How Your Operation Can Relate To A 5 Star Restaurant

In the not so distant past I was enjoying a delicious meal at a 5 star restaurant. It was melt in your mouth fantastic but this isn't what drew my attention. My attention was immediately fixed on the service.

Would you like water sir? Yes, please. Boom, the water appeared immediately.

Are you enjoying your meal sir? It's fantastic but could I trouble you for some extra sauce? Boom, done immediately.

Is there anything else I can do? I would enjoy a nice cigar. Sir we don’t carry cigars but I’ll have someone run to the shop next door to get you one.

You see, the meal was great but the service was even better. And even better than the service was the distribution strategy of the services and products.

The server was acting as the liaison to my personal needs while the cooks, runners and everyone else made sure I got exactly what I needed. They were streamlined and even when I made an odd demand they were organized enough to figure it out.

The 5 star restaurant provided me a service where everything was immediately available and immediately consumed by me.

They were like ducks, calm on the surface but fiercely paddling under the water.

All I had to worry about was relaxing and enjoying my surroundings.

Now you’re wondering how in the world this relates to you aren't you?

Why you should be waited on

Imagine if you could be me in the scenario above.

You sit back ready to consume what's provided to you, while your supplier is paddling like a duck to get you the services you require.

All you have to do is focus on consumption and your profit generating activities.

There will be no chaotic scrambling because you have a team of cooks, runners and servers to help with your distribution requirements. Whether it be repairs, outright purchases, aircraft maintenance checks, exchanges or all the above.

Don’t keep putting yourself through stressful events.

Since you’re operating in the aviation environment you should be like a patron at a 5 star restaurant. Consume what's needed while your trusted partners provide you with a streamlined distribution strategy.

Just like the folks at the fine dining restaurant, they actually cared about my experience. If you look for that in a partner, consider yourself reprieved from 99% of all the stress you experience now.

From restaurant to Just In Time inventory for aircraft maintenance

Most people, including you and I eat out often. It’s fun and relaxing.

What we typically don’t notice is that restaurants provide us with a Just In Time inventory strategy. We eat our meals when were ready to consume it. This is what makes the whole experience relaxing. Am I right?

Otherwise we have to go to the grocery, stock food for a couple weeks, of which 30% of it will spoil. Ahh…

Right now your maintenance strategy is probably like going to the grocery. You overbuy or you get material not yet needed costing you time and money.

Once you begin to act as I did at the fine dining restaurant, you’ll begin to relax.

This is why Just In Time inventory may be a decision to consider.

If you would like to learn more about how a Just In Time inventory program can help you, click here

And The Best Solution For A Stress Free You Is...

I'm sure you're running around right now, stressed out, frustrated because nothing seems streamlined. You feel like a chaotic mess and each day seems the same. This is far too common and just recently I experienced this as well.

We procured 2 indicators for a project we were finishing. The lead time was "supposed" to be 3 days, but 3 days turned in to 7. Our supplier then shipped one indicator saying the other unit was "BER."

They sent a replacement unit to the shop but 2 days turned into 4. During the repair of the second unit they began to screen our calls, ignore our emails and avoid responding back to our update requests.

Is this any way to do business?

I think not, which is why Skylink has created a streamlined distribution strategy to limit these encounters.

Why limiting stress should be important to you

The side effects of you running around stressed might not be so apparent, but it impacts you greatly.

If you're constantly stressed your sleep will suffer, your health will deteriorate and your rational thinking will begin to decline.

Now, I may not have to explain this in great detail but these side effects can be impacting your bottom line.

You become less productive which results in more time doing the same tasks, decreasing efficiency. Your rational thinking then declines so you may choose an unapproved vendor to procure from. This then leads to quality assurance issues and / or  canceled orders, losing time and money.

You see, creating ways to limit your stress level will help you become more productive. It will also allow you to work with reliable people since they tend to not put so much stress on you.

A few of our tricks that kick stress to the curb

There are 2 major ways to limits your stress. The first way is to focus on small daily wins. The second is to push your stress onto your supplier and Just In Time inventory for aircraft maintenance planning will do just that.

Small ways to limit stress:

• Get up every 50 minutes.
• Stand-up while discussing an issue over the phone.
• Take deep breaths.
• Get good sleep.

The best solution to limit stress is to use Just In Time inventory for aircraft maintenance planning.

This strategy reduces unreliable suppliers which can be a major factor in your stress level. You get to work with people who actually care about you and your operation.

They will take on the stress you had to worry about and you can focus on profit generating activities. Plus this is what your supplier is supposed to do. They deal with this day in and day out and should be able to leverage economies of scale.

You'll experience less stress because there will be:

• No more logistical headaches.
• No more following up and not getting anywhere.
• An increase in time.
• An increase in communication with supplier.
• No more you being pulled in 100 directions.

I know from experience that stress is a daily occurrence for you. I experience it as well.

However, by adopting certain strategies and relying on trustworthy people, your stress can nearly be eliminated.

By using the small strategies discussed and Just In Time inventory for aircraft maintenance planning you'll be on the right track.

Focus on you and you'll see your bottom line begin to expand.

P.S. Ask about our chaotic distribution diagram by clicking here. You'll see the difference between your operation and a streamlined distribution strategy.

Have you experienced a stressful encounter today? Tell me about it below.

The Shocking Truth About Your Time And How To Save It

Have you ever sat in your office and thought about curling up under your desk and hiding? If you say no, you're not kidding anyone.

I think I can count 20 times that I've wanted to do this.

You may want to curl up under the desk out of fear. Stress has overcome you and you feel that most of your time is resting on the moon, out of your reach.

Is there such a thing as enough time?

No, especially when it comes to aircraft maintenance. You have a thousand things to do and a thousand and one people to communicate with.

Think of this:

We all know the quickest way to get from point A to point B is through a straight line. So why create a mess in the middle?

From multiple vendor shipments to hundreds of MROs to follow up with, the straight line gets out of control very quickly.

Just thinking of this makes me want to curl up under my desk right now.

The good news is this doesn't always have to be the case.

Make Your Supplier Stress and Sweat (Not Literally)

The best solution to regain your time is to surround yourself with good reliable people. If you can't rely on other people then you'll never regain control of your time.

By putting some of the burden onto your supplier, you can free up 25% of your time by creating a Just In Time agreement. You tell them what you need and when you need it on a 12 month forecast and the material arrives at your door, as needed.

What a relief!

But this takes planning and trust.

Mutual understanding will streamline your network and create an efficient supply chain. No need to feel all over the place.

Being efficient

By utilizing a Just In Time agreement with your supplier you will undoubtedly become more efficient.

Give the stress and responsibility to your supplier and give yourself more freedom to work on other important areas that you now only give 50% of your attention to.

You will have time for better focus and better results.

By creating ways to regain your time, you unknowingly increase your efficiency. Don't let your supplier sit there stress free and let you do all the work. Utilize them, partner with them and create solutions so you can make your aircraft maintenance as efficient as possible.

A relationship supported by a Just In Time agreement can only help by saving  your sanity and streamlining your logistics.

P.S. If you want to know more about our JIT program and our relationship based operation, click here.

Tell me about your experiences with not having enough time in the day. Comment below.

Why A Last Minute Delivery System Can Save You Thousands

Have you ever heard of the dust thief? This thief is born in your warehouse and waits for the right time to attack. He attacks slowly, without notice. He waits for you to turn away and strikes without notice.

When you first purchase expendables for your aircraft maintenance needs, the thief is born. Maybe something changed where you no longer need the material you procured. After several months the thief gets older and begins to steal the cash value of your inventory.

The longer your inventory sits on the shelf, the more money you spend having to maintain it.

Nobody want's this dust thief in their warehouse, me included.

The less you spend on items that could be stowed away for years the more you'll have to fund your operations.

Now who wouldn't want more of that?

JIT Inventory, The Money Saver

Now imagine getting rid of all your unwanted, unused surplus material. You would free up inventory space for the components that matter most, free up staff having to maintain the unused surplus and reduce your holding costs.

The Just In Time inventory concept allows you to receive expendables as you need them. Since you'll be consuming the material immediately, you'll save thousands on unwarranted spending. Here are the 3 major ways you save:

1. Frees Up Your Inventory - If you have unwanted material taking up space then you'll either have to find additional space for new material or get rid of the excess. If you didn't have excess material taking up space you could down size your warehouse and save thousands on lease payments, mortgages and / or building maintenance costs.

2. Minimize Holding Cost - When you really sit down and think about it, how much does your unused material cost you? Think of the rent for the required space; equipment, materials, and labor to operate the space; insurance; security; interest on money invested in the inventory and space, and other direct expenses. Holding cost adds up doesn't it?

3. Eliminate waste - Now this can be the most troubling because the dust thief takes your expendables and literally throws them in the trash. Once your life limited expendables and consumables reach their expiration point, they're done. Wasted. The same goes for obsolete components. Once the manufacture comes out with an upgrade, the component is no longer of value to you, even on your shelf.

Managing inventory consumption is a strategy that can save you thousands if done right. Stock the important stuff and take in the expendables and consumables as you need them. The best way to do this is to utilize a JIT inventory system backed by the support of your competent suppliers.

P.S. Would you like to discuss the JIT solution we have ready for you? Click here

Why Just In Time Inventory Is Right For You

In a world of torque wrenches and bolts the relationship between aircraft maintenance planning and suppliers is becoming more important by the day.

In the not so distant past we were managing a client's heavy check. In the middle of the project we were requested to supply the expendables for the entire project. This was in addition to the rotables we were already managing. Now, as you know, nothing ever goes entirely as planned. We scrambled, stressed and got the job done but situations like this make the planning process paramount to successful aircraft maintenance check projects.

Last minute procurement and poor forecasting can be costly. It costs more money and time, both being scarce.

The solution to this madness is the Just In Time (JIT) inventory concept.

JIT is a production strategy where you can improve your organization's bottom line by minimizing in-process inventory and carrying costs.

Have you ever thought about the total cost of waste on your shelves because you bought too much material or they're now obsolete or expired?

Just In Time inventory for your expendable needs

Raw materials, such as expendables and consumables, are an integral part of your maintenance processes but they can be costly sitting on the shelf at undesired times. Or even worse, you don't have enough spares available for your maintenance needs. You then have to procure your expendable needs on an AOG basis, increasing cost, stress and the time you spend on the project. Both scenarios are bad.

Just In Time inventory is a strategy you may want to consider to have the raw material available only when you need it. The material arrives and is immediately consumed by your maintenance needs. Reducing inventory and processing time.

Benefits of a JIT system

A buffer of inventory can be extremely comforting but it's also very costly. Once you start holding excess expendables in inventory you begin locking away cash needlessly. These items can be lost, damaged or become obsolete over years of unnecessary storage. They occupy valuable space that you could further use towards your operation.

One of the greatest benefits of the JIT system is it allows you to carry low inventory. You receive the material as you need it, just in time. There's no need to write off large inventories. You consume it when you need it, skipping the inventory process.

Another benefit of a JIT system is the reduction of waste. If material goes beyond its expiration date, corrodes or becomes unusable the cost of material rises. By eliminating waste you control cost.

A third key benefit to the JIT process is high quality production. Since you'll only be dealing with suppliers whom you trust, they will understand your needs and make sure quality is of utmost importance. This will eliminate rejected parts through your quality control process and quicker consumption rates for your aircraft maintenance planning.

JIT, stakeholder relationships and aircraft maintenance planning

The Just In Time inventory strategy is useless without a strong relationship with your supply chain. Providing your suppliers with material consumption forecasts and what you expect from them is crucial to a successful JIT relationship. By tapping into your suppliers to fulfill needs that could cost you millions is an ideal scenario.

This entire process is an evolution of change. As you begin to work with suppliers through you JIT strategy improvements will be made and cooperation will become tighter.

Aircraft maintenance planning can be costly but unnecessary spending is avoidable. With excess inventory comes excess cost, so why not receive goods just in time for consumption? By tapping into strong relationships with your supplier you'll know what parts are needed, when they're needed and receive them as needed.

If you have out of control raw material costs, a JIT strategy may be exactly what's needed for your aircraft maintenance planning needs.

P.S. If you would like to discuss our Just In Time Inventory program, contact sales today.

A Simpler Way to Improve Your Procurement Process

Do you often feel like a ton of bricks is piled on your shoulders, or do you miss deadlines? Maybe you just forget something important or people have to chase you to get work done?

Whether you have 10 open purchase orders or a 100, finding the time to manage them can be difficult.

If you only focused on following up with your orders that would be great. But more than likely that isn't the case. Your procurement process and aircraft maintenance planning usually pulls you in many directions.

Does This Sound Like You?

You wake up and get to the office. Once you arrive you have 5 issues that occurred unexpectedly and you need to take care of them. In the middle of you trying to figure out those issues your engineering department said they found a faulty harness wire and an AOG purchase was an immediate request. You find the harness wire and submit the PO.

If you're lucky it's to a trusted vendor but if not you find out 3 hours later the new vendor can't supply the harness you just bought. You now have to start all over again.

This may not be exactly the situation you run in to but the concept is the same. You have specific tasks you need to accomplish but are always interrupted by urgent requests throughout the day.

So how do you manage your aircraft maintenance planning process for the tasks that aren't urgent but important?

It's simpler than you think.

Meet The Daily To-Do List

A To-Do list is a simple tool you can use to organize your day more efficiently.

It can be as simple as listing all of your tasks, starting with the most important at the top. Then you just work down the list. Or you can schedule your tasks and block out time just for that task.

Your To-Do list is a critical component to beating work overload. It will increase your productivity and decrease your stress. Now who wouldn't want more of that?

The key is to prepare your To-Do list and manage your time more effectively. You can do this manually or by using a software program.

Currently, I use Nozbe for all of my planning.

I've used almost every To-Do software under the sun and this syncs with all my other programs like Evernote and Google Calendar.

Trello is also a good option.

A Couple More Tips to Aircraft Maintenance Planning Success

Creating a To-Do list is such a simple tool, but it doesn't end there.

Every night plan on what you have to do the next day. Right down all your tasks and organize them appropriately. You will always be adding tasks throughout the day but the end of day prep will best prepare you for the next day.

The next tip is to review your To-Do list every morning. This simple act will prepare you mentally for the next day. You'll know exactly what you have going on and what's important and what's not.

You'll get into work feeling organized and ready to tackle what the day has to bring.

We all know aircraft maintenance planning and the procurement process can never be planned 100%. The key is to structure your life and work so you know what you have going on and can deal with unexpected urgency without being overwhelmed.

The To-Do list will reduce your stress and create clarity in a world of constant change.

P.S. Email me to chat about what I do to organize my days.

Understanding Spare Parts Provisioning With Mr. Frank Loo

Well, it's that time. We've had a great opportunity to interview one of your peers. He has clocked 42 years of experience, which is less than 5 years from when the first Boeing 737 entered in to service and well before the time of the A320 series aircraft.

Can we say experience?

Mr. Frank Loo is the Senior Manager of Procurement and Spares for Transmile Air Services.

Let's get started.

What are your biggest frustrations when it comes to aircraft spare parts provisioning?

Response:

Parts availability for redundant system is extremely limited in the surplus market. Going back to OEM will literary end with very long lead time with exorbitant pricing. Alternative option is to retrofit and this kit is very costly and man hour cost to implement is not cost effective either.

For normal parts, many surplus stockist or repair shops hold them in "as removed" conditions. This means that we have to accept the shop turn time which does not help when we have critical requirements.

Is it difficult to adapt to these situations?

Response:

Not much of a choice.

What are the reoccurring problems you face in the general terms of maintenance?

Response:

a) Component turnaround time is difficult to firm up. MRO will always qualify with statement "subject to availability of breakdown parts". Without a committed turn time, it is difficult to negotiate penalty of delinquency.

b) Warranty term is very short calendar days on basis of very old equipment. Repaired components are normally returned as stock instead of direct installation for aircraft. The warranty days would expire by the time component is use.

How could your vendor's best service you during these problems?

Response:

Enter into Fixed Price Agreement which encourages customers to commit volume to same MRO. At the same time MRO will have a better forecast for breakdown spares provisioning.

Now let's talk about vendors. Aside from price and quality of parts, what are the biggest issues you encounter with your vendors? Maybe it's a lack of caring, or their hard to get a hold of. Think more in terms of personality, than service.

Response:

a) Missing promised lead time is frequent. This happens when it involves third party supplier. As buyer we cannot complain directly since vendor will not reveal the third party name.

b) Price changes are forced on to buyer when the first third party supplier is unable to honor its sale for reasons only known to them and vendor has to resource in their network.

What would you like your vendors to focus on more to make you feel most satisfied?

Response:

Keep to promised price and delivery terms. Sourcing for old airplane parts cannot be the excuse since all suppliers must know their inventory accuracy to promise availability.

In terms of MROs, what are your biggest complaints when dealing with repair shops?

Response:

a) Long Turn Around Time (TAT) especially when they are the OEM and have no authorized independent repair shops. Operators have no alternative.

b) OEM arbitrary forced operator to go through appointed MRO for all repairs. This MRO/Vendor has no urgency to customers' requirements since they are acting a "middleman". At the same time OEM wash their hands of their commitment to the operator.

How would you like them to act towards you (quality and price aside)?

Response:

Be pro-active and sensitive to operators' problems and frustrations.

If you could choose one thing, aside from price and quality, what would you like to see most in your aircraft spare parts vendor?

Response:

Honor its commitment.

Did you enjoy this Q&A? Respond to this email, we would like to hear from you.

[dropshadowbox align="none" effect="lifted-both" width="autopx" height="" background_color="#f5a230" border_width="1" border_color="#dddddd" ]Bio:

Since 1971 Mr. Frank Loo has clocked 42 years of experience in Material Management, Supply Chain, Logistics, Initial Provisioning for B734, A300, A330, DC10, B747, B777, Twin Otters and the respective engines.

He started with a national carrier, Malaysia Airlines and has since been with Transmile Air Services for the past 6 years after retiring. His major roles have been project leader in automation for inventory management/control, automation in warehouse spares control, stocking and distribution, setting up a purchasing office in Los Angeles, head of component repairs management, freight management, design and overseeing the construction of new warehouses. This is of course in addition to many other projects overseen by Mr. Loo.

Academically he holds a Bachelor of Business degree from University of Southern Queensland, Australia and attended several aircraft fleet type courses besides airline management courses. [/dropshadowbox]

Stress In Aviation And How To Control It

You sit in your office anxious, nervous with a feeling in your stomach you cannot describe. Some days it's extreme and other days it just keeps you up at night.

You self diagnose yourself and think, "I'm only stressed. I have a lot on my plate right now."

Does this sound familiar?

I come across many people just like you, and me for that matter. We can be constantly stressed.

It's understandable you have a lot to deal with. Not to mention stress resulting from an unexpected issue that arose from nowhere.

But, this is life and it happens every day, in all industries. We're not subject to this just because we are in aviation.

It's how we control stress that can make us better at what we do and happier in all aspects of our life.

I have a few ways that I control stress that I would like to share with you, but let's first take a look at how stress effects us.

Effects Of Stress

According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of people whom are stressed report physical symptoms. Another 48% claim that their stress level negatively affects them, both personally and professionally.

Stress not only affects you at work but it begins to affect you in all aspects of your life.

You will begin to feel lazy because you're both mentally and physically tired. Once you're tired problems start to arise, you will begin to make the wrong decision and poor judgment will ensue.

Simply put, stress wreaks havoc both mentally and physically so avoid it.

How To Control Stress

No matter how hard it seems, your stress can be controlled.

I know, I know, it doesn't seem like it at times but I promise you can control it.

Here are a few tips I use that have helped me control my stress levels substantially.

1) Practice relaxation techniques - Whether its deep breathing, yoga, meditation or all three, relaxing your mind and body is well worth the time.

2) Say "no" - It's okay to say no. You can't always meet people's expectations and demands. Saying no will give you the opportunity to work on important stuff and still have time for yourself.

3) Set realistic goals - Without having goals how are you supposed to stay focused and on task? You can't, so begin creating SMART goals that will help you focus on the important things in your life, work included.

4) Create a to-do list - By creating a to-do list you'll be able to see what's important and what's not. Delete the non-important stuff or delegate to someone who it would be more important to. Read more about organizing your to-do list here.

5) Write all thoughts down before bed - Any thoughts that are racing through your mind before bed, write it down. You'll get these thoughts out of your head, onto paper and you can think more about it in the morning. This allows your head to clear and your mind to relax, making for a better sleep.

6) Eat right - Nutrition plays an instrumental part of how stress can affect your life. It's just like an aircraft, if you feed it the wrong stuff it'll perform poorly or end up crashing.

7) Get moving - Fitness also plays an important role in how you manage stress. By moving and getting your heart going you get blood to all the right places. If your aircraft is stored for a prolonged time what happens? Enough said.

Being able to control stress is easy, it's just a matter of making the right decisions in your favor. Utilize the tips above and you'll be a better, less stressed you.

P.S. We can be your partner and help mitigate your stress levels. Contact us today and we'll tell you how.

What side effects do you have resulting from stress? Comment below.

Why Six Sigma Is Essential To Reducing Your Aircraft Maintenance Cost

You and I can agree that accurately forecasting aircraft maintenance cost is a job for a mathematician. From statistical analysis and exponential smoothing to extrapolation and the econometric forecasting, it's a world of its own. Did reading those terms bore you? I nearly fell asleep just typing them.

While focusing on your aircraft maintenance cost, there is one proven method that can help regain control of cost variation and waste.

The method which I'm talking about is Lean Six Sigma.

This methodology is known all over the world so I can be safe to say that I don't have to define it here. Instead let's discuss it's implication and how it can help you control your maintenance activities.

Key Principles of Lean Six Sigma And Your Aircraft Maintenance Cost

Lean Six Sigma is a proven method for improving your maintenance efficiency and effectiveness. Here are 6 principles to follow when implementing Lean Six Sigma:

-Identify your value stream and how the work gets done. -Manage, improve and smooth the process flow. -Remove waste. Non-Value-Added steps increase cost. -Reduce variation by managing by fact. -Involve the right people in the process who are fully equipped. -Engage in improvement activities in an organized way.

These 6 principles are vital to a successful Lean Six Sigma team. The key is to reduce waste and focus on value added activities. If a technician is running around to multiple projects, there is a possibility they may miss an important aspect of the inspection. This was mentioned in our last article.

In order to accomplish this, you must also implement a framework that can help with this process.

For improving activities in your maintenance processes you'll need to employ the useful framework of DMAIC.

Use DMAIC In Lean Six Sigma

To undergo improvements in regards to your aircraft maintenance processes utilizing Lean Six Sigma, you will need to use the framework of DMAIC.

Define: All projects start with a problem. This problem needs to be defined and everyone involved knows their role. Think about why you're doing this project and what you're trying to achieve.

Measure: The Define stage is what you "think" the problem is. Through the measure stage you'll need to be clear by coming up with how the work gets done and how well once finished.

Analyze: Now that you have an understanding of what is happening, it's imperative to find out why. Never jump to any conclusions. Manage by fact and narrow down to the best possible causes. Once the possible causes are identified you can pinpoint the root cause.

Improve: Now that you've identified the process and the problem, here is where you identify a solution to the root cause. Come up with various ideas and select the best one. Once the best one is selected, test it out.

Control: You need to control the gain you're trying to achieve. Come up with a control plan so the process is carried out consistently.

Utilizing DMAIC is imperative to the success of your Lean Six Sigma and cost control endeavors. Here is an easy way to identify your wastes.

Meet Tim Woods

In order to be successful at reducing your waste, you must first identify it. Use the acronym Tim Woods to achieve this.

T: Transport – Moving people, products & information I : Inventory – Storing parts, pieces, documentation ahead of requirements M : Motion – Bending, turning, reaching, lifting

W: Waiting – For parts, information, instructions, equipment O: Over production – Making more than is IMMEDIATELY required O: Over processing – Tighter tolerances or higher grade materials than are necessary D: Defects – Rework, scrap, incorrect documentation S: Skills – Under utilizing capabilities, delegating tasks with inadequate training

By utilizing Lean Six Sigma within your aircraft maintenance process you'll ensure that the varying cost can be reduced in one aspect or another. Don't let wasteful process deplete your bottom line. I encourage you to implement the Lean Six Sigma way and to reduce aircraft maintenance costs throughout your organization.

It may seem difficult at first but it'll save you from days which you result to hair pulling, screaming and banging your fist on the floor. Your goal is efficiency and less stress.

P.S. We can help you control your WOODS waste. We would love to talk about your needs so contact us today by clicking here.

Where do you see waste in your aircraft maintenance process?

How To Avoid Your Aircraft C Check Blues

Your aircraft C check is a big project. To most it may seem planned and straightforward but you and I know that's far different from reality.

It's not just a scheduled maintenance check. It's a group of planned undertakings that involve multiple parties, departments and partners depending on what strategy you've adopted.

While your aircraft undergoes it's C check there are many things running through your mind and just as many decisions to be made.

Who's responsible for the project? Are certain activities outsourced or is everything being accomplished internally? What about component support? Do you let the MRO supply components at inflated prices or do you supply your own? Are there contingency plans in place?

Most of these questions should be answered prior to the aircraft arriving at the maintenance hangar but it's always good to review and see what areas are causing problems.

Nothing ever goes to plan. Here are few tips to avoid aircraft C check problems:

Decision Making

Set roles and boundaries: By setting roles and boundaries, internally or externally, accountability can be achieved. This doesn't mean job descriptions, this means a collaborative effort for specific projects. Dedicate one person as the team lead.

Minimize decision making: Delegate all tasks that aren't a part of your core function and eliminate wasteful time spent on decision making to someone else.

Use a project management system: By using a project management system you can collaborate internally and with your partners in one easy interface. You'll be able to see what's getting done, where you're behind and who's taking on what role all in one place. This is also a great way to collaborate with your MROs and support partners.

Create a work flow diagram: By creating a work flow diagram you'll see what's supposed to be done at every stage of the aircraft C check process. Nothing will be overlooked.

Maintenance Support:

Utilize a component support partner: By utilizing a component support partner you'll avoid the costly inflation and labor costs MROs put on components. Your component support partner will take this specific role off your MRO, or you, and streamline the process.

Stream line logistics: A lot of money is spent shipping components from many different vendors from around the world. If you choose to use an aircraft C check component support partner, everything will be consolidated from one facility.

Maintain cost integrity: Don't let component parts inflate beyond a reasonable point, otherwise you're spending more money than necessary. Your component support partner will be able to manage this for you.

Establish trust: When dealing with anybody, make sure trust is established. The more you have trust in someone, the more you can delegate to them.

Your aircraft C check can be a stressful endeavor. Once you streamline processes, outsource specific tasks to trusted partners and avoid inflated mark-ups the less stressed you'll be.

With support you can achieve a reasonable amount of sanity.

What issues do you encounter with your aircraft C checks?