs need specialized ERP software, Jacob said, “If you look at a typical maintenance organization in aviation, you will easily find at least around 15 to 20 distinct functions represented by departments. You have at least 12 to 16 business processes that you need to manage, and I'm just talking about the maintenance organization now in a traditional ERP.”

Jacob explained why this variety and number of unique functions in a maintenance department make it difficult to integrate a traditional ERP, noting, “It requires a lot of twisting and turning of the product, and you would end up with a lot of customization to manage their requirements.”

He added, “And still, you will end up having not-so-well optimized processes. It is cumbersome. It will still require users to manage a significant part of their day-to-day needs, even outside the system.”

Jacob outlined the different processes traditionally included in maintenance that all require different work orders and management. This included:

• Line maintenance
• Heavy in-hangar maintenance
• Shop maintenance for small components
• Large component maintenance for landing gears, APUs, etc.
• Ground support equipment maintenance

Jacob commented, “These tools are meant to help users. It is not meant to burden them with a lot of additional work in terms of the system keying in things and wrestling with the keyboards because the aviation environment mechanics are expected to turn the wrench. Any interruption to that process is a problem to manage, and you will have real adoption issues if it is not thought through well.”

He continued, “When we talk about ERP systems and integrated processes, it brings in a lot of complexity, and those complexities are typically dumped onto the end users, so it will require a lot of data inputs and real time data acquisition. It will have lots of checks and balances, so it will keep interrupting you.”

“Our approach to software design was to see whether we can shield this ERP complexity from the end users,” Jacob elaborated, “The complexity exists to manage the enterprise as a whole end-to-end value chain so you get benefited at a higher level.”

“And those tools should be very relatable and conducive to the work environment that they are used to. So, this was the idea rather than putting something which is totally unnatural to them,” said Jacob.

What makes Ramco MRO ERP software different?

Discussing how Ramco’s ERP software for maintenance organizations mitigates these challenges and enables digitalization, Jacob mused, “How can we use technology to help the end users or achieve a software design which will allow those end users to interact with the system? For this, we started looking at multiple options—for example, the use of mobile devices.”

Jacob explained, “There are iPads, iPhones and all of those things that make it so much easier for people to use it because the whole user experience is very different. It is not connected by wire, so it will be available at the place of work where the mechanics are at.”

He added, “It provides us the possibility of redesigning it in a much more intuitive manner. You could have elements of touchless interfaces, for example, extensive use of barcodes and RFID-based data acquisition, so less use of the keyboard, which is cumbersome in a typical shop floor environment vis-à-vis touchless data acquisitions, offline models of work.”

Discussing how Ramco’s software solutions for MROs solve the challenge of managing complex and unique processes, Jacob shared, “Let’s look at an engine visit planning process. A customer tells you, ‘I'm going to plan to send an engine, maybe in the next two weeks.’ So, we take those functions, from the engine reception to work scope planning to initial inspection disassembly.”

Jacob continued, “We basically go through that complete process and there will be functions and features to manage each of those things. Then it is there for all the lines of business. That's what is special about the software that we have.”

Jacob also highlighted a specific solution within Ramco’s ERP software for MROs, stating, “The most important thing that we have used is the [suite of] mobile apps…whether it is a mechanic, an inspector, a supervisor, a store clerk or a buyer. We have identified the critical roles in a value chain and started developing apps centered around each role.”

He elaborated, “For the mechanic we have an app called Mechanic Anywhere that is a full-functional app. Whatever the mechanic needs to do from a system perspective is available in that app.”

“He's inside the app and doesn't have to use any other system,” Jacob described, “He doesn't have to come to the desktop for anything, so he will be served the task card that the mechanic has to work on in the exact digital form of a paper record.”

“Exactly what that person sees on a printed paper today, we serve it in the in the app, and then you can use touch to start interacting with it, doing digital signatures…you can record, you can book your time, you can record part changes, you can request materials, you can report non-routines.”

How does MRO ERP software enhance digitalization while preserving accuracy?

“Typical ERP systems will always work online because that is fundamental to make sure that the data integrity is assured. We started looking at offline models then looking at how paper can be effectively digitized,” noted Jacob.

He continued, “Most of the data in aviation comes from the OEMs, so another solution we were looking at was how we could get that OEM data feed into an ERP system in digital form. How can we connect enterprises together?”

Jacob gave an example, explaining, “Let's say an MRO sitting in the center needs to deal with OEMs, then with suppliers for materials, or they may subcontract services, and they need to deal with customers. Instead of looking at it just for MRO functions, we look at it outside the boundary of the enterprise itself.”

Jacob added, “We have built a lot of connectors to do this work. The OEM data feeds through some specialized connectors. We connect with suppliers and customers through marketplaces.”

“There are some specialized marketplaces like AeroXchange and OneAero, which allows us to develop that bridge,” shared Jacob, “We have developed standard adapters to integrate with OneAero and AeroXchange platforms. We have our own portals with which customers can interact with an MRO digitally.”

Interested readers can learn more about Ramco’s aviation enterprise software online and can contact the team for more information.