Pmi Information System

Almost all aircraft carrier organizations have their own maintenance facilities and

maintenance employees. Most of these organizations maintain their inventory and

maintenance information on an Information System. ABX Air, Incorporated uses an

information system called PMI (Parts, Maintenance, Inventory) this system was

developed by Renee Perez and Associates, and is designed specifically for parts

inventory and maintenance control. The PMI system provides information on all parts,

such as history of repair, which aircraft it’s currently installed on, how many parts there

are on hand, and how many spares the company should have on hand based on past

usage. Throughout the course of this paper I will discuss this system and how ABX

incorporates it into their Repair Procedure, specifically as it relates to the Component

Repair Services Department.

The Component Repair Services Department group is responsible for all aspects of

the repair of a part. The repair process starts with the removal of the part from the aircraft

or purchase of the part from an outside source. The process is not completed until the part

is returned to serviceable status or removed from ABX Air Inc. inventory. There are

many things throughout the repair process to consider such as, compliance with all

Airworthiness Directives, which are issued by the FAA and must be complied with, life

limited parts, ensuring proper return to stock procedures are complied with, and ensuring

that the correct work scope and manuals are available and also put to use. Airworthiness

Directives are issued by the FAA and must be complied with.

Airworthiness Directives can be issued on any specific part or for an aircraft in

particular. Airworthiness Directives must be completed and a record kept of the time

completed and when the Airworthiness Directive is next due. Parts that have an

Airworthiness Directive are scheduled for the repair process based on the date due. This

information is kept current and made available for all users of the PMI system.

The first step in the repair process is removal of the part from the aircraft, or purchase

of the part from an outside vendor. Parts that are removed at Wilmington, OH then go

directly to Component Repair Services Dept. for processing. Aircraft parts that are

removed at an out base station are first packaged for shipping. The aircraft part is then

placed into what is called transfer within the PMI system. The aircraft part is then loaded

into the belly of the aircraft coming to Wilmington. The parts are then returned to

inventory with in the PMI system and given a batch number. Each part has a batch

number and part number to identify it throughout the repair process. The batch number

makes it easy for the part to be tracked while in repair and also while in use on the

aircraft. There are three main classes of parts “R” class, “F” class, and “E” class. “R”

class parts are also tracked by their serial number and are given one batch number for

their entire use at ABX. “F” class parts are only tracked by their part number and batch

number. “F” class parts are typically not as expensive as “R” class, but it is still cost

effective to repair them rather than purchase new parts. “E” class parts are expendable

parts that are entered into the system and used one time only. When “E” class parts are

removed from the aircraft they are scrapped out of the system and thrown away. The PMI

system keeps track of the information needed on each individual part and has inquiry

screens to enter any of the identifying information into the specified field. These inquiry

fields will supply useful information such as part repair history and past usage.

The Part Availability Inquiry program helps the user find a part if the full part number

is unknown. The user can use this inquiry to search for parts by entering a base number or

by the keyword description. If the part is zero stock or if more information is needed on

the part the following search options are also available. Interchangeables, this a list of

parts that can be used for the same application but have a different part number. There is

also a search for effectivity that will list all aircraft that a specific part may be used on.

The search for the location of the part will give you the exact bin that the part will be

located in.

The goal for inventory control at ABX Air Inc. is to have the required amount of

spares on hand. There are several reasons to have a system that will calculate the amount

of spares needed on hand. There are many aircraft parts that have a shelf life such as

batteries and even o’rings. The cost of aircraft parts can range in the thousands of dollars

and it is important not to have to many spare parts sitting around on the shelf not being

used. The PMI system must also take into account that aircraft will have problems and

need to be repaired quickly. That is why the PMI system is set up to calculate past usage

and current usage to recommend the amount of spares needed to have on hand at any

given time.

This system is not full proof though. It can not foresee changes within the rapidly

changing business world. For example, ABX, Air Inc. recently came to the conclusion

that several of the aircraft that had been grounded were now actually needed to keep up

with the demanding amount of freight being shipped each night. The system however

could not calculate for this and as a result many aircraft parts that were needed were not

available within the serviceable inventory. Therefore there has been a rush to make up for

this lack of parts and get these aircraft back into service.

When a part is sent to an outside vendor for repair there is a contract with that

company. Each contract is different and all aspects must be followed. For example ABX

Air, Inc. will send a part out to a vendor for repair, the company will follow

predetermined steps to bring this part back to serviceable condition. When the part is

finished they will ship it back to ABX Air, Inc. for inspection. Then the vendor will

invoice the accounting department at ABX, Air, Inc. When the bill is paid however the

company could still send another invoice and get paid again for the same part. There is no

stop point within the system to limit the amount of times a Repair Order invoice can be

paid.

All packages shipped through ABX Air, Inc. are given an airbill number which can be

used to track the position of the package at anytime throughout the delivery. The problem

with shipping parts from an out base station is that the parts are often misplaced in the

sort system. This is due to the fact that out base parts are not given an airbill. Therefore,

they can not be tracked within the system. The solution to this process would be to

simply give each out base part an airbill. This would allow for tracking throughout the

system and also eliminate any confusion about where the package needs to be delivered.

There are many aircraft parts that put into transfer at an out base station and put into the

belly of an aircraft. There are also many of these same parts that have never made it to

there intended destination. This cost the company a considerable amount depending on

the number and value of parts that have been misplaced. I am certain that implementing a

new system and using the existing airbill system will be a cost effective decision.

In closing I think that the PMI system works well for the Component Repair Services

Department. The few problems that do exist can be dealt.