From Paper to Digital Maintenance With Electronic Signature

This research paper reviewed the impact of the implementation of digital maintenance records replacing paper documents in the commercial aviation through gains in efficiency and cost reduction in airplane transitions. Throughout the lifecycle of a commercial airplane, repairs are incorporated, components are replaced and maintenance tasks are accomplished every day, each of those activities generate records that need to be kept and reconciled. Lessors have strict contract terms that require operators to keep all required maintenance documents stored and available so that asset value is maintained, this process is done today mostly with paper documents and is very costly and difficult for the Industry to manage. The implementation of electronic records can help eliminate usage of up to 30,000 sheets of paper a year per aircraft, while increasing control and efficiency in the airline daily operation. Such approach would optimize processes reducing labor hours in the Maintenance Records Quality Assurance process by 50% or more. Other savings include reduction delays in the airplane transition and duplication of maintenance activities due to missing records. Besides the research, interviews were conducted with airline representatives and personnel from digital records software solution provider. Result of the study demonstrated that the Aviation Industry can greatly benefit from the migration to digital records, such benefits come from improving controls and reduce errors, remote reconciliation and audit, and decrease labor in quality assurance