Patent Application
20070124223
This invention generally relates to service of commercial fleet vehicles, especially aircraft, and deals more particularly with a materials management system for multiple fleets of aircraft in which the materials supply chain is integrated and managed by a single integrator.
Maintenance of commercial aircraft fleets requires the coordination of multiple service and information providers, as well as part suppliers. Line and base maintenance operations required to support aircraft flight readiness require up-to-date service manuals, maintenance repair records, engineering drawings, trained personnel, specialized tools, facilities, parts and an array of other resources. The logistics required for deploying, warehousing and maintaining inventories of repair parts at multiple service locations is also complicated, since parts must be procured from multiple suppliers as well the OEM aircraft manufacturers. Supply chain management and coordination of service providers is made more challenging where fleet aircraft serve wide geographic areas, making centralized service and inventory control by the airline operators impractical.
While some minor maintenance, e.g. line maintenance, is performed by certain airline operators, most operators either perform their own extensive maintenance (typically performed at base maintenance facilities) or outsource their maintenance by contracting with MROs (maintenance, repair and overhaul organizations). The airline operators nevertheless remain largely responsible for managing the material supply chain, performing service operations, coordinating ground service equipment, and managing information flow, including compliance with regulatory and maintenance certification requirements such as Air Worthiness Directives (ADs). Consequently, multiple commercial airlines must dedicate identical resources for maintaining the internal infrastructure and personnel needed to manage the various service and material management activities outlined above.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an integrated materials management system serving multiple fleets of aircraft, which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art discussed above. The present invention is directed toward satisfying this need.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method of managing parts used to service multiple fleets of aircraft for customers is provided. The method comprises the steps of: establishing an integrated network of part suppliers under the control of a part network integrator; forwardly deploying parts from the part suppliers to customer designated sites; maintaining an inventory of the parts owned by the suppliers at each of the customer designated sites using the parts deployed by the suppliers; and, using the network integrator to control the part inventories at the customer designated sites.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for managing a supply chain of materials used to service fleet aircraft for customers. The method comprises the steps of: organizing a network of material suppliers; designating a warehouse at each of a plurality of customer sites for storing the materials; maintaining an inventory of the materials owned by the suppliers at each of the warehouses; and, using a network integrator to manage the suppliers, and the inventories at each of the warehouses.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, an integrated supply chain management system for materials is provided which are used in servicing vehicle fleets for customers. The system comprises: a network of material suppliers for supplying materials used in servicing the vehicles; a plurality of warehouses respectively located at customer designated sites for warehousing inventories of materials owned by the suppliers; an inventory at each of the warehouses of the materials supplied and owned by the suppliers; a supply chain manager for managing the network of suppliers, the inventories in the warehouses and material sale transactions with the customers; and, a shared information communication network connecting the suppliers and the customers with the supply chain manager.
One important advantage of the invention is that the overall costs of fleet aircraft service is reduced because the supply of materials for multiple fleets is aggregated under the management of single supply chain integrator or manager, thus eliminating or reducing the need for each airline operator to maintain the personnel and infrastructure normally required to manage material suppliers, parts inventories and related logistics. Another advantage of the invention resides in real time information sharing between the customer, material suppliers and the integrator, resulting in better part demand information. Aggregation of materials management under a single integrator results in reduced administrative costs, improved communication up and down the aviation services supply chain and better part delivery performance. Additionally, the invention improves part inventory control, while reducing inventory levels and the number obsolete parts in carried in inventory.
Various additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention can be more fully appreciated with reference to the detailed description and accompanying drawings that follow.
The MROs 32 also maintain an inventory 42 of parts which they procure directly from part suppliers 36. Tooling, ground support equipment (GSE) and facilities 40 are procured by both the airline operators 30 and the MROs 32. Similarly, technical manuals and training 38 are obtained by both the airline operators 30 and MROs 32 from the aircraft OEM 34 and the suppliers 36. Thus, it may be appreciated that the current system for providing maintenance services and related materials to the airline operators 30 is highly decentralized, relies on complex logistics and requires each airline operator to maintain infrastructure and dedicated personnel to manage both internal and external maintenance services and the material supply chain.
Reference is now made to
Information is exchanged between the MROs 32 and the operation center 46 which facilitates scheduling and coordination of base and/or line maintenance for the customer's aircraft. Finally, information is exchanged between the operation center 46 and the part suppliers 36 who are managed directly under the IMMS system by the MSP.
Referring now to
As will be discussed later in more detail, IMM 62 includes management by the MSP of OEM parts 66, supplier parts 72, parts inventory management 68, management of parts/logistics 74, warranty management 70 and spare part provisioning 76.
The maintenance services 64 include line maintenance 78, base maintenance 80, management of tooling, ground support equipment and facilities 82, maintenance planning 84, management of reliability programs 86, and maintenance engineering 88.
In the case where the MSP provides the airline operator customer 30 with only IMM as a standard service, the MSP assumes responsibility for procuring the parts, which the MSP then deploys to the airline operator 30 or to the MROs 32. The aircraft OEM 34 retains ownership (legal title) of the parts, but the customer 30 takes responsibility for warehousing the parts inventory. As will be later discussed, a server is maintained onsite at the parts warehouse which is networked with the operations center 46.
When the customer 30 removes a part from the warehouse for use in servicing an aircraft, the removal of the part from inventory is electronically communicated through the onsite warehouse server to the operation center 46, thus allowing the MSP to maintain real time records of the part inventory at the customer's warehouse. This real time information is used by the MSP to allow timely reordering of replacement parts, and just-in-time delivery to the customer's warehouse in order to maintain part inventories at optimum levels. When the operation center 46 receives notice that the customer has removed a part from the warehouse inventory, ownership immediately passes to the customer 30 and the customer is invoiced for the part. This business model allows the MSP to accumulate historical information concerning the type and number of parts used by the customer 30 at multiple warehouse locations, which aids the MSP in efficiently managing part inventory levels and the logistics of part delivery. Moreover, this accumulated information concerning the parts used by the customer aids the MSP in providing data to pricing model used to charge the customer for the services provided by the MSP.
The IMM program described above allows the aircraft OEM 34 to purchase parts based on the customer's forecasted consumption. As a result, it is generally necessary to carry lower levels of inventory, and fewer parts are required to be written off to obsolescence. Moreover, the IMM parts management program facilitates balancing and pooling of part inventories at differing customer warehouse locations.
In contrast to the IMM program utilized as a stand alone service, the management and deployment of parts is handled in a different manner when the MSP provides the customer 30 with IMMS, as will be discussed below in more detail. Briefly, the customer is not required to warehouse most parts under the IMMS program since the parts sourced either from the OEM 34 or suppliers 36 are supplied directly to MROs 32 in connection with the maintenance provided by the MROs 32.
Attention is now directed to
In one possible business model, the MSP pays the suppliers 36 based on aircraft flight hours, or where the parts involve expendables, the charges are based on consumption. The operations center 46 manages deployment of the parts either directly to the customers 30 (where maintenance service is not provided by the MSP), or to the MROs 32 (where IMMS is provided). In either event, the MSP provides up to 100% of the customers part requirements which are managed by the MSP until the exchanged part is installed on the aircraft. Under IMMS, the MSP provides a guaranteed level of service to the customers 30, and as can be appreciated from
Reference is now made to
The onboard data systems 50 include a variety of devices and record management systems interconnected through an onboard data bus 48. A core network of applications connected with bus 48 includes, for example electronic log book records 144, which is an electronic flight bag application 142, as flying configuration records 140, an onboard as flying configuration application 138 and an onboard health management function application 136. The electronic flight bag application 142 provides the aircraft pilot with electronic charts, aircraft performance calculations, electronic documents, fault finders and electronic check lists. The electronic log book record 144 includes information related to aircraft faults that have been recorded onboard, or entered manually by the crew or aircraft personnel. The as flying configuration application 138 and AFC records 140 provide information concerning the current configuration of the aircraft. The onboard health management function 136 comprises aircraft system monitoring functions that relay, in real time, the current status of the aircraft systems which can be used to make repairs after the aircraft lands. Line replaceable units (LRU) 153 as well as RFID tags 148 provide information concerning other onboard components used to determine the as-flying configuration of the aircraft.
The data provided by the onboard systems 50 is wirelessly communicated by any of a variety of communication links including a satellite 122 forming part of SATCOM 132, a proprietary wireless internet connection such as ConnexionSM 130 provided by the Boeing Company, wireless link 128 and associated terminal wireless infrastructure 120, aircraft communication addressing and reporting systems (ACARS) 126 as well as cabin wireless networks 124 which communicate to the operation center 46 through interface devices 116 typically used by aircraft mechanics. Systems suitable for use in wirelessly transmitting the data are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application No. US 2005/0026609 A1 published Feb. 3, 2005, and US Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0003872 A1, published Jan. 2, 2003, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Additional onboard systems suitable for use with the present invention are disclosed in copending applications: U.S. patent application Ser. No: 10/976,662 entitled: “Wireless Airport Maintenance Access Point” filed 27 Oct. 2004 [Attorney Docket No. 04-0691] to Allen and Mitchell; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/191,645 entitled “Airborne Electronic Logbook Instances and Ground Based Data System”, filed 28 Jul. 2005 to Yukama et al. [Attorney Docket No. 04-1202], U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/176,831, entitled “Distributed Data Load Management System Using Wireless Satellite or ACARS”, filed 07 Jul. 2005 to David L. Allen et al. [Attorney Docket No. 04-1203]; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/199,399 entitled: “Methods for Fault Data Transfer from Airplane Central Maintenance Systems to Electronic Flight Bag Systems and Electronic Logbook (ELB) Application”, filed 08 Aug. 2005 to Yukama et al each of which is incorporated by reference.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/173,806 [Attorney Docket No. 04-1156] filed 30 Jun. 2005 entitled “Integrated Device for Configuration Management”, (Inventors Marc R. Matsen et al), shows how RFID tags may be used to track aircraft configuration is incorporated by reference for all purposes. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/718,884 [Attorney Docket No. 01-1030] entitled, “RFID Tags on Aircraft Parts”, filed 20 Sep. 2005 by (Inventor: Michael C. Muma) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/973,856 [Attorney Docket No. 03-1371] entitled: “Reducing Electromagnetic interference in Radio Frequency Identification Applications”, filed 25 Oct. 2004 by (Inventor Kenneth D. Porad) also show use of RFID technology useful to implementing the present invention and are incorporated herein for all purposes.
Wireless link 128 is a system that utilizes wireless local area network technology to transmit data throughout an airport environment enabling instant sharing of data between aircraft, passenger terminals, maintenance operations, etc. In one possible embodiment of the invention, onboard data is uploaded to a server site 146 which includes an ELB server 112 and an AHM server 114 that are in turn connected in a network with a central maintenance and engineering management (MEM) server 108 at the operations center 46. Also included at the operations center 46 is an in-service data program server (ISDP) 110 as well as an IMM server 118, both of which servers are connected by a network to the MEM server 108. A supplier management terminal 106 connected with server 108 allows communication with suppliers, while a finance business management terminal 104 connected with server 108 allows management of financial issues. The IMM server 118 is connected to the MROs 32 and operators 30 via the web portal 100, and is connected with the suppliers 36 via the onsite IMM site server 102.
A maintenance performance tool box (MPT) 150 exchanges information with server 108 and the server site 146. The MPT uses intelligent documents and visual navigation methods to assist technical operations staff to troubleshoot aircraft systems and manage structural repair records, parts and task cards. The MPT 150 provides 3D models for recording, reviewing and analyzing structural repairs, making use of accumulated repair knowledge and maintaining records of repair activities for one or more aircraft. The MPT 150 also acts as the repository for historical maintenance records for each aircraft which are required to be maintained by regulatory authorities. The central MEM 108 uses the data it receives to diagnose on board problems and form a prognosis for those problems. As can be more easily seen in
One part of the IMMS system resides in the ability to determine the current configuration of aircraft, since parts and functional units are added, replaced or deleted on a routine basis. As shown in
Attention is now directed to
The MEM server 108 stores part information, information concerning structural repairs, current detailed specific information and allowable configuration information relating to the aircraft. The IMM site server 102 stores inventory and material data, stocking location information, part quantity information, forecasting information, planning information and transaction information. Finally, the ISDP server 110 stores in-service data warehouse information and component maintenance data as well as shop findings. Servers 102, 108, 110, 112, and 114 are connected in a common network or through the Internet so that all of the stored data can be transmitted and shared in real time by the servers and used by the MSP to manage the IMMS system. Other forms of information storage devices and communications links between them are also possible.
The information collectively stored in servers 102, 108, 110, 112, and 114 is organized to form a centralized maintenance information technology system 160, although these servers need not be in the same physical location. Electronic storage devices other than servers may be utilized. This information is arranged to facilitate management of various functions required by the IMMS system, including configuration and records management 162, reliability analysis 164, line/base maintenance execution 166, line/base maintenance planning 168 and maintenance control data 170.
As shown in
The reliability analysis information 164 is used to produce reports shown at 176, including chronic system reports, chronic component reports, cancellation and delay information, engine condition monitoring and IFSD (In Flight Shutdown). The line/base maintenance execution information 166 is utilized to produce maintenance control data shown at 178 which may include flight schedules, dispatch items, deferrals, AOG's (aircraft-on-ground) and diversions. The line/base maintenance planning information 166 is used to produce a variety of maintenance planning reports, including maintenance forecasts, station/facilities scheduling, coordination of maintenance, and maintenance visit packages (task cards and parts). The maintenance control data information 170 is used to execute maintenance as shown at 182 which includes accomplishment and sign off of all the signed maintenance tasks and receiving and processing log book data.
The information collected by the on-board systems 50 and transmitted to the operations center 46, as well as the related maintenance reports generated at the operations center 46, are provided to the MROs 32 who use this data and information to improve the quality of the maintenance they provide to the customers 30. For example, the MROs may use the information to improve the scheduling of maintenance facilities or ordering parts and materials. The MROs can also use the data to better predict the type of maintenance that may be required. The data can also be used to improve the technique for gathering the data. For example, the data may be used to develop new fault codes recorded by the ELB 144 which ultimately result in improved maintenance procedures. Similarly, the data transmitted to the operations center 46 from the on-board systems 50, and the related maintenance reports generated at the operations center 46, may also be fed back to the materials and part suppliers 36, who may advantageously use this information to improve the quality of the materials and parts they supply either to the customers or to the MROs 32, or to solve quality related problems. For example, the on-board data might be used by the suppliers to analyze why a part exhibits sensitivity to vibration.
Systems suitable for use in performing some of the functions discussed above are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/360,295 entitled “Vehicle Monitoring and Reporting System and Method”, by Basu et al, filed 07 Feb. 2003 and published 12 Aug. 2004 as U.S. Patent No. 2004/0158367; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/985,601 filed 10 Nov. 2004 entitled “System, Method and Computer Program Product for Fault Prediction in Vehicle Monitoring and Reporting System”, by Maggione et al [Attorney Docket No. 05-0919] as well as US patent application Ser. No. 10/884,553 filed 02 Jul. 2004 entitled: “Vehicle Health Management Systems and Methods [Attorney Docket No. 03-1292] as well as U.S. patent application No. Ser. 10/360,295 entitled “AHM Data Monitoring Business Process”, filed 07 Feb. 2003 by Maggiore et al [Attorney Docket No. 02-1259], each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
When the part is removed from inventory and is ready to be installed at 190, the MRO records installation of the part at 192 and this entry is recorded in the database 198. Unserviceable parts are removed at 194 and returned to inventory stores, where they are routed either to an MRO shop or to the OEM for repair. As shown at 196, the unserviceable part is received, repaired and returned to inventory, and the associated RFID tag is updated as required. Also, when the part is removed from inventory, the as-flying configuration records are updated in the MEM server 108.
As previously described above, under the IMMS system, the airline operator customers purchase all line and base maintenance, all expendable and rotable parts management, and receive guarantees of minimum aircraft reliability and availability. The MROs perform all line and base maintenance, provide tooling and facilities and share performance guarantees and incentives with the IMMS service provider. The part suppliers own, distribute, repair and overhaul their parts, and also share guarantees and incentives with the MSP.
Referring now to
Charges and performance guarantees may be reconciled and adjusted periodically, for example, monthly or quarterly. The MSP may charge the customer a minimum base fee if the total number of aircraft flight hours is less than an agreed-on minimum level. The exact method and criteria for establishing pricing will vary depending on the agreements between the MSP, MROs 32, part suppliers 36 and the customers 30. Generally however, the method for establishing pricing can be implemented using one or more software-based algorithms using common techniques well known by those skilled in the art.
Responsibility for guarantees given by the MSP to the customers may be shared with the MROs and the suppliers. For example, if the MSP fails to meet the guarantee criteria promised to the customer due to sub-performance by an MRO 32, that MRO's portion of the revenue from the customer can be adjusted downwardly. Similarly, if the MSP fails to meet the guarantee criteria due sub-performance by the parts supplier, the MSP may penalize the supplier.
Pricing to the customer may also be adjusted to reflect agreed-on performance incentives given to the MSP which it may share with the MROs 32 and part suppliers 36. For examples, the customer 30 and the MSP may agree on an incentive arrangement where the customer 32 pays more than the normal charge rate, e.g. 105% of the normal rate, where the MSP exceeds the guarantee criteria by more than an agreed-on amount.
The revenues generated by the IMMS system may be shared with the MROs 32, if desired, particularly for unscheduled line maintenance. The MROs' share of the revenue may be based on the number of departures, for example, and factored by the MRO's dispatch reliability performance. NFF (no fault found) charges due to improper trouble shooting can be charged back to the responsible MRO.
The calculations to determine reliability preferably distinguish between chargeable and non-chargeable events. Chargeable events are those caused by known or suspected malfunctions of the aircraft, its systems, components or processes/procedures used by the IMMS service provider, or the MRO. Preferably, only chargeable events are counted in calculating the reliability rate. Non-chargeable events are those events that are beyond the control of the IMMS service provider or the MRO.
Reference is now made concurrently to
The IMM system leverages the ability of a single management entity to effectively gather and disseminate data and information up and down the aviation services supply chain. By integrating and managing this supply chain using a single integrator 94, costs to the customer 30 can be significantly reduced, and part delivery performance can be improved. A significant opportunity is created for cost and delivery performance improvement to the suppliers 36 through improved part demand information from airline operations. Through aggregation and analysis, the suppliers 36 receive significantly better information than they would otherwise receive in a disaggregated supply chain. In effect, the IMM of the present invention provides the right parts and data, at the right place, at the right time, and at lower cost.
IMM effectively transitions responsibility for materials and part management from the customers 30 to the IMM integrator 94. The IMM integrator 94 is responsible for maintaining information relating to the inventories and material data, stocking locations, quantities in each inventory, forecasting material requirement for each customer 30, planning and documenting material transactions. As previously described, the suppliers 36 retain ownership of the parts which the suppliers 36 deploy directly to customer specified warehouses, which may be located near the customers 30, or near MROs 32. The customers 30 are responsible for maintaining the warehouses and physically controlling the part inventories. Certain functions of the IMM are located on-site 202 (
Central management of the aggregated supply chain by the IMM integrator 94 results in the integration of processes as well as information, allowing coordinated responses to customer requirements. Network inventory is optimized by the IMM integrator 94. Supply and demand information is shared in the supply chain network, and component information is captured and shared. The integration and management of the supply chain provides the IMM integrator 94 with sufficient control to enable it to provide certain guaranteed service levels to the customer 30. For example, the IMM integrator 94 may guarantee the customer 20 that quantities of parts will be maintained in inventory sufficient to meet the customer's service level requirements, with penalties to the IMM integrator 94 if the guaranteed service level is not met.
The scope of the materials included in the IMM system may extend to rotable, repairable and expendable parts and materials. A variety of plans for charging the customers 30 for parts may be followed. For example, rotable and repairable service can be charged on $/flight hour basis, where offered by the suppliers, to support line or base maintenance. The $/flight hour can be adjusted for aircraft utilization (range/cycles/hours), operating environment, or geography. The customer may be given the option to be charged a flat or a graduated rate. In the event that the suppliers do not offer rotable/repairables services on a $/flight hour basis, the IMM integrator 94 may provide these parts on a per-repair basis. Expendables can be charged on a per-transaction basis, i.e., as they are used by a customer 30. Support for incident repairs can be provided on a time and materials cost basis. In one business model, the IMM system excludes: engines (except engine buildup components), system and process functionality associated with warehouse management and receiving, performance of warehouse management and receiving, consumables (shop supplies), tools, and ground support equipment.
The ability of the customers 30 to plan and manage aircraft maintenance, and troubleshoot parts and materials issues is enhanced in the IMM system when the customer also utilizes the MPT 150 previously described with reference to
The MPT 150 uses 3D airframe models and schematics of aircraft systems as “graphical” tables of content that enable point-and-click access to all of the information related to a specific aircraft location or component. Advanced data mining techniques and search capabilities are used by the MPT 150 to collect all relevant information (e.g. fault code lookup, repair history, maintenance procedures, part numbers, maintenance tasks) into the troubleshooting process. The MPT 150 automates the workflow required to review and approve documentation revisions and changes, while providing real-time editing tools that allow the customer to create and add their own documentation and notes.
The MPT 150 gives maintenance personnel such as mechanics, fast and efficient access to technical information. Embedded support tools facilitate various everyday tasks, including Service Bulletin evaluation. The MPT 150 provides a collaborative workspace and reuse of successful engineering solutions that reduce maintenance operations costs. The intuitive navigation techniques used by the MPT 150 help the user construct a mental image of the solution and takes the user directly to the applicable information. Real-time information updates ensure that the customer has access to the most current technical information. The MPT 150 is hosted at the operation center 46, and is available to the customers 30 globally, 24 hours a day.
The MPT 150 is useful in assisting the customers to manage parts and materials. The real-time aircraft data derived from the ELB 112, AHM 136 and stored as-flying configuration information can be used to determine possible part or system failures. This information can also be used to actively manage part tasks passed on to suppliers through MPT 150. The customers 30 can be charged a fee to use access and use the MPT 150 when participating in the IMM system, which may be the same as or different than the fee that the customers 30 would pay if they are not participating in IMM. Customer access to the MPT 150 can be included in the fees paid by the customer for IMM. For example, a fee for providing the customer with access to MPT 150 can be included in the $/flight hour charge to the customer for rotable and repairable service, in support of line or base maintenance. Alternatively, the fee for the MPT 150 can also be included in the flat charge or graduated rate for the IMM service.
The MPT 150 can also be advantageously used in combination with the IMMS previously described to further increase efficiencies, and reduce the cost of providing turnkey integrated maintenance and materials service to the customer. The MPT 150 is a valuable tool that allows the MRO or other service organization to actively manage the customer's maintenance programs. The cost of the MPT 150 can be priced into the rates charged by the MSP or integrator to the customer for the IMMS. The improved maintenance management efficiencies may act as an incentive for the customer subscribe for the IMMS plan. Additional details of the MPT 150 are disclosed in US Patent Application Publication No. US 2003/0187823 A1 published Oct. 2, 2003, and US Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0177540 A1, published Aug. 11, 2005, the entire contents of both of which are incorporated by reference herein.
As previously described, the centralized maintenance information technology system 160 (
The benchmarks for fleet reliability can be used to determine whether guarantees by the integrator to the customer of reliability or availability have been met. Similarly, the benchmarks can be used to determine whether fleet reliability has exceed certain incentive criteria which entitle the integrator to certain benefits promised by the customer. As previously discussed, the fees the integrator charges the customer for the maintenance service and the parts can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly from a base rate, depending on whether or not the benchmarks established for reliability or availability have been met or exceeded.
Although this invention has been described with respect to certain exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the specific embodiments are for purposes of illustration and not limitation, as other variations will occur to those of skill in the art. For example, while the preferred embodiment has been described in connection with its application to aircraft fleets, the invention can also be used with and successfully applied to other types of vehicles and vessels.
