Many ways to track aircraft maintenance and spare parts but from a one person operation to a corporate flight department thru to a commercial airline, airworthiness is and always will be the leading concern.  You want to be assured nothing has been missed and while the aircraft is out – nothing will come due or time out.  Not to oversimplify matters, I know there are many other factors you are concerned about.

To get there you may already rely on a computer (especially in this day and age) assisting in tracking your operation.  How your work flows and you ensure airworthiness depends on a number of variables you have by now worked into a routine.

If you use a spreadsheet such as Microsoft Excel, I applaud your efforts but forecasting maintenance must be a chore.  There is a better way and that is… use a database.

What is a database?

For argument sake let’s get the definition out so we all know:

a database is a structured collection of records or data that is stored in a computer system.  The structure is achieved by organizing the data according to a database model.  The model in most common use today is the relational model.  Other models such as the hierarchical model and the network model use a more explicit representation of relationships.

Confused…?  Basically if you have established a master parts catalog for your operation, the way you have the part number, keyword, and description in that catalog will be used throughout your database.  This may seem obvious and yes you can achieve this level of control in a spreadsheet but forecasting maintenance requirements is another thing let alone purchasing and repair and controlling any number of hangars or warehouses of parts around the world.

The rules for a great aircraft maintenance and spare parts tracking program (software) are…  make it easy to use, be able to control user access (login), parts tracking with history, and most importantly… maintenance forecasting.

Assets or parts should be tracked from ‘cradle to grave’ from the first time an asset is entered in the system to the time it is scrapped or removed as (BER) beyond economical repair.  History must automatically accumulate when the asset is actioned in some fashion throughout its life, e.g. purchased, serviced, repaired, overhauled, or scrapped.

Forecasting, assigning, tracking, and accounting for man-hours, part cost[s], mark-ups, return-to-service, hot sheets, and part availability complete a great aircraft maintenance tracking program.  If this can be accomplished, not only will you have reliable real-time information at your fingertips but a wealth of historical data used for trend analysis and budget forecasting.

Your routine as mentioned above may look like the following flow diagram.  This example shows an operation with both aircraft maintenance and spare parts control under one roof.

Generally speaking based upon some criteria (TBO, Life Limit) a part is required to come off the aircraft and be replaced.  If that part is in inventory with a serviceable tag, it is issued to satisfy the need otherwise a purchase order request is generated.  To which you source and then create a PO to start the process of providing a replacement part.  In addition, invoice matching and approval with history continues to be captured and stored simply with day to day activity and the use of the software package.

Not to dwell on all the variations but if an Airworthiness Directive was due and it required compliance with a Service Bulletin which in turn needed an Inspection of a component that if out of calibration required replacement… well there you go.

Are you going to track your spare parts?

Did you know controlling and sourcing spare parts is two-thirds of the battle?  There is more activity in and around the process of purchasing, repairing, controlling shelf life, min/max and more then in the actual day to day aircraft maintenance operation.  This fact does not diminish the importance of both sides of the operation however.

Spare parts tracking needs to take into consideration the part type, e.g. rotable (tracked part) and consumable plus be able to keep Time Since New (TSN), Time Since Overhaul (TSO) and while one the shelf, shelf life if applicable.  You should be able to issue to aircraft using the first in, first out (FIFO) method where the program automatically brings up the oldest serviceable part for consideration.

You should be able to keep items in stock from ever reaching zero quantity using a MIN/MAX function that produces a stock reorder report upon request and alert you if you are below your minimum quantity – all by part number.

To bar code or not to bar code?

Bar coding is an advantage to an operation tracking more than 2,000 line items in spares in conjunction with controlling maintenance for three or more aircraft but this does not rule out bar coding for any size operation.  There are additional steps required when applying bar coding to your operation that should be accounted for in your procedures and weighed against the benefits.

What about computers, printers and internet connections?

Basically a laptop, wireless internet connection and portable printer would suffice.  More than likely you have a desktop and printer which might be tied into a local area network of several desktops or workstations running Windows or Mac OS operating system and networked printers, scanners and digital cameras along with high speed internet.

A color printer would be nice but not necessary.  Other recommended hardware would include backup power supplies, routers, firewalls and virus protection software among other items according to the size and scope of your operation.  In referring to computers, it is understood we are talking about present day processing speed and equivalent memory plus hard drive storage.

The overriding and most important factor is cost.  What am I going to get out of purchasing a program and what should I expect as a return on investment?

Ask yourself these questions…  “What is the value and status of your inventory?  Are you in compliance with all airworthiness items on your aircraft?  Would your records hold up to FAA or other regulatory agency audit?”

Perhaps getting your records in order and on a computer is return enough but you will get much more out of your investment if what you choose works the way you do.  Here’s the point… although the FAA does not endorse any particular software package or computer program, if that program did not follow FAA guidelines, aircraft manufacturer and industry accepted maintenance procedures and common practices then no one would use it and it would disappear from the market.

You would shy away from a software program that couldn’t produce a due list or be able to control shelf life items in inventory for example because that would mean the program isn’t worth looking at.

Can what’s there be customized?

Let’s say you have researched three software packages that track aircraft maintenance and spare parts.  All perform about the same overall but none fit like hand and glove.  Now, is the vendor willing to make changes to the software?  What about incorporating your existing reports, invoicing, purchase orders, part labels, company logo, etc. to make the fit?  Will the vendor agree to provide you with a copy of the software in case something happens to them?

What to do before going to a vendor.  First some research on the vendor – how long have they been in business, perhaps a background check, get a list and talk to their current customers, ask a lot of questions; make sure to get a lot of answers.  I find it helpful if the person I am talking with have an aviation maintenance background first, then a good knowledge of computers, networks, etc. but aviation first.

Review the personnel you will assign to interact with the software program.  Although aviation maintenance methods and accepted practices are not a prerequisite for successfully using a program it is recommended they have some practical knowledge in aviation maintenance records keeping.

Another word on databases… there are a number of companies that have written database software such as Microsoft Access, SQL, Oracle, FoxPro, MySQL, Sybase.  You may recognize one or more of these names.  The point here is not to glorify or recommend any but you are going to need one to accomplish this task.

A side benefit from loading your records into a database is in doing so you perform a mini or informal audit during each segment of the process.  You’re going to do an inventory count by virtue of loading your stock room and
confirm along the way all your shelf life, you’re going to do some kind of aircraft records audit to get that information into the database correctly and remember garbage in – garbage out.  After loading your records, you should have a cleaned set of spare parts and aircraft maintenance records to begin using your software.  You could tie loading records in with a full safety audit as well.

Here is a common denominator to determine if a database you are considering is capable of doing the job… can it track 100,000 line items of spares, can it track 100 aircraft, engines, APU’s etc. and all the supporting purchasing, invoicing, and reporting?  Think this is too high – good then you will never be disappointed.

After you have selected a vendor, pulling this all together takes a little time and there are things you need to do before you start loading records.  If you have spare parts, what about a physical inventory?  Do you have easy access to the aircraft log books and are they up to date?

There is one final topic I would like to discuss and that is the ability to use the system over the internet, e.g. retrieve a current due list or update inspections while in Singapore when your maintenance office and computer[s] are in Orlando, Florida.  Obviously if you can get a due list or update an inspection while in Singapore, you could do anything else your login and password allows – from Singapore.

This process is easier and more cost effective then perhaps you believe.  Yes, you can within a very high level of security be at your desktop computer in Orlando while actually babysitting a “4C” check in Singapore.

In writing about spare parts and maintenance tracking, rest assured I have not touched on the entire scope and breath possible – not the purpose of this guide.  But don’t let anyone tell you things are impossible in a software program… you can get almost anything you desire in a program to make it fit like hand and glove.   Trouble is sometimes you don’t know the question[s] to ask.

Thank you for the time you took downloading and reading this guide on computerized aircraft maintenance tracking.