Managing your fleet inventory is a crucial task for any airline manager. It involves balancing the availability, utilization, maintenance, and profitability of your aircraft, while meeting the demands of your customers, regulators, and stakeholders. In this article, we will share some tips on how to effectively manage your fleet inventory, based on the best practices of the industry.
The first step to managing your fleet inventory is to know your fleet. This means having a clear and updated overview of your aircraft types, models, configurations, capacities, ages, and performance. You should also track the ownership, leasing, and financing status of each aircraft, as well as the contracts and obligations associated with them. Knowing your fleet will help you plan your operations, optimize your network, and identify your strengths and weaknesses.
Utilize advanced fleet management software to monitor aircraft usage, maintenance schedules, and performance data in real-time. Implement predictive maintenance strategies to proactively address issues, reducing unplanned downtime and optimizing fleet availability. Conduct regular fleet audits to assess the condition of each aircraft, facilitating timely replacements or upgrades as needed. Collaborate with manufacturers and leasing companies to stay abreast of industry trends, ensuring a well-planned and efficient fleet strategy.
Acho relevante a estratégia de manuten??o pela qual grande parte dos custos da frota está relacionada às despesas de manuten??o
100%, by having this knowledge you also can work towards the best fleet optimisation, "the right tool for the job", so to speak.
Para qualquer tipo de gerenciamento é fundamental saber o que precisa ser gerenciado. Por isso é fundamental sempre realizar um levantamento de como está o seu estoque, ou seja, quais produtos e quantidade existente.
To manage a fleet effectively, it must be analyzed project from a price, account payable/account recevable, maintenance perspective to maintain the performance of production equipment by looking at revenue, overhead costs, other expenses, taxes so that profits and losses can be seen year to date.
The second step to managing your fleet inventory is to monitor your utilization. This means measuring how efficiently and effectively you are using your aircraft, in terms of hours flown, cycles completed, revenue generated, and costs incurred. You should also compare your utilization with your benchmarks, competitors, and industry standards, and look for opportunities to improve your productivity and profitability. Monitoring your utilization will help you adjust your capacity, allocate your resources, and enhance your performance.
Whilst util is an important measure, particularly to show best practice, value and efficiency to share holders or senior management, too much focus on just one KPI can create downstream problems, especially in an industry where maintenance is mandatory.
The third step to managing your fleet inventory is to schedule your maintenance. This means planning and executing the required inspections, repairs, and modifications of your aircraft, in accordance with the regulatory and manufacturer guidelines. You should also coordinate your maintenance with your operations, suppliers, and partners, and ensure that you have enough spare parts, tools, and personnel. Scheduling your maintenance will help you maintain your safety, reliability, and compliance.
The communication loop between Maintenance and Operations cant be understated. I have seen loads of cases where Operations just didn't know a piece of equipment was being taken out of service because they either didn't have access to the maintenance schedule or chose not to use it. How can you run a smooth operation this way? Scheduling relies not only on your statutory maintenance requirements and your OEM recommended maintenance strategies but also the repair of defects as they happen, and more importantly how you "capture" those defects and make educated decisions on flipping them into either scheduled maintenance or a more time sensitive repair.
é muito relevante o acompanhamento preventivo do desgaste natural das pe?as e um planejamento eficiente de manuten??o pode baixar o custo da frota.
The fourth step to managing your fleet inventory is to evaluate your profitability. This means analyzing the revenues and costs associated with each aircraft, and calculating the return on investment, net present value, and break-even point. You should also consider the market value, residual value, and depreciation of each aircraft, and the impact of fuel prices, exchange rates, and taxes. Evaluating your profitability will help you make informed decisions about your fleet composition, acquisition, and disposal.
Recruiting and engagement of qualified personnel The personnel that will be involved in the operation and maintenance of the fleet must posses basic knowledge to enable each perform the their tasks and engaged the fleet appropriately.
Use Total Cost of Ownership to help you evaluate your profitabily (TCO): Calculate the TCO, which includes acquisition costs, operating expenses, maintenance costs, fuel costs, insurance, and other associated costs. Compare the TCO against the revenue generated by the fleet to determine if it is operating profitably.
The fifth step to managing your fleet inventory is to anticipate your demand. This means forecasting the future trends and patterns of your customers, markets, and competitors, and how they will affect your demand for capacity, frequency, and quality. You should also factor in the external factors, such as seasonality, events, disruptions, and regulations, and how they will influence your demand. Anticipating your demand will help you align your fleet inventory with your strategic goals and objectives.
Quality spare part sourcing and provision. The spare parts for the the replacement of worn out ones must be of high standards, readily available to minimize downtown time and ensure reliability performance.
The sixth and final step to managing your fleet inventory is to adapt to change. This means being flexible and responsive to the changing needs and expectations of your customers, markets, and competitors, and the evolving technologies and innovations in the industry. You should also be prepared for the unexpected challenges and opportunities that may arise, and have contingency plans and backup options. Adapting to change will help you stay ahead of the curve and gain a competitive edge.