1. White Paper: Ramco Systems Case Study: Qantas, Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa Technik Vendor Job Card: Volartec
Column: ‘How I see IT’, why plug intelligent aircraft into dumb IT? plus… News, Webinars, MRO Software Directorys
V2.2 • APRIL-MAY 2013
NOT JUST AN IT UPGRADE
But a wholesale transformation of the MRO system
NEW AIRCRAFT;NEW SYSTEMS
Making a system fit for next generation aircraft
KEEPINGTRACK OF PARTS
Getting the right ones where
and when they’re needed
BUILDING A NEW IT MODULE
And fitting it into an established system

2. Editor’s comment
Aircraft IT MRO: Life can get complicated but nothing that a
good team, process and system can’t handle
There’s little point in me telling you that it’s Spring here in Europe because for
many of our readers that information won’t relate to what they can see through
their window. In the Southern hemisphere it’s Autumn, in some areas it’s raining
while other places enjoy (are subject to?) all day sunshine. The point is that
there is a lot of variation across the world which doesn’t affect most people and
businesses because they stay in one place but airlines, aircraft operators and
aircraft have to be ready for everything… and that’s not only true of the climate.
The commercial and regulatory worlds in which they operate also require them
to not only cope with different climates but also to make sure that every aircraft
conforms to the regulatory environment wherever it lands. Add to that the
routine timed checks, scheduled maintenance, directives, updates and plain old
fashioned parts failures and the task of keeping aircraft flying begins to look quite the complex challenge
that it is. Where would we be without IT?
In this issue, you’ll find high quality writing on different aspects of IT. How about not just changing your IT
but lifting it right up to date and pointing it to the future; that was an implementation challenge! Or making
sure that, when you add next generation aircraft to the fleet you install next generation systems to support
them. Then we have an article on how to get a grip (almost literally) on the tens of thousands of parts in
the spares inventory as well as how one team went about the process of designing a whole new module for
an established MRO software suite. You’ll learn what makes a key software vendor tick. Plus, of course, How
Michael Denis sees IT. And, as always, lots more news and information from your sector.
Knowledge, they say, is hard to come by but at Aircraft IT MRO we reject that notion in favour of our
preferred nostrum that knowledge should be put before the people who can make best use of it. Read this
issue and you’ll see what we mean.
As well as all that, the Aircraft IT live demonstration webinars allow readers to research the software
package most appropriate for their needs and access past webinars while, of course, future webinars are
open for every reader who registers.
Aircraft IT MRO: putting knowledge in the hands of people who can use it best.
Ed Haskey
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 2013 AviationNextGen Ltd an independent publication
and not affiliated with any of the IT vendors or suppliers. Content may not be
reproduced without the strict written agreement of the publisher.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are the views of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of their companies
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 1403 230 700 or +44 1273 700 555
Website: www.aircraftIT.com
Copy Editor/Contributor: John Hancock
E-mail: john@aircraftit.com
Magazine Production: Dean Cook
E-mail: deancook@magazineproduction.com
04 News
Nothing stands still and especially not aircraft, their condition and the regulations that govern their
operations. Now, professionals can learn about the latest developments by checking regularly on
http://www.aircraftit.com/MRO/Index.aspx and here in the Aircraft IT MRO e-journal.
16 CASE STUDY: Point of Maintenance Acquittal
Michael Killeen, Project Marlin Project Manager, Qantas Engineering
With Project Marlin, Qantas Engineering embarked on a transformational journey; simplifying process and IT but also
providing real-time maintenance certification.
20 WHITE PAPER: Taming the chaos
Saravanan Rajarajan, Consultant – Aviation Practice, Ramco Systems
Managing the spares inventory can get complex and always is expensive but applying intelligent methods to the task
can help to avoid chaos and contain costs.
25 COLUMN: How I see IT
Why pay billions for smart aircraft only to plug them into dumb IT?
Would you have your $100,000 Porsche serviced at the corner cycle store? So why plug your $120m B787
into an IT system that can’t handle half of the data that the airliner generates? As usual, Michael Denis
asks the hard questions.
26 CASE STUDY: MRO IT as a key enabler of your vision
Mesfin Tasew, Chief Operating Officer, Ethiopian Airlines
When Ethiopian Airlines determined to introduce new MRO software it was in the context of a whole long term
strategy of fleet renewal and process improvement.
30 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 recent Live MRO Software Demos, including: 2MoRO, AeroSoft, ADS and Swiss-AS.
32 WHITE PAPER: Insight into the creation of the new manage/m® WebSuite 2.0
Dr. Falk Kalus, director, and Timo Herster, project manager, manage/m®
What were the challenges of designing a new manage/m® WebSuite using methods of agile project management
and the Scrum Framework and how did it work
37 VENDOR JOB CARD
What keeps Volartec moving forward? John Barry shares some secrets of their success with Aircraft IT
In this issue’s Q&A piece, John Barry,VP Business Development atVolartec, completes his‘Vendor Job Card’for Aircraft IT.
38 Upcoming live MRO software demonstration webinars
A preview of live MRO software demonstration webinar with IDMR Solutions presenting‘InForm’document
management solution on 18th April 2013.
43 MRO Software directory
A detailed look at the world’s leading MRO IT systems.

3. 10 | NEWS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | APRIL-MAY 2013
InfoTrust Group adds Mobile Solutions for Line Maintenance and Flight
Operations to TechSight/X® suite of products. Tablet Solutions deliver
the right information at the point of performance to improve aircraft
utilization, facilitate compliance, and cut operational costs
InfoTrust Group announced, in mid-March 2013, the availability of its TechSight/X Mobile IETP
for Line Maintenance and its native TechSight/X iPad® Application for Flight Operations. Both tablet
solutions further demonstrate InfoTrust Group’s mission to help airlines deliver the right information, at
the right time, to the right people. By giving line mechanics and flight crews access to the most current
maintenance and flight information on mobile devices at the point of performance, airlines can improve
aircraft utilization, help ensure real-time regulatory compliance, and reduce operational costs.
InfoTrust Group’s tablet solutions are designed specifically for use by aircraft mechanics and pilots. The
TechSight/X Mobile IETP (Interactive Electronic Technical Publication) for Line Maintenance gives mechanics
access to all of their Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, and Embraer maintenance and engineering manuals on
both iOS® and Android™ devices. Search and navigation are optimized for touch screens to minimize clicks
and eliminate the need for complex searches. Mechanics can navigate complex wiring diagrams, view and
order from illustrated parts catalogs (when integrated to MRO or ERP solutions), and access fault reporting
and trouble-shooting manuals while at their aircraft; so they can perform maintenance faster and return
aircraft to service more quickly than ever before.
The TechSight/X iPad Application for Flight Operations automatically delivers up-to-the-minute
flight manuals and related company documentation to thousands of pilots dispersed across various
geographies. Pilots can acknowledge updates, and the application automatically tracks and audits that
acknowledgement to facilitate regulatory compliance. To make finding the right information easier,
pilots can add notes, highlights, and bookmarks that are stored as part of their user profiles and that are
persistent from one revision to the next, even across multiple tablet devices. Effectivity filtering also helps
pilots find specific information related to the fleets and models of the aircraft they fly faster than when
using paper-based manuals.
“Tablets represent a new paradigm for technical information delivery,” said Olivier Joufflineau, vice
president of InfoTrust Group’s ATA Flight Operations Solutions and Services, “and InfoTrust Group is proud to
be at the vanguard of the airline industry’s adoption of tablet-enabled technical information solutions.”
Both TechSight/X modules are available to existing customers as upgrades to their current TechSight/X
solutions. The TechSight/X iPad Application for Flight Operations also can be purchased as a stand-alone
solution.
InfoTrust Group’s ISO 9001:2008 Certification Expanded to Airline Change Services
Moving into April 2013, InfoTrust Group announced that its Airline Change Services (ACS) group, in
charge of providing outsourced technical publishing services to help airlines reconcile customized airline
data into revised OEM data, has been awarded ISO 9001:2008 certification. Certification of the ACS group
is an expansion of InfoTrust Group’s ISO 9001:2008 certification already held by the company’s technical
publishing services group and its training and documentation services group. It reflects the company’s
commitment to continuously enhance customer satisfaction as well as its expertise in helping airlines
ensure compliance with regulatory requirements mandated by the aviation industry.
ISO 9001:2008 certification is the most widely recognized quality requirement standard for organizations
seeking to provide products and services that meet customer expectations and fulfill regulatory
requirements. Working with ISO 9001:2008-certified companies can alleviate the pressure of conducting
supplier audits and facilitates supplier management due to the ISO-certified supplier’s commitment to
continual improvement and enhancing customer satisfaction.
“Airline Change Services fulfills critical information management functions for some of the world’s leading
airlines that rely on the accuracy and timeliness of technical information,” said InfoTrust Group President
and CEO Geoffrey Godet. “ISO 9001:2008 certification across not just ACS but all of our outsourced technical
information services reflects the outstanding quality of information our customers expect and the standard
to which our team performs.”
InfoTrustGroupcontinuestodevelop
itssolutionsforthelatestneeds
Click here for full SOFTWARE details and for a demo
C
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CM
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2moroAnnoncePresse1112.pdf 11/01/12 16:12:56

4. Point of Maintenance Acquittal
When Qantas set out to reform its process management framework and update its IT landscape, writes Michael Killeen,
Project Marlin Project Director at Qantas Engineering, it achieved a transformational force multiplier.
16 | CASE STUDY: QANTAS AIRWAYS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | APRIL-MAY 2013

5. Qantas’ Airways is Australia’s largest domestic and
international operator. Its network spans 46 countries across
Australia, Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Europe and Africa with
operations that include over 6400 flights per week domestically and over
920 flights per week internationally to over 40 destinations using a fleet of
more than 150 aircraft. Furthermore, the Qantas brand reputation has been
confirmed by a range of awards …
• Six awards including Best First Class Cellar and Best Business Class
Cellar at 2011 in Sky Cellars Awards.
• Good Design Award by the Chicago Athenaeum for the A380 First suite
and…
• Australian International Design Award of the Year for the A380
Economy seat.
From an engineering perspective Qantas Engineering completes about 1.6
million tasks per annum, employs over 4000 people and is making the
transition to Civil Aviation Rules 1988 (similar to EASA regulations) this
year:
• Old CAR 30 (combined asset owner and maintainer) to be replaced by
EASA style regulatory structure comprising CAR 42 and CAR 145
• Mechanical and avionics trades replaced by EASA style B1s and B2s (Cs
and A licenses to come)
From heritage to HTML
However, like many legacy operators, Qantas was confronted with the
consequences of its heritage. The procedures manual, which had been
developed over 90 years, comprised over 800 chapters and its Maintenance
Information System was written in 3 & 4GL COBOL over 20 years ago.
The broader engineering IT landscape comprised over 300 applications.
Moreover the system achieved poor integration with the company’s
enterprise architecture of Oracle 11i application suite.
A transformation was required but it would need to be so comprehensive
and ubiquitous that it was determined it would be best achieved as a major
project in its own right. As part of the enterprise transformation, Qantas
embarked on a journey to reform its process management framework and
update its IT landscape under the guise of ‘Project Marlin’. The process
transformation included a complete re-write of the procedures manual
that not only formalised the procedural framework using a standardised
taxonomy but also reduced the number of chapters in the procedures
manual to 340. Whereas in the past the procedures had been disseminated
via pages of wordy descriptions, the new procedures manual comprised
flow charts and information mapped documents. The IT environment
was completely revamped. At the core of the IT environment changes
was the implementation of a new MRO IT solution, Maintenix; the old
green screen environment was replaced with a completely new HTML
environment in Maintenix.
APRIL-MAY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: QANTAS AIRWAYS | 17
Fromausersperspective,theIT
environmentwentfromtheleft…
…tothedisplaybelow
Figure 2
“Theproceduresmanual,whichhadbeendevelopedover90years,comprisedover800chaptersanditsMaintenance
InformationSystemwaswrittenin3&4GLCOBOLover20yearsago.”

6. 18 | CASE STUDY: QANTAS AIRWAYS | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | APRIL-MAY 2013
Point of maintenance acquittal
The vision for these reforms was ‘point of maintenance
acquittal’. Under point of maintenance acquittal, the
aircraft must be declared serviceable in Maintenix
before it can depart — the transactions to update work
performed and configuration are acquitted in real time
prior to aircraft departure by the aircraft engineer that
performed the work.
Whilst Qantas chose not to roll out tablets as part
of Project Marlin, one should not under-estimate
the effort required and the impact on its people of
transferring 150 aircraft in 12 months from the legacy
to the new system. In getting ready for the move to
Maintenix and ‘point of maintenance acquittal’ Qantas:
• Deployed over 200 PCs and laptops, wireless
networks and 4G access points to support the PCs;
and…
• … expended over 4000 training days on both its
own people as well as over 500 contract staff who
handle Qantas Aircraft;
• Created over 6 million tasks in Maintenix, many of
which were migrated from the COBOL environment.
As a result of Project Marlin and the changes that it
brought about in the overall operation, 14 IT applications
were decommissioned as their functions were absorbed
into the MIS at the heart of the IT architecture.
Key to success ‘Catch phrase’ In practice this
means…
Scope Scope is controlled.
Scope is the enemy
of schedule and cost
• Small discrete projects
are better.
• Don’t build the windows
version of the DOS
system (Conways law).
• ‘Tell me why we
cant use standard
functionality in a system
we have’.
Work & Schedule Work & schedule are
predictable
• Apply and stick to
proven project lifecycle
methods.
• Set the schedule and
stick to it.
• Resource level.
Team Team is high
performing
• Networking mediocrity
doesn’t create. excellence;
keep project team small
(Brooks’Law).
• Project team needs to
stay flexible.
Risks and Issues Risks and issues are
managed
• Robust process & tools
• Be disciplined; regular
reviews of open risks
and issues.
• Use daily scrums to
shorten decision cycles.
Business benefits
and costs
Business benefits are
realised
• Push cost management
down to stream leads
who are creating
change requests.
• ‘Speed to market’
reduces the risk that the
business moves on.
Stakeholders Stakeholders are
engaged
• Use working groups to
keep the project team
small.
• Keep it practical.
• Ensure there is executive
sponsorship.
Integration
management
One project, one
team working
together
• Manage solution
interdependency risk;
there needs to be
a business solution
architect.
• Have a robust PMO and
manage the schedule.
Supplier
Relationship
Management
Suppliers are
managed for mutual
benefit
• Use the right
contractual framework
to obtain accountability
and match your skills;
only prime if you can!
• Manage the vendors.
Figure 3

7. “…the transformation of its processes and IT environment serves as a platform
for the enterprise to re-invent itself from a legacy airline to an agile customer
focused organisation. No one should under-estimate the effort that these sorts of
transformation activities take…”
APRIL-MAY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: QANTAS AIRWAYS | 19
Managing the project
Project Marlin was a major undertaking for
Qantas. The project ran for over three years and,
at its peak, had over 250 people on board. With
a project of this size and complexity governance
was a significant contributor to success. Project
governance, which included Board Reporting, was
based on ‘8 keys to success’.
Project Marlin was not always plain sailing but
some of the lessons we learned might be useful for
those who could be newly embarking on a similar
exercise.
• The fundamentals still apply…
• Apply the basics of systems engineering to the
technical solution:
• Understand the requirements;
• Stick to standard functionality;
• Be flexible on the solution — a 90%
solution 100% implemented is better than a
100% solution never implemented.
• Projects still need to be governed against the
8 keys:
• Scope is the enemy of schedule and cost —
keep it tight;
• Get stakeholders engaged at all levels with
a practical approach;
• Keep the issues and risks management
feedback loop short and effective; make a
decision;
• Each person on the project needs to be
individually necessary and collectively
sufficient; smaller is better.
• Being a project manager is more than just
applying the process — there has to be a vision
for the future, technical leadership and people
leadership.
Whilst Qantas encountered some challenges,
the transformation of its processes and IT
environment serves as a platform for the enterprise
to re-invent itself from a legacy airline to an agile
customer focused organisation. No one should
under-estimate the effort that these sorts of
transformation activities take but, if airlines are
to continue to deliver increased levels of safety
and efficiency, point of maintenance acquittal
and the process and IT transformation that
Qantas has implemented, will surely be a step
along the way. n
Michael Killeen
Project Marlin Project DIRECTOR,
Qantas Engineering
Michael is a qualified professional
mechanical and electrical
engineer with a range of
experience in operational and
consulting roles. After commencing his career
in manufacturing, rising to the position of
Engineering & Maintenance Manager, Michael
worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers and IBM
GBS as a consultant. In this role Michael not only
lead a range of projects in industries ranging
from mining to public service but was also
the practice leader for Asset Management in
Australia and New Zealand. Since joining Qantas,
Michael has focussed on transformation and
asset management across a range of roles within
Qantas Engineering including General Manager
Supply Chain, A380 Fleet Manager and Project
Director on Project Marlin.
ABOUT QANTAS
Qantas Engineering and Maintenance experience
dates back to when the airline first commenced
operations in 1920. Since then, Engineering and
Maintenance has gained nearly as many years of
experience in contract work. The Engineering and
Maintenance branch employs some 6,000 personnel
(from a total airline staff of about 30,000).
INTERACTIVE
ASK THE AUTHOR A QUESTION
CLICK HERE to leave YOUR QUESTION
INTERACTIVE
JOIN THE DEBATE
CLICK HERE to leave your feedback about this
article and start or join a discussion
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.

8. INTERACTIVE: Get Involved!
Why not get involved with the debate? Send
your comments or questions to Michael by clicking here.
How I see ITWhy pay billions for smart aircraft
only to plug them into dumb IT?
Michael Denis
Last year I was working in Europe with an airline scheduled to get the Boeing 787. Taking on any new aircraft
is a planning and scheduling challenge, and airlines often rely heavily on the OEM for assistance. Besides
pilot, engineering and mechanic training, new type certifications, new tooling, new technology, in this case, no
one had noticed that there wasn’t a hangar for the bird to fit in – something that would take more than the
nine month lead time this airline was left with.
Next Generation (NextGen) aircraft like the B787, the A380 before it and the soon to follow A350 require a
significant investment in information technologies and processes from what airlines have done in the past.
Consider: the B787 creates just under 100GB of data per hour of flight; that is 1.5TB (Terabytes) on the
average transatlantic flight. The GEnx engine tracks 1001 parameters, 230% more than the GE90 and the B787
tracks 20,300 parameters, a 60% increase over the B777.
The value proposition for owning these aircraft is operating and support efficiencies. Fuel efficient engines,
lower weight, lower ‘cost to maintain’ composite bodies, flexible maintenance scheduling. To achieve
these significant efficiencies, NextGen aircraft perform complex diagnostics, prognostics, aircraft health
management, integrated XML content, dynamic maintenance packaging and autonomic logistics. But to reap the
benefits of your billion-dollar purchase requires equally advanced off-board information technologies.What? They didn’t tell you that your 1960’s Sceptre, 1990’s Maxi Merlin or most of the ‘best of breed’ MRO IT
systems on the market today can’t integrate or properly manage the data and content that your shiny new
aircraft is using and generating?
If you are an airline getting one of these NextGen aircraft, you have options. Do nothing. It worked in the past and you might be able to get away with it in the future. Just don’t go ask
the OEM why you aren’t getting the promised performance out of the aircraft – sort of like voiding your
warranty by plugging a 220V 60Hz motor into a 100V 50Hz grid.Outsource everything to the OEMs. Don’t fret, the OEMs knew your airline wasn’t prepared for the data tsunami,
so they have performance based contracts called Goldcare and Totalcare and Power by the Hour. Trust them,
just because they sold you the airplane, parts, engineering services and MRO support, doesn’t mean they won’t
do their best to minimize your total cost per operating hour.OK, so if option one and two don’t sound so hot, how about we do our homework and prepare before the
aircraft arrives. There are a number of aviation consultancies who can quickly identify the functional and
technical gaps in an airline’s flight, engineering and maintenance operations capabilities.NextGen MRO IT for NextGen aircraft and engines offers a great opportunity for airlines and Part 145s to
modernize and significantly improve labor productivity and material turns across the organization. And the
traditional hurdle put in our way by finance to question the investment has already been answered.
“NextGen aircraft perform complex
diagnostics, prognostics, aircraft health
management, integrated XML content,
dynamic maintenance packaging and
autonomic logistics. But to reap the
benefits of your billion-dollar purchase
requires equally advanced off-board
information technologies.”

9. 26 | CASE STUDY: ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | APRIL-MAY 2013
Ethiopian Airlines, the fastest growing airline in Africa, has
developed an international reputation for innovation, technology
leadership and its commitment to becoming a world leading aviation group
according to its Vision 2025 strategic roadmap. To support the Maintenance,
Repair and Overhaul (MRO) function as one of the business’s profit centers,
Ethiopian is upgrading its MRO operations with state-of-the-art facilities
and capabilities.
In this case study, Ethiopian details how its commitment to standard
processes, coupled with the use of MRO IT across the full maintenance
footprint including engineering, planning, execution and materials, will
enable a ‘best-in-class’ maintenance unit suitable for both its mixed fleet
and rapidly expanding MRO operations.
Strategic planning through visionary thinking
Organizational vision underpins the long-term business strategy of many
aviation organizations. Ultimately, commitment is what differentiates those
airlines that turn their vision into a reality from those that barely progress
beyond the formulation of the idea. By ‘commitment’, we at Ethiopian
Airlines do not only mean in the sense of ambition or dedication – there
is no shortage of either in aviation – rather, we demonstrate commitment
in the sense of actually understanding and accepting what that concept
requires of the entire organization. And, more often than not, what that
commitment requires is change.
Airlines embrace change in many ways. The economy is no more
predictable than the weather, but both impact on operations and exist
beyond human influence. However, aviation organizations adapt quickly
and repeatedly. This constant force of change on the business can explain
why many commercial operators often stagnate when it comes to the areas
of their business that can be controlled. However, by avoiding change
in these areas, airlines may miss out on the significant opportunities of
evolving and proactively driving change through.
In this spirit of embracing change, in 2010, Ethiopian Airlines outlined
Vision 2025, a fifteen year strategic plan that would support the
organization’s evolution into Africa’s most competitive and leading
aviation group.
Defining objectives for MRO IT replacement
With Vision 2025 in place, the project team tasked with developing the
MRO IT replacement plan was asked to translate this future vision into
tangible, present-day objectives. The team identified three key goals:
1. Support Fleet Modernization. Fleet modernization and
growth are at the core of Vision 2025, and, as a result, the team
identified the aging Maxi-Merlin MRO IT installation as a barrier
to short and long-term success. The dated legacy solution would be
inefficient in supporting short-term plans for the receipt of the Boeing
777 and the Bombardier Q400. More than that, it would be absolutely
incapable of supporting the receipt and ongoing operation of the planned
Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 fleets.
MROITasakeyenablerofyourvision
It’s not enough to simply want change, says Mesfin Tasew, Chief Operating Officer at Ethiopian Airlines,
organizations must commit to enacting change.
2. Support the Modernization of MRO
Practices. The company’s growth plans rely
heavily on implementing efficient best practices
throughout MRO operations. Evaluating business
processes and implementing best practices across
the maintenance function also demanded a more
modern MRO IT solution that reinforced and
supported IT driven business transformation.
3. Drive Efficiencies across the MRO
Organization. In a highly competitive
marketplace marked by rising fuel prices, Ethiopian
recognized that success would be hinged solely on
factors that could be controlled; namely, driving
greater operational efficiencies. By implementing an
MRO IT solution that offered an integrated view
of operations from flight scheduling through to
maintenance execution and materials management,
the company could drastically improve productivity
during all maintenance visits, both scheduled and
unscheduled.
The search for an MRO IT solution extended beyond
the simple selection of a system to collect and store
transactional maintenance data; of utmost importance
was choosing a system that was transformational – one
that could help optimize asset lifecycle management
and drive continuous improvements across the business.
In evaluating a number of vendors, it became apparent
that Mxi Technologies’ Maintenix software was the
best solution capable of supporting the increasing
sophistication of the Ethiopian fleet, expectations for
best practices and efficiency, and rigorous demands for
compliance control.
Key Success Factors
With MRO IT objectives in place, the team then
directed its focus to articulating what key factors would
play a prominent role in the ultimate success of the
new software:
1. Standardized processes. Maintenix’s
commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) system, applied
against Mxi’s Standard Aviation Solution (SAS)
business processes and use cases, set the stage for
Ethiopian to deliver an MRO function that could
capitalize on standardized industry best-practices.
The project team evaluated Mxi’s SAS processes
and use cases against existing processes, identified
the details, and made the necessary adjustments to
conform to the SAS. In the event that variations of
processes were required as part of routine operations,
these were easily addressed through minor
configuration changes to the software.
2. Good Data. Ethiopian’s detailed data migration
strategy balanced the demands of the implementation
timeline against the availability of human capital and
the substantial amount of information that needed to

10. APRIL-MAY 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | CASE STUDY: ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES | 27
be cleansed, transformed and imported to ensure the
successful ongoing operation of the new solution. To
mitigate the amount of data being migrated at any
one time and support a strong organizational change
management approach, the team chose a phased
implementation and organized system ‘go live’ by
fleet and functionality. The variety of data sources
included:
• Manufacturer source documents (IPC) to derive
the majority of the equipment baseline;
• Data extracted from Maxi-Merlin for job cards,
part serial numbers, and ‘last done’ dates for
maintenance tasks;
• Spreadsheets that were used to track other data
elements that existed outside of Maxi-Merlin.
3. Organizational Buy-in. Beyond executive
sponsorship, the project team recognized that the
success of the Maintenix implementation would
hinge on securing the unwavering support of
middle management and, ultimately, the end user
community. Demystifying the new system goes a
long way here. Ethiopian’s Maintenix training strategy
was structured around the skill levels of the user
community and the difference in the user interface
between Maintenix and the legacy Maxi-Merlin
system. Because Maintenix is a real time system,
versus the previously used post-work capture system,
the team identified that users may need to be closer
to workstations and that expectations of when system
work needed to be completed relative to shift start
times and end times also had to be reset.
To protect the company’s investment in the Maintenix
software and drive maximum value from the system,
the MRO organization was tasked as the business
owner of the new system, with the IT organization in
a key supporting role. In addition, Ethiopian instituted
ongoing monitoring for indicators of non-adherence
to process, identifying training improvements, and
to drive end user community engagement. The
organization also identified key performance indicators
which would be assessed over time to measure returns
and demonstrate value.
Organizing the Project Team
Identifying the appropriate project team was
acknowledged as an important next step in guaranteeing
an implementation that would be delivered on time
and on budget. Consequently, leaders from across the
organization from C-level executives to end users were
engaged as part of the project team and shared in the
responsibility of delivering on the project’s success. This
shared responsibility also encouraged full ownership of
the project across the whole of the organization where
the result was not solely an MRO project or an IT
project, but an ‘Ethiopian Airlines project.’
Working closely with Mxi Technologies, including
executive sponsors together with Mxi Services and IT
leads, the Maintenix implementation project team was
comprised of the following representation:
Executive representation
• Lead sponsor – Chief Operating Officer, formerly the
Vice President of MRO;
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“Using the Maintenix solution, Ethiopian Airlines is confidently managing the
maintenance requirements of ‘classic’, ‘next-generation’ and ‘advanced’ fleets while
enjoying the organizational transparency and real time visibility afforded by a modern
and holistic maintenance management solution.”

11. 28 | CASE STUDY: ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | APRIL-MAY 2013
MesfinTasew
Chief Operating Officer, Ethiopian
Airlines
Mr. Mesfin joined Ethiopian in
1984 as Associate Engineer and
progressed through the business,
serving in supervisorial and
managerial positions in the technical areas. In
1997 and 1999 he was appointed as Director
Operations & Technical Systems Support and
Chief Information Officers respectively. In 2006,
he was assigned as Vice President Maintenance
and Engineering. He has been the Chief Operating
Officer of Ethiopian since 1st November 2010.
• Co-sponsor – Senior VP of Ethiopian MRO
Division;
• Co-sponsor – Chief Information Officer.
MRO organization representation
• Internal Project Manager;
• SMEs representing major business areas –
Engineering, Planning, Line Maintenance, Hangar
Maintenance, Shops, Quality Assurance, Materials
– for business process analysis, testing, baseline
development, data migration, policy and procedure
development, and end user training.
IT organization representation
• Legacy system technical expertise;
• Data migration support;
• Integrations and reports development;
• IT operations;
• Administrative management.
This collective accountability and cross functional
expertise was supremely valuable in ensuring the
success of the Maintenix implementation.
Conclusion
In 2011,
Ethiopian went
live with the
Maintenix
software and
has succeeded in
using the system for
its next generation
777-200LR and Q400
fleets. The system
is fully operational
with engineering,
planning, execution,
materials, and technical records. In the first half of
2012, Ethiopian completed the implementation of
Maintenix across the entire fleet, shops and customer
MRO operations. On August 14th, 2012, the scope of
the implementation grew to include Ethiopian’s first
Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a historic entry into service
with a direct, non-stop flight from Washington DC to
Addis Ababa.
Using the Maintenix solution, Ethiopian Airlines is
About ETHIOPIAN
Ethiopian Airlines serves 69 international
destinations spanning four continents and is a
multi-award winner, recently winning Gold in
the African Airline of the Year 2011/2012 Awards
organized by the African Aviation News Portal.
Ethiopian also received the 2011 AFRAA award
for being consistently profitable over the years
and won AFRICAN CARGO AIRLINE OF THE YEAR
2011 as well as Airline of the Year 2009 from the
African Airlines Association (AFRAA).
With its acquisition of and firm orders for several
new modern fleets, the airline is well positioned
to aggressively pursue the implementation of
its 2025 strategic plan to become the leading
aviation group in Africa.
About MXI
With solutions designed
specifically for aviation
maintenance, Mxi Technologies
provides integrated and
intelligent software, support, and services to
commercial airlines, MROs, OEM aftermarket
service providers, and defense operators. Mxi
Technologies’ Maintenix® software uses a modern
architecture and provides advanced capabilities
such as a role-based Web browser interface, long
range and automated line planning, automated
workflow, electronic signatures, support for
portable wireless devices, and a comprehensive
range of integration APIs. Mxi Technologies’
customers range from emerging small to midsized
organizations to the largest global enterprises.
confidently managing
the maintenance
requirements of
‘classic’, ‘next-
generation’ and
‘advanced’ fleets
while enjoying
the organizational
transparency and real
time visibility afforded
by a modern and
holistic maintenance
management
solution. Improved
decision-making,
faster response
to maintenance requests, and continued return on
experience are just a few of the benefits the company
has realized and will continue to realize through the
implementation.
These benefits and the future receipt of additional
Boeing 787 and Airbus 350 aircraft have positioned
Ethiopian Airlines for accelerated future growth. In
addition, the ongoing extension of the company’s third
party MRO service offerings to other carriers will
constitute a sizeable part of future revenues.
Vision 2025 is the driving force behind the complete
modernization of the maintenance unit, an ambitious
fleet renewal strategy, and the induction of Africa’s
first Boeing 787 fleet into service. By connecting
success with its inner purpose through Vision 2025,
Ethiopian has realized continued profitability and global
recognition.
With the next stage of Vision 2025 just around
the corner, Ethiopian is bolstered by the successful
achievement of these milestones and the knowledge
that they can serve as a model for the industry. n
Maintainingthe Boeing787
Business drivers
The induction of the Boeing 787 is core to
Ethiopian Airlines Vision 2025 and its objectives for
fleet modernization. In addition to enhancing the
customer experience, this next-generation aircraft
provides the sustainable fuel and maintenance
efficiencies necessary to help the company remain
competitive in a highly volatile industry. Starting
from August, 2012, Ethiopian has taken delivery of
four 787 aircraft and has flown over 5,500 hours on
revenue-generating routes, serving as an ongoing
symbol of the company’s African and global
leadership. Using Maintenix, Ethiopian has been
able to reduce the time from receipt of new aircraft
to revenue-generating route operation to 24 hours,
with more than 60 scheduled passenger flights
taking place within the first two weeks following
delivery of each aircraft.
The Maintenix solution
The volume of software parts, coupled with Boeing’s
own concept of operations for maintenance of
software, posed unique configuration, process, and
tool challenges for Ethiopian’s MRO organization. A
data migration strategic assessment highlighted and
informed the project strategy and implementation
plan, with several data sources used to set system
configuration and aircraft baselines, including
the Illustrated Parts Data (IPD) based on the new
SPEC1000D messaging standard.
Mxi Technologies’ Maintenix software has
allowed Ethiopian to confidently manage the
technical complexity inherent in the efficient and
profitable operation of the 787 fleet. With the
airplane generating the As Flying Configuration
Report and Maintenix generating the Allowable
Configuration Report our Engineering department
is able to identify non-compliance at the point of
maintenance execution, and track the allowable
software configuration per Airworthiness Directive
(AD), Service Bulletin (SB), Engineering Order
(EO), or scheduled maintenance activity. While
applicable to the successful operation of any aircraft,
this transparency is particularly important in the
operation of a next-generation fleet due to the
exponential increase in compatibility rules caused by
an increase in the number of software components
and the significant revenue impact of maximizing
the use of next-generation fleets.
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