Malaysia Airlines goes live with Ramco solution in ‘record time’

• New IT system to cut wastage, improve efficiency and reduce aircraft on-ground time
• Platform to support more than 145 aircraft in multiple locations implemented in 11mths

THERE was at least a bit of silver lining in beleaguered national carrier Malaysia Airlines’ troubled year – it announced that it has deployed a full suite of aviation solutions by Ramco Systems in a record time of 11 months.
 
In March 2014, Malaysia Airlines had appointed Chennai-based Ramco to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) support for over 145 aircraft.
 
From Day 1 of the system implementation, the solution has equipped some 300 Malaysia Airlines engineers system-wide with enterprise software that allows them to automate or streamline many engineering functions, simplify compliance checks, and improve inventory management and hangar maintenance.
 
By using barcode-enabled features and automation, the national carrier of Malaysia is now able to dramatically reduce the time taken to move spares from suppliers to warehouses and hangars worldwide, Ramco said in a statement.
 
The process will further improve efficiency and enable continuous airworthiness, thereby reducing aircraft-on-ground time.
 
Billing and compliance with multiple regulator functions will enable Malaysia Airlines to improve efficiency and scale up its MRO business to address third-party airlines worldwide, Ramco added.
 
“We made a major decision to migrate from a legacy system to Ramco’s integrated platform,” said Malaysia Airlines group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.
 
“Not only did we set a record time for implementation; we are also now able to reap exceptional benefits and transform our engineering solutions across multiple locations,” he added.
 
By July 2015, another 800 airline engineering and operational staff will be connected to the Ramco platform, which Malaysia Airlines has opted for after years of using a legacy system.
 
Ramco said it beat big-name ERP (enterprise resource planning) vendors to secure the prestigious contract in March 2013, its single-largest win that year.
 
“We are extremely happy to witness a record time go-live of a strategic implementation at Malaysia Airlines,” said Ramco chief executive officer Virender Aggarwal.
 
“Our teams defied great odds to achieve the impossible for a landmark project of great importance for both sides,” he added.
 
Ramco’s suite includes solutions for maintenance and engineering, procurement, advanced planning and optimisation, advanced reliability and Loadable Software Aircraft Parts.
 
The platform can be installed on-site or through the cloud, with a flexibility that enables Malaysia Airlines to accommodate more business operations and integrate with existing IT systems for other functions, Ramco said.
 
In 2014, Malaysia Airlines lost two Boeing 777 aircraft within five months of each other – MH370 and MH17 – with a total of 537 passengers and crew lost.
 
The airline was already suffering losses before the twin disasters – losing US$137.4 million in the first quarter of 2014 and US$97.6 million in the second quarter. It has not made a profit since 2010.
 
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