The document discusses information exchange standards in the aviation industry. It provides background on ATA iSpec 2200, which was the dominant standard for over a decade. However, new standards like S1000D have emerged that allow for more flexible technical information management and reuse of content. Major aircraft manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing have adopted S1000D for new aircraft programs. This represents a significant change that impacts how all participants in aviation, including OEMs, suppliers, airlines, and MROs must create, manage, and deliver technical information going forward.

1. White Paper: InfoTrust Group, ExSyn Aviation Solutions Case Study: TAP M&E, IFRSKEYES & CAIRE Group
Vendor Job Card: Lufthansa Technik manage/m PLUS… News & who’s in the News, Webinars, MRO Software Directory
V2.4 • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
MOBILE WORKFORCE
A modern fleet needs modern methods
GOOD LANGUAGE
Information should be usable wherever
it’s viewed, on whatever platform
STEPPING UP
How CAIRE Group upgraded its
MRO system to meet the future
WHAT’STHE ADVANTAGE?
Taking software from a tool to a USP

2. Editor’s comment
Aircraft IT MRO: The world is always changing in small
ways but current developments look likely to bring
change in a big way
With so many airlines now anticipating the arrival of shiny new next generation aircraft
it’s tempting to think that in a few years all will be digital, next generation and wholly
integrated. But it won’t be quite that way.
Aircraft enjoy a very long ‘in-service’ life spanning three or four decades which means that
a lot of airlines will be flying mixed fleets of next generation and legacy generation aircraft
for the foreseeable future. Even the new engine option (NEO) B737s and A 320s will, for
all their modernity, not have been designed from the outset as next generation aircraft.
This is going to be a challenge for airlines, aircraft operators and, especially, for pure MROs
whose customers will certainly be flying aircraft of both generations. And it will be a
significant challenge for IT designers, builders and vendors.
A lot of great IT will be arriving in the coming years and a lot of great IT will be bought and installed. But, in order to
leverage the best value from what are already very capable solutions, users will need to turn their investment in great
software into a positive business advantage.
You can read in this issue how one airline is leveraging the opportunity of ‘intelligent’ aircraft to inform and drive
improvements across the whole operation. You’ll also read how the latest developments in generating, packaging and
distributing information can add real value over and above the functions for which they were designed and how to
turn an investment in software into a powerful competitive advantage. And you’ll see how a young growing airline has
laid the best possible foundations by embracing high quality IT right away.
As in every issue, you’ll learn what makes a key software vendor tick. Plus, of course, How Michael Denis sees IT. And,
as always, lots more news and information from your sector.
In addition to all that, the Aircraft IT live demonstration webinars allow readers to research the software package
most appropriate for their needs and access past webinars with more focus than ever while, of course, future webinars
are open for every reader who registers.
The future will come and readers will have to be part of it: in Aircraft IT MRO, they can learn how use to their
advantage what the future of MRO IT has in store.
Aircraft IT MRO: Your world of MRO IT gathered, packaged and delivered to your desktop.
Ed Haskey
CLICK HERE: Send your feedback and
suggestions to AircraftIT MRO
CLICK HERE: Subscribe for freeAircraftIT MRO is published bi-monthly and is an affiliate of Aircraft Commerce
and part of the AviationNextGen Ltd group. The entire contents within this
publication © Copyright 2013 AviationNextGen Ltd an independent publication
and not affiliated with any of the IT vendors or suppliers. Content may not be
reproduced without the strict written agreement of the publisher.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are the views of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of their companies
or of the publisher. The publisher does not guarantee the source, originality,
accuracy, completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding,
interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented.
AircraftIT MRO
Publisher/Editor: Ed Haskey
E-mail: ed.haskey@aircraftit.com
Telephone: +44 1403 230 700 or +44 1273 700 555
Website: www.aircraftIT.com
Copy Editor/Contributor: John Hancock
E-mail: john@aircraftit.com
Magazine Production: Dean Cook
E-mail: deancook@magazineproduction.com
04 NEWS
In a fast-moving business like MRO, developments came thick and fast and keeping up with what is going on can
become a job in itself. Clever MRO IT managers check regularly on www.aircraftit.com/MRO and here in the Aircraft IT
MRO e-journal.
18 WHITE PAPER: THE RIGHT LANGUAGE IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT
Tim Larson, chief product owner for TechSight/X suite of products at InfoTrust Group
Using technology not only to generate information but also to manage the way it is packaged and used will make
more pertinent information more readily available.
23 COLUMN: HOW I SEE IT
eSignatures: why are we a decade behind?
We use eSignatures to an increasing degree in everyday life and yet when a multi-million dollar aircraft has to be
signed off after maintenance or repair, we generate paper to sign with an old ball-point. Mike wonders why MRO is
so far behind?
24 CASE STUDY: MOBILITY WORKFORCE
Fernando Ferreira Matos, Head of Information Technologies at TAP Maintenance & Engineering
In preparing for its A350 fleet, TAP has re-thought IT infrastructure and developed new systems to get the best from
new aircraft; starting with mobile working.
28 UPCOMING LIVE MRO SOFTWARE DEMONSTRATION WEBINARS
A preview of live MRO software demonstration webinars featuring Boeing Mobile Maintenance on12th September
2013 and TRAX Mobile and MRO/M&E on 19th September 2013.
29 VENDOR JOB CARD
Dr Falk Kalus explains the thinking and approach behind Lufthansa Technik and manage/m®
On his Job Card, Dr Falk Kalus, Director manage/m® Technical Operations WebSuite, Lufthansa Technik AG explains
what drives the development of manage/m®.
30 CASE STUDY: GETTING BETTER
Jean-Philippe Coudrat, Fleet Technical Manager at the CAIRE group
Upgrading a current system is often right for a growing airline, as this focus on the experience of the CAIRE group
implementing the latest version of AMASIS shows.
34 PAST WEBINARS: KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND ACCESS FOR INDUSTRY EXPERTS
View Video Recordings of our Past Live MRO Software Demonstration Webinars. See full information and view video
recordings of past MRO Software Demonstrations, including: Mxi, Ramco, and Hexaware.
36 WHITE PAPER: LEVERAGING ADVANTAGE OUT OF SOFTWARE
Sander de Bree, Managing Director ExSyn Aviation Solutions
M&E software is essential to any airline or MRO’s ability to conduct its business but software also has the capability to
create a unique value for the business.
43 MRO SOFTWARE DIRECTORY
A detailed look at the world’s leading MRO IT systems.

3. A BRIEF HISTORY OF INFORMATION
EXCHANGE STANDARDS IN CIVIL AVIATION
For the past decade, manufacturers and airlines have
based their maintenance and engineering information
on ATA iSpec 2200. This specification was developed
by the Air Transport Association (ATA) as a global
aviation industry standard for the content, structure,
and electronic exchange of aircraft engineering and
maintenance information. The specification was
introduced largely to address the massive volumes
of paper required to produce multiple manuals and
publications that accompany every aircraft.
ATA iSpec 2200 reduced dependence on paper by
providing a common way to enable the electronic
use of maintenance and engineering information
in the aerospace industry. Its application moved
maintenance and engineering documentation from
paper to electronic format and it has been the
dominant specification used in the aerospace industry
for the past decade. During this time the Internet
came into its own, only to be overcome by the more
recent explosion of mobile devices that are leading the
transition from the PC era to a post-PC era, and new
generation aircraft such as Airbus’ A350 and Boeing’s
787 Dreamliner that have crossed new boundaries with
the use of ‘e-enabled’ aircraft.
INFORMATION HANDLING IN A DIGITAL
ERA — THE CASE FOR REUSABLE CONTENT
COMPONENTS AND THE ORIGIN OF S1000D
Easy, instant access to information has changed the way
organizations manage this vital business component.
People expect to find information where they want it —
in print/PDF, on websites, on smartphones and tablets
— when they want it. No industry can today afford to
delay the quick delivery of reliable information in all
the ways that consumers of that information expect.
In response, industries for which information is
a critical part of their business have revolutionized
the way they create, manage, and distribute it. They
have moved from a downstream, document centric
focus on the output of monolithic publications to
an information or content centric focus on the way
information is created upstream. By shifting the focus
from how information is packaged on the backend to
how it is created or authored on the front end, these
organizations are reaping benefits in the productivity of
managing information throughout its lifecycle as well as
improvements in information accuracy and consistency.
These benefits stem from the origin of content itself
when it is created as structured, or media- and format-
independent, XML (extensible markup language).
XML is based on the creation of small, reusable
content components. Each component has related
metadata or information about it that can be used to
determine its relevance for a publication. Metadata
also makes it easy to search for and quickly find
information. And because XML content components
are not associated with a format or publication type,
they can be assembled automatically, on demand, for
multiple publications and formats — PDF, Web, or
mobile.
USING CONTENT COMPONENTS IN THE
AEROSPACE INDUSTRY
Recognizing the need to manage the voluminous
amounts of technical information about aircraft in
a more nimble way, in 2004 the ATA e-Business
Strategic Planning Team tasked a group of its members
representing manufacturers and airlines to evaluate the
potential of using S1000D — an XML or component
based information exchange standard first developed by
the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of
Europe (ASD) for the defense industry.
WHAT IS S1000D?
S1000D is an international specification for technical
publications, utilizing a Common Source Database. It
was originally introduced to the European community
by the Association Européenne de Constructeurs
de Matériel Aérospacial, representing the aerospace
industry.1
Since its inception over 20 years ago, S1000D has
grown to where it is now used widely around the
world. Currently, its uses include, defense systems —
including land, sea, and air products — civil aviation
products, construction industry products, and ship
industry products.2
The basic principles of S1000D are:
• Information produced in accordance with the
standard is in a modular form called a ‘data module’;
• A data module is the smallest, self-contained
information unit within a technical publication;
• A data module must have sense and meaning when
viewed without any supporting data other than
graphics;
• All data modules are stored and managed in a
Common Source Data Base (CSDB);
• Using a CSDB allows for output in either a page
oriented or Interactive Electronic Technical
Publication (IETP) that is consistent regardless of the
IT platform used;
• Individual data modules can be used many times in
output3
.
The benefits of using a modular approach are multi-
fold and include:
• Information consistency: Many different output
forms can be generated from a single data source.
• Cost savings: Achieved by reusing a single data
module rather than recreating information each time
it is required and by reducing the cost to maintain
technical information.
Technical Information Management in the 21st Century
The right language
in the right context
Tim Larson, chief product owner for TechSight/X suite of products at
InfoTrust Group considers Aircraft Technical Publication Standards —
who they impact and why
18 | WHITE PAPER: INFOTRUST | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
THE FIRST ARTICLE on this topic (published Aircraft IT MRO volume 2 issue 3 — June 2013), offered a
brief overview of trends impacting civil aviation in the 21st century, including the evolution of information
exchange standards. Information exchange standards are used to make sharing information easier than it would be
if every contributor to the technical information lifecycle — OEMs, their suppliers, airlines, and MROs — produced
and managed information according to its own methods.
Without a common method for creating, managing, and delivering information, everyone in the ecosystem would
be slowed down and the quality of information would greatly suffer. In fact, in industries like civil aviation —
where timeliness and accuracy of information is critical in order to comply with regulatory requirements designed
to ensure safe operation of aircraft as well as maximize the time aircraft are in service — the use of information
exchange standards is paramount.
A brief history of information exchange standards in civil aviation brings us to one of today’s most significant
challenges for all players in the lifecycle of technical information: the introduction of the S1000D information
standard and the ability to operate in a multi-spec content ecosystem.

4. • Customized content: Allows sub-sets of information to be generated to
meet specific user needs.
• Information transfer: Facilitates transfer of information and electronic
output between disparate IT systems.
• Collaboration: Provides a single standard to support communications
and data exchange among all participants in a given project4
.
DID YOU KNOW?
The purpose of the ATA e-Business Program’s Civil Aviation Working Group
(CAWG) is to develop the necessary modifications to enable S1000D to be
the world-wide accepted future Technical Data exchange standard for the
Civil Aviation industry5
.
In contrast to the reusable, data module approach of S1000D, ATA iSpec
2200 is a document-based model with an emphasis on the output of legacy
publications. As requirements for more flexible technical information
management distribution continue to increase, the limitations of ATA iSpec
2200 become apparent.
Manufacturer and airline representatives on the ATA task group
recognized the limitations of iSpec 2200 and the benefits offered by S1000D
that address evolving information management requirements. As a result
of their recommendation, the ATA e-Business Program entered into an
agreement and signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate
with the ASD (AeroSpace and Defence — industries association of
Europe) and AIA (Aerospace Industries Association — of America) for the
incorporation of commercial aviation requirements into S1000D.
For the past several years, the ATA has worked closely with the ASD and
AIA to make S1000D the new information exchange standard for civil
aviation. Moreover, Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier identified S1000D as
the information exchange standard for their new generation aircraft, which
requires their suppliers, airlines, and MROs to be able to create, manage,
and deliver technical information in S1000D.
WHY S1000D IS SUCH A DISRUPTION: HOW S1000D IS
CHANGING TECHNICAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN
CIVIL AVIATION
The entry of S1000D into civil aviation through Airbus’, Boeing’s, and
Bombardier’s new generation aircraft programs has created a disruption
for all participants in the ecosystem. With S1000D come both benefits and
challenges for everyone.
PRIMARY OEMS: WHERE INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS BEGIN
The primary OEMs (Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, etc.) determine
the program or information standard to which suppliers must author their
technical content and that must be supported by their airline customers
and MROs. For existing aircraft, such as the Airbus A380 and the
Boeing 777, these manufacturers established requirements based on ATA
iSpec 2200. Other aircraft programs have used similar ATA iSpec 2200
requirements. Each of these primary OEMs has introduced its own unique
needs into the ATA iSpec 2200 DTDs (document type definitions).
As mentioned above, Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier have established
S1000D to be the information standard for their new generation aircraft
programs. For example, Airbus uses Issue 4.1 for the A350 and Boeing,
which began the 787 program using ATA iSpec 2200 standards, now uses
Issue 3.0 of S1000D for the 787.
S1000D BENEFITS FOR THE PRIMARY OEMS
The primary OEMs’ transition to S1000D signals a fundamental shift in the
way they aim to handle technical information for civil aircraft in the future.
With the data intense nature of new generation, e-enabled aircraft, they are
demanding to move beyond the inefficiencies, information inaccuracies,
and expenses of traditional document centric technical information
management. Indeed, Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier are driving an
industry step change to a content centric model based on reusable S1000D
data modules, a common source data base (CSDB), and their related
benefits.
By requiring suppliers to provide information in S1000D data modules,
primary OEMs can manage all technical information for their new
generation aircraft programs in a single CSDB and more fluidly assemble
information from numerous suppliers to produce the various publications
“By shifting the focus from how information is packaged
on the backend to how it is created or authored on the
front end, these organizations are reaping benefits in
the productivity of managing information throughout its
lifecycle as well as improvements in information accuracy
and consistency.”
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: INFOTRUST | 19
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5. they provide to airlines. Moving to the modular nature
of S1000D data lets primary OEMs adopt a more
frequent update model; they can even make real-
time updates. It is worth noting, however, that while
convenient for the primary OEMs, this can become
a significant challenge for airlines in being able to
handle revision cycles if they are not using either
the proprietary system from the primary OEM or a
manufacturer-independent S1000D solution that lets
airlines manage technical information in either ATA
iSpec 2200 or S1000D from any primary OEM in one
system.
COMPONENT SUPPLIERS: MEETING REQUIREMENTS
FOR MULTIPLE OEMS AND MULTIPLE PROGRAMS
Systems and component suppliers to the primary OEMs
must be able to create, manage, and deliver information
in all of the standards and versions required for the
programs in which they participate, including variants
of ATA iSpec 2200 and S1000D. As mentioned above,
the notable exception is the 787, a program that already
was underway with existing standards when Boeing
moved to S1000D. Its suppliers were not obligated to
provide technical information in S1000D. However, as
Airbus and Bombardier require suppliers to support
S1000D and Boeing continues to favor S1000D, it
behooves suppliers to identify a solution for supporting
multiple specifications so they can meet the obligations
of all primary OEMS with which they work.
Today, suppliers are writing content twice, or
multiple times, to meet different requirements: or
they are copying and pasting content produced in one
specification to modify it for another. Both practices
delay the delivery of information — whether for new
generation aircraft or for updates to existing programs
— and increase the risk of errors. Moving to S1000D
can actually address the problems of this approach
through the fundamental concept of data module reuse
WRITE CONTENT ONCE, USE MANY TIMES
Suppliers that participate in S1000D programs can
anticipate immediate benefits from moving to reusable
data modules accessible from a CSDB. For example, a
supplier that produces a component for both a military
and a civilian aircraft, or for both an Airbus and a
Boeing aircraft, may need to provide documentation for
the military aircraft in one Issue of S1000D and for a
civilian aircraft in a different Issue. Or they may need
to provide the technical information to Airbus in one
information standard and to Boeing in another.
The supplier can avoid authoring information twice or
even multiple times — once for each set of requirements
— by normalizing the data. This approach takes a
current version of an information set in one standard
and transforms content to the appropriate version of
the S1000D specification for the purposes of authoring
and content management. The content is then published
out to meet the contractual commitments. S1000D
is perfectly suited for this normalization process.
Older versions of S1000D and ATA iSpec 2200 can be
transformed to the latest S1000D Issue so that they can
be managed in the same way.
To achieve this level of productivity, suppliers must
have a transformation process engine — like the
publication manager included in the TechSight/X
Aircraft Maintenance Edition — to manage the input
of data modules and the transformation of those data
modules for output to multiple specifications to meet
commitments. Doing this will allow the supplier to
meet multiple sets of requirements without slowing
down the delivery of information or compromising
information quality. Furthermore, by writing data
modules once and using a transformation process
to output information to multiple requirements,
suppliers can simplify the number of systems and skill
sets required to manage technical information while
reducing overall costs.
AIRLINES: WHAT S1000D
MEANS FOR TECHNICIANS
When we look at what S1000D means for airlines,
we can break it down into technical publications
management and technician user groups. For airlines
that author some original content and manage
their own changes, we once again see this need to
manage content from multiple OEMs with the unique
variability of the OEM application of the specifications.
For all airlines there are the thousands of maintenance
technicians who are the ultimate consumers of the
information and must deal with human factors of
content in multiple forms.
Before looking at the advantages of S1000D for
the maintenance technician, let’s first address a
misunderstanding in the industry about S1000D. As
the industry makes the move to S1000D and we talk
about the differences between reusable data modules
and page-based information, often people conclude that
the use of S1000D means that there are no manuals
anymore. It is easy to imagine the common source
database with individual data modules existing as
separate bite-sized pieces.
The misunderstanding is that whereas the individual
data modules do take a central place for content
authors, the technicians consuming information to
perform maintenance tasks are still looking at the
assembly of the parts. Technicians are still using
publications — any number of maintenance manuals
that contain various data modules — to do their work.
When technicians look at S1000D publications, they
look familiar because the publications are similar to
what technicians saw with ATA iSpec 2200 manuals. If
you didn’t tell technicians what information standard
was used they wouldn’t know.
In the S1000D world, technicians are the beneficiaries
of new ways to search for and find information faster
both in and across publications, more in line with their
own evolving expectations to discover information that
is tailored to their personal needs more easily. This is
due to the concept of applicability, which is unique to
the S1000D information standard. Applicability involves
the tagging of data modules in such a way that lets a
technician get only the content that is applicable to the
airplane, engine, or component they are working on.
There is no further need to check and see if the aircraft
is pre-service bulletin or post-service bulletin. The
condition and the status reside in the applicability tables
and the non-applicable content is filtered out.
Applicability also allows technicians to approach the
content from a subject level rather than a manual level.
For example remove, install, repair, wiring, trouble
shooting, etc. Fault data modules allow the IETP to use
post-flight reports to quickly identify the correct trouble
shooting procedure to use. The process data module
allows for interactive and guided trouble shooting
procedures, simplifying the trouble shooting procedure.
Airlines can also reuse in work cards procedural
content that is contained in technical publications. In
systems like the TechSight/X Aircraft Maintenance
Edition, the work cards remain automatically in sync
with the technical publications, reducing human error.
Turning back to the content creators in the airline;
by using S1000D for the creation of information,
airlines can take advantage of data module reuse,
applicability (granular filtering based on the condition,
configuration, or modification state of the aircraft or
asset), tagging of tasks for specific tails, and more.
S1000D gives them the ability to build pieces that can
be used in multiple manuals or multiple times in one
20 | WHITE PAPER: INFOTRUST | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013
“Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier identified S1000D as the information exchange
standard for their new generation aircraft, which requires their suppliers, airlines, and
MROs to be able to create, manage, and deliver technical information in S1000D.“

6. TIM LARSON
CHIEF PRODUCT OWNER FOR TECHSIGHT/X
SUITE OF PRODUCTS AT INFOTRUST GROUP
Tim Larson has more than 30 years’
experience in commercial aviation and
has played a key role in promoting
and developing the S1000D specification in the ATA
e-Business standards body. He serves on the ATA
e-Business Steering Group (ESG), is a member of the
ATA Civil Aviation Working Group and the S1000D
Steering Committee, and supported the design and
delivery of the first S1000D production solution for a
commercial carrier. Tim currently serves as the chief
product owner for InfoTrust Group’s TechSight/X suite
of products that support both ATA iSpec 2200 and
S1000D specifications.
INTERACTIVE
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AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2013 | AIRCRAFT IT MRO | WHITE PAPER: INFOTRUST | 21
FOOTNOTES
1, www.S1000D.net
2, http://public.s1000d.org/Pages/Home.aspx
3, www.s1000d.net
4, Ibid.
5, www.ataebiz.org
INFOTRUST GROUP
InfoTrust Group (www.infotrustgroup.com) provides
information management solutions and services for
global organizations and Fortune 500 companies
in the aerospace, defense, high-tech, and other
industries. For more than 25 years, InfoTrust Group
has helped operators, OEMs, and MROs meet their
technical information management requirements
for maintenance, engineering, and flight operations.
The company’s TechSight/X® suite of products is in
production at many of the largest airlines around the
world, and both OEMs and carriers rely on InfoTrust
Group services to increase the efficiency of authoring,
managing, and processing their data to keep it timely,
accurate, and industry-compliant.
manual so that they can reduce the cost of producing
publications and increase the consistency and accuracy
of information.
To get to S1000D, key considerations for airlines
include the procurement of an S1000D system with an
XML editor, a CSDB, and an IETP; an interface to the
MRO system for obtaining real-time information on the
current configuration and modification state of aircraft;
and organizational aspects such as training authors to
work with data modules and technicians to become
familiar with the information access… advantages they
will likely appreciate.
The main question airlines need to ask is to what
extent does the system need to be defined? For example,
an airline has to be able to take in, manage, and publish
S1000D content out to its technicians. This includes
more than creating and storing data modules with an
XML editor and a CSDB as mentioned above. Airlines
need to consider going beyond the CSDB functioning
simply as a repository and serving as a complete data
management function with check-in and check-out
as well as workflow, reporting, and other capabilities.
Airlines should be aware of the disadvantages of
a partial system versus requirements that can be
met through a full S1000D technical information
management system. And, like OEMs that need to
publish to multiple specifications, airlines that have
existing and new generation aircraft will need to create
and publish technical information to IETPs for both
iSpec 2200 and S1000D.
CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING CONTROL OF
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
With initial deliveries of the 787 now underway, how
are the airlines receiving those aircraft meeting the
requirement to use the S1000D information standard?
How are those with existing and new fleets managing
both ATA iSpec 2200 and S1000D content? And how
will airlines handle programs for both existing and
new generation aircraft from Airbus, Boeing, or other
S1000D OEMs?
Boeing offers its technical information management
system to its 787 customers and the option to use its
own technical information management services. Since
Boeing requires its customers to support S1000D, it is
easy enough to include the system and require customers
to use it. It is equally straight forward to provide a
service to manage proprietary information because it
leaves customers with virtually no other viable options.
However, airlines may be wary of proprietary systems
and services from any primary airframe manufacturer
for a number of reasons, including:
• Lack of integration with configuration management
systems — primary OEMs cannot provide integration
to configuration management systems, which
means that even though the OEM gets the benefit
of an S1000D system, the airline does not get any
additional benefit to exploit the powerful applicability
model to serve information to its technicians based
on the real-time configuration of aircraft. Without
integration to the configuration management system,
airline technicians do not get much benefit from
S1000D over traditional iSpec 2200 systems.
• Duplicate system costs — having no choice but to use
a proprietary system for a new generation program
and another system for existing programs requires
duplicate systems, additional training requirements,
and increased human factors issues, all driving
increased costs.
• Increased customization costs — if an airline makes a
content change based on its customizations, the OEM
may charge for updates. Incremental costs creep in.
• Primary OEM restrictions — airlines’ technical
publications departments may not want to be
dependent solely on OEMs for management of their
technical information. Airlines are then beholden
to the OEM’s schedule, cost structure, and content
management rules, which reduces airlines’ ability to
manage priority changes, document style, ownership
of the information, etc.
• Competitive edge — letting the OEM control an
airline’s customized data may not be palatable from a
competitive perspective. In such a fiercely competitive
industry, airlines are likely to seek to keep all
competitive advantages under their own control.
• Engineering IP (intellectual property) — many
airlines have engineering departments with engineers
who are equally skilled as those at the OEMs (many
have come from the OEMs). These airlines use these
engineering staff to develop improvements complete
with airworthiness certification. The airline does
not want to give that IP away simply because it is
constrained to an OEM publications system. In the
very competitive airline world, airlines need the
ability to do what they need, when they need to do it.
Airlines that need to support new generation aircraft
can consider alternative, manufacturer independent
solutions that will allow them to manage all of their
programs in a single system. This will allow them to
retain control of their information while affording
airlines the cost savings and productivity controls
required to meet their business needs.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
For OEMs and their suppliers, the consequences of
moving or not moving to S1000D are clear. In order to
participate in new generation aircraft programs, they
must be able to support S1000D or by default they are
‘sun setting’ their businesses. They will be forced to play
in the new S1000D world and will be challenged to
identify sustainable solutions.
Airlines that take delivery of new generation aircraft
also must make the move to S1000D. They can be
appreciative to Airbus, Boeing, and Bombardier
for leading them to adopt the data module reuse
methodology with its wealth of productivity and
information quality benefits. However, it is up to
airlines and OEMs to explore options for how they
will support both legacy ATA iSpec 2200 data and new
S1000D content to successfully operate in a multi-spec
content ecosystem.
In part three of the series, we will take a closer look
at technology and some of the options for supporting
evolving requirements and operating in a multi-spec
content ecosystem. n

7. INTERACTIVE: GET INVOLVED!
Why not get involved with the debate? Send
your comments or questions to Michael by clicking here.
How I see ITeSignatures: why are we a decade
behind? Michael Denis
I lost a credit card while on vacation and when the new one arrived by FedEx, I signed a hand held device
with an electronic ‘digitized’ signature block. We all do this on a daily basis at grocery stores, petrol stations,
and retail outlets. So why is it that ‘paperless’ airlines are only paperless on one side of the runway?Electronic signatures are an integral part of paperless airline operations. But as of early 2013 the number of
airlines and MROs printing and signing paper aircraft log books, task cards, non-routines, 8130/Form1 ARCs,
COAs, etc. still represents well over ninety per cent of the aerospace industry?The usual excuse I hear is there are regulatory issues with implementing eSignature. Poppycock! The EU
Parliament passed the Electronic Signatures Directive, 1999/93/EC in December 1999 and the Electronic
Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign) was enacted by the US in June 2000. FAA Advisory
Circular 120-78, ‘Acceptance and Use of Electronic Signatures, Electronic Recordkeeping Systems and Electronic
Manuals’ was published in October 2002 and EASA published a similar advisory, Decision No 2010/001/R, on 23rd
March 2010.
The other common excuse is that the technology is too expensive. Balderdash!At one of my clients I observed a paper form used to perform an engine oil servicing was four pages. Four
pieces of paper and ink, printed by a clerk, filled out by an engineer, signed, returned to a line shack for
partial entry into the MRO IT system by a another clerk, storage on site for one month, shipping to central
records, QC check, storage for eighteen months, then shipped to another facility for destruction. Sum it all
up and there’s over a million dollars per year for oil servicing paperwork. Start considering the paper related
costs of log books, task cards, non-routines, EOs, ARCs, etc. and the mountains of paper and money become
massive. So what is the business case for doing nothing?
Signatures (physical and electronic) follow five increasing capability maturity levels:CL1 A ‘wet’ signature and/or stamp;
CL2 An electronic code (pin and/or password);CL3 A digitized image of a ‘wet’ signature (including photocopied ‘wet’ signatures);CL4 A digital signature, which uses cryptographic mathematical algorithms to detect the uniqueness of a
digitized signature pen strokes or key entries and returns a hash code;CL5 Any other unique form of individual identification that can be used as a means of authenticating
a record or document and the person entering information (e.g. biometric unique identification such as
fingerprint scan or retinal scan).
eSignatures aren’t rocket science technology; they are, however, an easy, cheap, and fast method of improving
efficient operations.
“The usual excuse I hear
is there are regulatory
issues with implementing
eSignature. Poppycock!
The EU Parliament passed the
Electronic Signatures Directive,
1999/93/EC in December 1999.”

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