You know that the aviation world is both fast-paced and precise and every process needs to reflect this. That includes finding the right solution for your airline’s document management requirements. With the abundance of document management products and tools available, it can be hard to make the right decision.
Don’t worry because Vistair can help clear things up by providing you with six important things you should ask yourself when deciding on a document management solution for your airline:
1. Are you implementing a new fleet?
Ask anyone in the civil or commercial aviation sector, implementing a new fleet can be one of the most time-consuming tasks an airline can undertake. If you are implementing a new fleet, then you know that fleet planning can become a strategic nightmare. So by adding in document management for your flight ops manuals (and more) to the mix, it can seem overwhelming. When you start to compare different providers, this is an important question to think about. It allows the provider to understand the depth of your document management requirements and whether or not they’ll be able to meet your deadlines.
2. How mixed is your fleet?
You could have a single fleet comprising one manufacturer such as Airbus or Boeing, or you could have a number of mixed fleets. Why is this significant? Some providers might struggle to deal with document management for a mixed fleet, especially if they have no expertise in document management for a particular type of aircraft, which isn’t ideal if you’re up against the clock.
3. How much will your fleet grow?
If you’re aiming to grow your fleet very quickly or even in the near future, it’s good to tell your prospective provider about it. You’ll be helping to supply some foresight into the situation and give them an idea of how much future document management will be required and by when.
4. How much do you already customise your information?
Every airline is different when it comes to document management. This difference is driven by, for example, local regulation, training, aircraft type and destination. Some prefer a lot of customisation and others, not so much. What’s vital here is that your potential provider understands the scale of:
- How much customisation of your manuals you already do
- Whether it’s enough
- Whether you need more
- If you need more customisation options
The more information you give, the better you can understand what can and can’t be provided.
5. How often do your documents require regulatory or audit approval?
Of course, all manuals that need to be reviewed and approved by both internal and external regulatory or audit bodies have an impact on scheduling and delivery of up-to-date operational information. Therefore, it’s good for you to understand how often audits tend to take place in a year so that your provider can work to agreed deadlines for your document management needs - ensuring that you stay compliant and up-to-date.
6. Which platforms do you use to view and handle documents?
This question is particularly important to know the answer to. Whether you use a specific platform or a combination of platforms (as many airlines do), you would need a provider who is able to meet your needs for whatever you use. If you are using multiple mobile platforms, then you also need to ensure that the provider is able to handle the output of information across the different platforms and devices in a seamless, synchronised and trackable manner. Remember, the solution you get should work to make your life simple and more efficient - so the less hassle for you, the better.
Conclusion
Vistair prides itself on its aviation technology heritage working with some of the sector’s leading airline organisations such as British Airways, AirAsia and easyJet. So we’re pretty good at understanding and delivering what a client needs from a document management system.
By asking yourself these questions, you’ll be able to provide the right answers and in turn, determine the right document management solution that works for your airline.
If you’re looking for more information on what makes a good document management system that is reliable and compliant, download our useful guide 'Aviation Document Management System Selection Guide' to learn more.
Image by permission C Dustin at Unsplash
