MRO and operations software provider Ramco Systems (B6710) is eying artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to make the jobs of maintenance shops easier, said Manoj Singh senior v-p and region head, Americas. Ramco has already begun case studies of the use of such technologies, which leverage a “gold mine” of data that the company’s software programs produce, Singh added.
One of the pain points of technicians, he explained, is the amount of paperwork or the number of web pages a technician must fill out for a simple repair, ranging from the analysis of the issue, parts required, vendors available, and work required.
“The idea is how to automate the process of maintenance,” Singh said. “A sore point for mechanics is they end up spending more time on the [paperwork] than on the aircraft as they code in 10 different screens and enter a lot of fields. It’s frustrating and time-consuming. This is the area we are attacking.”
With historical data, these fields can be automated. Once a repair is identified, the system can pre-populate fields based on historical data, suggesting corrective actions based on past repairs, what parts are necessary, and which suppliers are used. This could take a 30-40 minute task down to a fraction of a second for the technician, he said.
The Ramco’ software packages—which offer a breadth of capabilities from electronic flight bag and operations data tracking to maintenance planning recordkeeping, purchasing, inventory management, warranty administration, and financial processing—produce a vast amount of data that can be used for further automation tasks, Singh added.
Another area of automation is Ramco’s financial module. The module can properly code a task so that cost allocation is automatically assigned. A complex repair can be allocated quickly, dividing out different costs that need to be assigned, from the maintenance technician time to parts acquisition and the various suppliers involved, among other areas. This capability pulls in historical data from similar repairs and parts use to properly assign work resources, making what was a time-consuming process faster and more reliable.
The financial module, Singh said, rivals those developed from financial firms but goes a step further because it is specifically tailored for the helicopter industry. The program, for instance, values the aircraft not just on hours or cycles, but on numerous other parameters such as type and conditions of operation. “With all those different parameters we capture, we can do correct evaluation of the value of aircraft,” he said.
Ramco has looked at other uses of data, including agreements with OEMs such as the one announced with Airbus Helicopters last year that enabled a “bi-directional” flow. The OEMs are able to obtain operator information, which they, in turn, could use for engineering improvements, service bulletin development, parts planning, and many other support areas. Operators, meanwhile, can get more up-to-date technical and operation information, Singh said, calling it a “win-win-win” situation.
These advancements in Ramco’s software are increasingly capturing the interest of prospective customers, he said, particularly from the larger fleet operators. “Our larger segment fleet side has continued to grow nicely,” he said, adding he’s seeing growth in areas of firefighting aerial tour. Ramco further is making inroads into the defense market, including bringing in two large contracts with adversary air providers that coming on board in the last six months.
In addition, the company has brought on significant new business with long-standing customers, including Era Aviation and most recently PHI. These contracts involved the updating of legacy Ramco systems that the providers had used for years. But satisfying to Singh is those customers evaluated a range of systems and then opted to stay with Ramco and install a much more advanced program.