MTMS Mobile Tooling Management System Managing GSEs and tools with RFID & barcode technology FINAL PROGRAM RECAP & UPDATE

Transcription

1 Carlos Quinta TAP Information Technology on behalf of TAP Maintenance & Engineering MTMS Mobile Tooling Management System Managing GSEs and tools with RFID & barcode technology FINAL PROGRAM RECAP & UPDATE IATA 2nd RFID & Paperless Technical Operations Conference Atlanta, GA USA November 16-18, 2015

2 PRESENTATIONOVERVIEW TAP IT - who are we The solution implemented The pain points to address The challenges What we managed to achieve Lessons learned What comes next 2

3 TAP IT - WHO ARE WE 3

4 TAP IT - WHO ARE WE TAP Group Business Processes Network Management Enterprise Performance Revenue Accounting Sales & Marketing Finance Flight Operations Human Resources Airport Operations Logistics Ground Operations Information Technology Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Audit & Legal Health Care Customer Experience TAP, SGPS, SA Groundforce TAP, SA PGA, SA TAP Information Technology Maintenance & Engineering BR TAPGER, SA Maintenance & Engineering PT TAP Airline Business TAP Serviços Initiatives Solution delivery (Projects) Solution mngmnt. & support (service lines) 4

5 THE SOLUTION IMPLEMENTED 5

6 Scoping Project Production THE SOLUTION IMPLEMENTED MTMS system went live on November 2014 comprising a mobile and back office user interface and wireless connectivity Supports 5 tool stores at LIS TAP M&E premises and manages around tools and 700 GSEs Tools are barcoded (or the drawers) and GSEs are coded with 2 passive UHF RFID tags Class1 Gen2 with a unique serial number One single tag form factor applies to all GSEs As a closed-loop solution, an internal EPC standard provides interoperability with other business solutions across TAP M&E MC9190z handheld readers are used to collect the data (no portals and no middleware) Back office provides management with information captured from mobile side. It s fully integrated with MRO legacy platform and ERP platform 6

7 Scoping Project Production THESOLUTION IMPLEMENTED 2 45 to be included (60 MB) 7

8 THE PAIN POINTS TO ADDRESS 8

9 THE PAIN POINTS TO ADDRESS Scoping Project Production For GSEs GSE movements are not registered at all. Therefore significant time is spent searching misplaced GSE Often equipment is not returned once booked by production There is no reliable / complete inventory Some GSE are only available in small quantities. This can occasionally cause critical path when GSEs are needed Storage areas are not optimally organised and consequently not fully used Inoperable GSE are red labelled and left on the hangar floor. Searching is required to gather them for delivery to Repair Is not possible to know the equipment downtime when it goes for Repair Lack of visibility and traceability 9

10 THE PAIN POINTS TO ADDRESS Scoping Project Production For Tools Limited visibility of tools on shop-floor Can have missing generic tools Searching can be very time-consuming There is limited reporting / audit capability Tools lent / borrowed to other hangars often not returned Poor/Limited visiblity and traceability Poor/Limited accuracy and reliability With previous offline solution 10

11 THE CHALLENGES 11

12 THECHALLENGES Scoping Project Production Getting the best performance from RFID tags on metal-rich environments (read range vs radiated power vs tag attachment vs form factor) Process & physical changes (critical GSEs): Optimizing storage areas. Each one is identified with an RFID tag Register all movements between different storage/repair areas Hangar support to perform more inventory checks to help reconciliation of supposed & actual GSE storage locations No more self-service usage Tools difficult to tag with RFID. Too many form factors and too many tools Active technology too expensive. Passive technology fits within the business case Providing the best Wi-Fi network coverage within the tool stores, maximizing the wireless coverage areas with many blind spots and walls: You should be able to read a barcode in the most concealed corner Make sure that everyone understands the potential benefits of RFID technology and carefully manage user expectations: System might need time for fine-tuning to perform optimally Stakeholders should be aware of the benefits that can be realistically achieved from the system 12

13 WHAT WE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE 13

14 Scoping Project Production WHAT WE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE (TOOLS& GSES) As long as everyone follows the new business rules, both technologies provide enhanced visibility and increase the availability of tools and GSEs At any given time is possible to track any tool or GSE, allowing management to check if there are tools left in use on an aircraft at the end of a hangar visit External monitors on tool stores provide visibility for mechanics about their tools delivered/received/being used Interface with ERP and MRO solutions automatically change the tool/gse condition from unserviceable to serviceable or vice-versa Human error still remains but at a residual level Findings about tools were therefore reduced by as much as 75%. Misplaced tools still remain but error diagnoses is much faster and easier Real time visibility and traceability 14

15 Scoping Project Production WHAT WE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE (GSES ONLY) Inventory Search Upto 80% lesstime Upto 75% lesstime 4,00 Scan vs manual results(*) 3,00 Minutes 2,00 1,00 0,00 Manual RFID scan Manual (*) 15 wheeledstairs, 80 sq. meter area 15 Fast search and inventory

16 Scoping Project Production WHAT WE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE OVERALL BENEFITS OF BOTH TECHNOLOGIES FOD mitigation Readiness & Availability Quality & Safety Visibility SN tool PC has been dispatched on 15 Oct to tool store hangar 5, after being booked in 10 days before on tool store hangar 6 Traceability Continuous Improvement 16

17 LESSONS LEARNED 17

18 Scoping Project Production LESSONS LEARNED Pay special attention to change management. RFID has a learning curve: Involve smart people in the early stages of training and RFID adoption Patience and hard work are essential ingredients Some process change is inevitable especially when dealing with metal environments, otherwise RFID technology just adds a cost Make sure to test different form factors and don t rely on one single brand. Tags and antennas are permanently evolving: Experimentation is necessary in a test setup with the actual objects to be tagged and the actual operating environment Don t expect tags to provide the same read range as referred in the datasheet (30% to 40% reduction should be expected) but you can always try a spacer RFID tags proven to be a reliable and robust choice to withstand harsh conditions and provide accurate information. No need to replace any tag so far Design and prepare for Wi-Fi outage. It will happen once in a while RFID and BC combined proved to be trustworthy providing business value and new benefits 18

19 WHAT COMES NEXT 19

20 WHAT COMES NEXT Road map for TAP M&E RFID program 2012 Engine parts inventory and traceability 2014 A/C Tools & GSE management Life vests management & inspection Emergency equip. & Oxygen generator Chemical products A350 XWB part marking What we have done BUT What was planned TAP has currently an ongoing privatization process The orders for A350 XWB have been canceled MTMS should be extended to TAP M&E external line maintenance stations Still wee keep on planning 20

21 Thank you Carlos Quinta BTA & Head of RFID Competence Center TAP Information Technology Headquarters at Lisbon Airport Cell: