MRO Trend 2: Artificial intelligence is taking flight in the MRO industry

If you have already looked into investing in artificial intelligence (AI), you’re not alone. According to a SITA report, 50 percent of airlines are planning on investing in AI and cognitive computing the next couple of years.

Broadly speaking, artificial intelligence refers to an area of computer science that emphasises the development of intelligent machines that work and react like humans. It’s considered one of the cornerstones in Industry 4.0, along with other technologies such as the internet of things, big data, and augmented reality.

But how far has the technology really come? And what are the use cases of AI in MRO and the aviation industry? We took a closer look at this exciting MRO trend.

According to industry expert Mark Martin, the biggest opportunity for AI in the aviation industry is predictive maintenance. He refers to a report from consultancy agency Oliver Wyman, which suggested that “predictive analytics can help optimize maintenance planning and capacity by reducing the need for routine maintenance and only triggering repairs when needed – increasing fleet availability by up to 35 percent and reducing labour costs by 10 percent.”

AI can facilitate this process by using data from aircrafts in service to predict potential errors.

»The ability to correctly predict the right moment to repair or replace a part is key to this approach – if done too far in advance, the benefits of longer usage are lost, but if done too late, unexpected failures can result in unavailable assets and lost revenue,« says Mark Martin.

From good-to-have to business-critical

Large quantities of data play a key role in Industry 4.0 and AI. However, a lot of the current IT-systems are not equipped to handle such large amounts of data. That’s why airlines looking to utilize AI must also invest in next generation cloud solutions that are able to process and store the vast quantities of data, before they can reap the benefits of the technology.

According to Mark Martin, the days of physically storing and processing data on-site are vanishing, making way for cloud solutions and mobile devices that can access the data anywhere and anytime.

»As digitization transforms business models, the application of advanced analytical methods from AI will no longer just be good to have – it will soon be business critical,« states Mark Martin.

MRO Trend 3: Mobility and cloud

Just like cloud services are making their way into the control room of airlines and MROs, so are mobile solutions. According to research from IFS, aviation professionals identify mobile computing as one of the five key areas of investment for MROs and airlines in the years to come.

Software as a service (SaaS) is closely connected to cloud- and mobile solutions. It’s a software distribution model that enables users to run applications over the internet, removing the need of running applications on their own computers and servers.

This eliminates the expenses of hardware acquisition and maintenance, as well as licensing, installation and support of the software. Airlines and MROs have previously raised concerns about the large amount of physical hardware they would need to adopt new technologies, for this reason, SaaS is proving to be attractive to many operations looking to reap the benefits of AI and other data-heavy technologies.

»Cloud-based mobile solutions can be rolled out to the workforce with no physical installation required. Consequently, airlines can focus on the value they receive, not the infrastructure they need, removing a barrier to change,« says Mark Martin.

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Four MRO trends every airline needs to consider