This use case illustrates the digitalisation of inspection processes at KLM Equipment Services, resulting from the collaboration between Aboma and Smartflow with the implementation of the digital inspection system called AMTeK.
After the implementation of the AMTeK application, KLM Equipment Services managed to create a transparent data-transfer process between the field inspectors, office workers, and their customers.
KLM Equipment Services aimed at increasing efficiency, ensuring workers’ safety, creating a standardised workflow followed by each inspector, and ensuring equipment compliance.
KLM EQUIPMENT SERVICES
GOALS
- Future proof and flexible inspection solution
- Automated workflow for preparing, sharing, and completing inspections
- Structural data collection
CHALLENGES
- Improving and updating inspection methodology
- Preparing inspections for multiple inspectors and different assets & equipment
- Reporting and analysing inspection results
SOLUTION
- Standardised inspection workflow
- Connected environment with colleagues and external stakeholders
- Automated workflows and reporting
RESULTS
- Complete standardised inspections and error reduction
- Increased collaboration and knowledge transfer
- Increased insight about inspector, asset, and equipment performance
- Additional steps towards increasing preventive maintenance
WORKING AT ONE OF THE BUSIEST AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD
KLM Equipment Services operates as an independent subsidiary of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
KLM is the world’s oldest airline still operating under its original name and the biggest operating airline in the Netherlands, carrying 34.1 million passengers and 621,000 tonnes of cargo, forming the heart of the KLM Group.
Since 1952, KLM Equipment Services has been the maintenance company for Ground Support Equipment at Schiphol Amsterdam Airport, the world’s fifth busiest international airport in terms of traffic, serving 319 destinations.
KES provides the aviation industry with solutions for Ground Support Equipment, ensuring that customers can work carefree. Due to the utmost importance of safety and predictability of airplanes, equipment, people, and procedures, KES has a very high standard that it needs to maintain at the airport.
PAPER, PAPER EVERYWHERE!
KES was dealing with a couple of repetitive challenges that created a boomerang effect. Paper-based inspections can obviously be a time-consuming and error-prone process, which makes it difficult to prepare inspections effectively.
MAINTENANCE AND PREPARATION OF INSPECTIONS
Sometimes the inspection methodology needs to be updated because of new guidelines for a specific asset or machine or simply based on feedback from the inspectors.
This was often proven a difficult and time consuming project that KES had to do fully themselves without any assistance.
Trainings needed to be changed, all corresponding documents needed to be updated, and a dilemma occurred on how to deal with the new methodology compared to past inspections.
Secondly, the preparation of inspections was very time & resource intensive. All of the inspections needed to be prepared and filed, often with corresponding documents that were necessary for the inspector.
Everything was documented on paper, making it difficult for other team members to access vital information, which resulted in collaboration and preparation for inspections being ineffective
EXECUTING THE INSPECTIONS
A paper-based inspection process can be overwhelming due to the amount of collected data, the exact steps that need to be followed, and the precise location of an asset.
Most importantly, with paper inspections, it is difficult to give the proper (follow-up) instructions for specific situations or based on the findings of the inspector.
Often, therefore, the final inspection report turns out to be incomplete due to missing and wrong information caused by human error. This in its turn, can result in data loss and inefficiency.
REPORTING AND ANALYSIS OF INSPECTIONS
When keeping piles of hard-copy paper-based reports, there is always a risk of misplacing, losing, or even storing data in a non-compliant manner.
On top of that, traditional inspection methods are not designed to keep everyone involved in the process. In other words, companies gain no insights into the inspectors’ & asset performance. With this in mind, KES had the need to create a new preventive maintenance culture.
OTHER RECURRING CHALLENGES
Inspectors are not fully enabled unless their work is directly visible to others (and vice versa). Many times they hand the paper to someone else who will store it somewhere.
Often, this situation leads to a chain of double work being carried out that could have been prevented if inspectors’ checks had become immediately available and visible digitally.
Risks increase when data is not visible right after it has been captured, especially when there are no automated alerts to validate certain findings.
CENTERING THE INSPECTOR
The combination of Aboma’s expertise in equipment inspections and Smartflow’s knowledge in digitalising inspections resulted in the digital AMTeK inspection application we know today.
With all the challenges that KES was facing, AMTeK was already proven. The usage of the inspection app helped KES equip their inspectors with a tool that eases and simplifies the inspection process by replacing paper-based inspections and checks with fully digital and standardised ones.
The AMTeK app helps KES workers become the center of a connected ecosystem by equipping inspectors with the proper tools that allow them to deliver and receive information online and offline, anytime and anywhere, improving their own productivity while feeding into the productivity of their colleagues.
Simultaneously, giving better insights for all stakeholders involved by storing all the data in one place.
AMTeK provides a standardised inspection model for different kinds of equipment that requires the inspector to follow a certain workflow in order to complete and submit a checklist.
The workflow guarantees that the inspector follows a certain procedure which ensures that the right instructions and relevant follow-up questions are shown at the right time.
This process ensures quality by standardising the collection of data. The flexibility and scalability of Smartflow have enabled KES to start using other checklists thanks to an easy and standardised process. Most importantly, the look & feel of these checklists is similar, minimising the onboarding and training efforts of users.
HOW DOES THE AMTEK APPLICATION SUPPORT KLM?
- All inspections flows are standardised.
- Easy data exchange with other tools to leverage data management and compliance.
- Based on the inspection rules, only relevant checks need to be answered, and the users are guided through the process in an intuitive manner.
- The inspector has the information and guidance at the right place, at the right time.
- Inspection reports and certificates are automatically generated and shared with stakeholders that need to be informed.
- Access to the inspection history of a specific asset. Data can be used for repetitive inspections, such as yearly inspections.
- Questions are presented in the correct order, and provided with the right contextual information.
- The UI is specifically designed for field workers, with focus on readability and the ability to easily insert data.
- Data is collected in a structural and clear view.
- Customisable reports with insights on all aspects of the inspected asset/equipment, complete with a comment, action, or photo.
THE INSPECTORS OF THE FUTURE
After using the AMTeK app, KLM Equipment Services has nurtured a standardised work environment that simplifies communication, data, and knowledge transfer. By uniting technology with field workers, they managed to shape a new generation of inspectors and lead the way to smart ways of working.
SMARTFLOW & ABOMA: A STRONG DUO
The AMTeK application has been proving itself successful thanks to the close collaboration between Aboma and Smartflow.
Due to their shared efforts, the AMTeK app has been constantly adding new improvements targeting the needs of inspectors. Aboma’s strong knowledge in machinery, health & safety, and regulation supplies feedback directly from their customers, adding value to the complete AMTeK application.
Because of the flexibility of the Smartflow platform, it is then also possible to quickly implement this feedback into the solution.
ZERO INCOMPLETE INSPECTIONS
Along with the introduction of the AMTeK app, there have been zero incomplete or faulty inspection reports leading to increased efficiency and safety.
A benefit of utilising previous inspection records is being aware of what issues the machinery faced last year, which expedites the current inspection process. Instead of spending time on finding out the latest status of the equipment, the time saved is now focused on the thing that matters the most; the actual inspection.
ALL DATA IN ONE PLACE
Inspectors and office workers can access information digitally all in one place. This way they can ensure a comprehensive and transparent knowledge transfer that prevents delays.
If an inspection is done on the same asset, they simply use the previous inspection (and its findings) as a basis for the new inspection. If there was a point of interest last year, then a direct follow-up is possible with the current inspection.
DIGITAL REPORTS
KES can now automatically send reports to all important stakeholders. The inspectors have to perform little to no extra administrative work in addition to their inspection. This benefit encourages them to embrace digital technology, allowing them openness to new developments.
INSIGHTS & PERFORMANCE
With the inspection results being collected in a centralised database, it gives KES the opportunity to identify trends and patterns in inspector performance, asset condition, and equipment reliability.
By examining this data, KES can gain valuable insights into areas where improvements can be made and identify potential risks or issues before they become major problems.
Which, in its turn, can lead to reduced downtime and increased operational efficiency.
Further, by tracking equipment performance over time, KES can identify patterns and trends that may indicate the need for maintenance or replacement.
This can help the airline proactively manage its equipment, reducing the risk of unexpected downtime or failures. In the case of AMTeK, the inspections also help to track inspector performance and identify areas where additional training may be needed.
This can ensure that inspectors are consistently performing inspections to the highest standards, leading to increased safety and reliability.
NEW GENERATION OF INSPECTORS
This digital transformation has benefitted not only talent retention but a new generation of inspectors who are attracted to the simplified processes and a smarter, more agile way of working. The new generation of workers is much more tech-savvy, making the inspection job at KLM Equipment Services much more attractive as well.
EMPOWERED WORKERS
Digitalisation empowers inspectors to take more responsibility and look for new and better ways of performing their daily tasks. Tools that keep processes, systems, and reports up to date further encourage a culture of flexibility.
AMTEK TODAY
- 1700+ inspectors
- 600+ companies
- 120+ supported types of equipment
- 45-50K completed inspections per year
FINAL THOUGHTS
KLM Equipment Services has trusted Aboma and Smartflow to help with eliminating the risks endangering the workers’ safety and the quality of their machines.
The solution that Smartflow developed together with Aboma allows companies like KLM Equipment Services to digitalise their entire inspection process easily.
Field workers play a key role in driving better-informed operational and business decisions. They create a preventive maintenance mindset with the generation of a large amount of data that is necessary for these decisions to be accurate.
Still, similar companies continue to struggle with data-related issues. Some of the most frequently encountered challenges mentioned in this use case are collaboration, compliance, reporting, and data insights. And, of course, the ability to fully enable inspectors by providing them with the proper tools and insights.
Smartflow, together with Aboma, aims at helping customers like KES remain a market leader in the industry and have accurate and swift responses to their clients.
Data plays a big role in that as well as delivering more intelligent analysis. Hence Smartflow and Aboma will continue to improve the way inspections are done in the field.
For more information visit www.smartflowapps.com
