Improve Airline Operational Efficiency By 0.5% Per Annum
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Former VP of Flight Operations of JetBlue and System Chief Pilot at American Airlines, believes an airline’s operational efficiency can be improved through a modern end-to-end document management solution.
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Airline operational efficiency as measured through a variety of financial measures in the airline industry, including cost per seat mile (CASM), which is a business imperative for most airlines. Failure to review any and all aspects of the operation that will improve this metric, whilst preserving the safety of the airline for passengers and staff, is one that can have significant consequences for an airline’s profitability.
When reviewing the operation and selecting those areas where operational efficiency can be improved easily, it is not uncommon just to pick upon the large budget items such as staff, aircraft orders and route options. It is so easy to overlook those day-to-day aspects of the operation that are actually not working as efficiently as they should be…and if viewed objectively are actually ‘quick wins’ for the bottom-line financials of the airline.
Overlooking Document Management
An airline’s document management is one such area often overlooked and left from week to week to follow a fragmented document management process served by poor and varied software tools. Such a situation leads to numerous operational and cost issues, including:
- Compliance with flight critical publications for dispatch (Pilots, Flight Attendants, Technicians and Dispatchers)
- Inability to cross reference, quickly and easily for operational expediency
- Misalignment of shared document sections across flight ops, dispatch and maintenance (e.g. MEL/QRH)
- Cost implications with lack of systems stability and reliability, leading to operational delays, staff resource management issues and safety implications
Difficulty in the process of updating manuals
This is evident in a number of airline operations where there are increasing demands on technical publishing teams who use legacy XML tool sets. These airlines struggle to keep pace with change; and this is exacerbated by OEM manual updates fleet changes and an increasing airline customisation need for contextual and interactive data.
Global Airline Experience
Our experience with leading global airlines (e.g. British Airways, Emirates, Qantas, easyJet and DHL) tells us that operational benefits, across the end-to-end process, combine to have a positive impact on operational efficiency.
Implementing a single platform through a focused and aligned document management process will simplify an airline’s operation. This gives a single point of control and improves the efficiency of all those that use manuals in their day-to-day role.
This end-to-end efficiency derives from greater system stability and connectivity, making sure users have the latest manuals, enabling greater compliance, superior end-user functionality and getting flight-critical information faster.
Generate $$$ Savings
It is estimated that a 0.5% improvement in operational efficiency and CASM could generate 10s of millions of savings over a 3 – 5-year time period and this would be achieved through a mix of the following actions:
- Implementation of a single, user-friendly and scalable platform that controls all document content and distribution
- Ability to review and publish all document formats (PDF, XML, SGML) in one centralised platform
- Distribution to a dedicated online viewer, EFB or via an App Suite (Offline/online – iOS, Windows, Android)
- Streamline and save costs on legacy XML tool sets
- Enhance the efficiency of the entire Technical Publications team, including SME time requirements
How to achieve CASM reductions whilst improving operational efficiency and safety?
Find a partner that can provide a complete end to end, enterprise wide solution that unlocks the potential of your technical publications team. It is important to understand that the right partner will create opportunity through the reduction in time intensive tasks and unleash the strengths of your team to focus on the quality of their work. After all, solutions for your team, creates more quality in their efforts - so everyone wins.
Learn more about how your airline could benefit from working with the right document management system and the right company. Download our free insight to learn more about how to select the right one for your airline.