4 reasons how to save money and have a future proof organization through a proper conducted data migration project
Migration of an airlines fleet airworthiness & maintenance data is not something that happens on a daily bases. Typically it becomes relevant when the airlines maintenance & engineering department selects to implement a new MRO software system to manage its fleet. However, the way HOW the data migration is performed as part of the MRO software system implementation will have a long lasting effect in the years to come. Just some examples:
Collecting all applicable aircraft data once an aircraft needs to be returned to the lessor and making sure it meets return conditions to avoid heavy penalty fee's
Tracking the modification status of each aircraft to avoid parts are installed that will demodify the aircraft and cause unsafe conditions
Being able to establish a multi year maintenance planning to optimize costs and streamline fleet availability
Ensuring all applicable tasks from the approved aircraft maintenance program are properly tracked on each aircraft
Based on years of experience we directly would like to take the perception away that conducting the data migration during a MRO/M&E software system implementation is just transferring data from A to B. If you do not get the data migration right from the start of the implementation of your new MRO/M&E software it will cost you lots of money in the long run.
Why? Our colleague Bruno Cadete gives you four major reasons:
Garbage in garbage out
Probably you have heard many times the phrase ‘garbage in garbage out’; If you only focus on transferring data from the old MRO/M&E software system to the new MRO/M&E software system the issues an engineer has experienced in the old system will not be solved. An error in system A will be an error in system B. If you do not work on the data quality and look at the issues one has experienced in the past, nothing changes albeit having a new MRO/M&E software system
Source of Truth
Many engineers have created their own workarounds to make a process working due to the fact that something is not working properly in their current MRO/M&E software system as the data that resides in the system is not up to date or even false and thus causes issues. This also means that the current MRO/M&E software is not the exact source of truth. For example when it becomes necessary to migrate the complete engine MOD status for an aircraft, we have to use the Excel sheets rather than the old MRO/M&E system.
Workarounds
This also brings as to the next important point – eliminating workarounds: A new MRO/M&E software is not only an opportunity to have a more modern system but also to work on the processes and data consistency to maximize the efficiency, reduce costs and have a future proof organization. If the data in the new system has been cleaned and adheres to the newly implemented data standards no workarounds will be introduced by any engineer as the system is exactly doing and showing what the engineers want– they can trust the system. This needs to be supported by standard process descriptions and workplace instructions. The result, engineers can do their job much quicker and as we all know time is money.
Standardized processes
Finally, reducing the number of engineers working on one process: If you have a clear standardized process documentation and proper workplace instructions, instead of 5-7 engineers working on the same process you need only two engineers to do it, again saving money.
At EXSYN we help our clients with all the above to enable a future proof organization. During the data migration we are starting off with a detailed data mapping of the old and new MRO/M&E software. Identifying ALL sources of truth, so we look for all the workarounds and excel sheets that have been used.
Next, we extract the data from the old MRO/M&E system, read it, process the information, and compare it to what is needed in the new MRO/M&E system. We inform the customer if something does not make sense such as having three engines installed on an aircraft, or data is inconsistent, or identify something that might be causing issues in the future. So together we work on the data standards, correct issues and inconsistencies, and enhance the data to make the organization future proof.
For more information or to discuss your situation contact us!
Data Migration Guide
For a full overview of a data migration project and practical tips download our data migration guide
In below video Rob Vermeij, Head of Operations, explains how EXSYN helps clients with the data migration and why it’s more than transferring data from A to B
