Boeing
is improving the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of its Airplane
Illustrated Parts Catalog (AIPC) to save airlines time and money
and improve the efficiency of their daily operations.
Airline mechanics, procurement
agents, inventory controllers, and engineers all rely on the AIPC
and related Spec 2000 provisioning data when parts need to be installed
on airplanes. Airlines use the AIPC to identify, requisition, store,
and issue line maintenance parts. The related provisioning data
allows airlines to select and procure equipment, parts, and materials
for supporting, maintaining, and repairing fleet airplanes, end
items, support equipment, and related component parts.
To help ensure airlines
have the most up-to-date information to support their operations,
the cycle time for producing the AIPC has been reduced 35 percent
during the past year by reducing engineering backlogs and eliminating
non-value-added steps in the process.
Efforts now are under
way to resequence how updates are made to the AIPC, so that the
overall cycle time for producing the AIPC and Spec 2000 provisioning
data is reduced an additional 45 percent. This resequencing will
make the AIPC and Spec 2000 provisioning data available at the same
time, which will better support inventory planning and procurement
activities at the airlines.
Improvements also have
been made in how Boeing part suppliers provide technical data to
the AIPC and related provisioning data. The process for acquisition
and incorporation of supplier data has been redesigned to provide
earlier notification of data requirements to suppliers, to tighten
the time for inputting that data into the system, and to ensure
the accuracy of the data. Workshops were held last year to educate
suppliers on the value of their technical data and its impact on
airline operations, specifically airline provisioning and maintenance
activities.
|