IFS debuts SaaS-based fleet, line planning solutions for commercial aviation, speeding operators’ reactions to unexpected schedule changes

ATLANTA. IFS, the global enterprise applications company with American headquarters in Itasca, Illinois, is launching IFS Maintenix Fleet Planner and IFS Maintenix Line Planner, two software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions designed to help commercial operators of all sizes boost the efficiency of long-range and line maintenance planning, make the most effective use of available maintenance resources, and drive greater aircraft operational availability, company officials say. This launch represents the first in a series of SaaS-based IFS Maintenix solutions geared specifically for the mission-critical maintenance and engineering needs of the global commercial aviation market.

Commercial aviation is witnessing an unprecedented growth in fleet sizes worldwide. Key to an operator’s success is delivering the best maintenance plans that align closely with operational performance objectives while adhering to critical safety requirements.

“Growing fleets, more routes and new, complex aircraft have increased the pressure on airlines to reduce maintenance costs, maximize resource allocation, and boost aircraft availability,” says Scott Helmer, senior vice president of aviation and defense at IFS. “The maintenance plan is the foundation for this, as all downstream success — faster aircraft turnaround times, maintaining fleet airworthiness, and keeping maintenance and materials costs in check — is dependent on having solid but flexible plans in place. With IFS Maintenix Fleet Planner and IFS Maintenix Line Planner, customers can more cost-effectively meet these needs while being able to quickly scale as the market grows.”

IFS Maintenix Fleet Planner is designed to help generate more effective long-range plans for heavy maintenance activities and reduce the manual effort of keeping them up-to-date. It automatically generates simple or complex fleet maintenance plans, and offers the ability to compare plans against key performance indicators, model “what if” scenarios, and publish to production. These efficiency gains ensure decision-makers have the time and insight to choose the best possible plan and quickly react to schedule changes.

The solution was designed with the input of experienced long-range planners from a cross-section of large and small aircraft fleet operators. As part of an early adopter program, IFS Maintenix Fleet Planner has already been selected by a large North American airline that operates a mixed fleet of wide-body, narrow-body and regional jets. The system has been subjected to real-world use and has demonstrated an ability to enable improvements in aircraft availability, check yield, and hangar utilization.

IFS Maintenix Line Planner enables planners to efficiently create, maintain, and communicate an executable line maintenance plan. The solution helps drive greater efficiencies by focusing attention on high-priority items and identifying the cause of maintenance issues, such as lack of parts, labor or special tools. Through automated workflows, IFS Maintenix Line Planner empowers users to more readily react to last-minute schedule changes and maximize line operational capability, maintenance task yield, and network resources.

The solution was co-developed in partnership with LATAM Airlines, the largest airline operator in Latin America with a fleet of over 300 aircraft and maintenance facilities spread throughout South and Central America. As IFS’ partner in creating and proving the value of this solution, LATAM is live today and seeing the benefits from its use of IFS Maintenix Line Planner.

“The sheer speed and scale of how LATAM Airlines works required a solution that could be quickly implemented without any disruption to our business while at the same time bringing substantial efficiencies to our planning process,” says Sebastian Acuto, vice president of maintenance and engineering at LATAM. “IFS Maintenix Line Planner not only saves time for our planners and improves collaboration, it also creates better plans with improved yield and operational flexibility.”

Both IFS Maintenix solutions work seamlessly with any maintenance and engineering software system, and are deployed in a SaaS environment, enabling organizations to quickly and cost-effectively capitalize on innovative solutions to meet the evolving business needs of their maintenance management operations, while easily scaling in lockstep with changes to organizational and aircraft fleet plans.

IFS Maintenix Fleet Planner is available immediately, while IFS Maintenix Line Planner will be available in Q3 2018.

IFS develops and delivers enterprise software for customers around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations.