Skip to main content

Helping an Airport Soar: Synchronizing Asset Data Between the Tarmac and HQ

· 2 min read
Lei Lei Tun

With real-time data syncs, OpenFn helps this airport ensure top-quality assets and service for its workers and passengers. This integrated asset management system saves time and money, and prevents errors by reducing manual, paper-based data transfer between systems.

airport

Airports are complex businesses, responsible for passengers, equipment, employees, and safety.​

Airports all over the world face the challenge of ever-increasing passenger capacity and airline demand. To meet this demand, they put core infrastructure and safety (for both workers and passengers) at high regard, and must prioritize rigorous asset management, repairs, and maintenance.

An international American airport that serves 18 million passengers and 180,000 aircraft operations annually manages an extensive network of assets, including heavy machinery, across a large area with intermittent network coverage. With OpenFn, an international airport has unleashed the power of IBM Maximo EAM.

This airport was using multiple technologies to get the job done, and had no way to sync information between technologies and service teams.​

To comply with FAA requirements, the airport conducts regular walk-downs in which field staff rigorously document each asset and flag and photograph required repairs. The airport uses IBM Maximo EAM to manage assets and schedule repairs at HQ and CommCare to capture asset and work order data offline on the tarmac. The staff regularly follows a manual process to transfer data between the two tools, which is a time-intensive task with high risk for human error. HQ was also not able to access and analyze information collected in the field in near real-time.

OpenFn integration delivers real-time service updates to the Airport HQ.​

This integrated asset management system saves time and money, and prevents errors by reducing manual, paper-based data transfer between systems. OpenFn also enables the field and HQ teams to each use the tool that suits them best:

  • On the tarmac, field staff use an intuitive, affordable mobile tool (CommCare) to receive new maintenance orders from HQ, document assets, and report and photograph required maintenance.
  • OpenFn automatically forwards updates on assets and required maintenance HQ staff.
  • HQ staff then use a leading industry tool (IBM Maximo) to store asset data, schedule maintenance, and perform performance analysis.

With real-time data syncs, OpenFn helps this airport ensure top-quality assets and service for its workers and passengers.