Changing Technologies in the Aviation Sector

Digital Transformation within the Aviation Sector and Key Objectives You Achieve in Terms of Innovation and Technological Advancement

Digital transformation is not a standalone project. It is important to align its objectives with the company’s business strategies.

In SIAEC, our digital transformation initiatives aim to deliver value in operational excellence, customer intimacy and service innovation. In each of our specific plans to achieve these end goals, we measure our progress and outcomes in the areas of technology foundation, digitalization of operations, pervasiveness of digital cultures (e.g., agile, data, UX, innovation), staff experience and cyber security, just to name a few.

Experiences from One of the Initiatives That You Were Recently Involved In

One notable example of a recent SIAEC digital transformation initiative would be the creation of eLITE, which is a suite of applications developed in-house to support the growing line maintenance (LM) operations. Our LM staff embarked on a series of training in software development, agile, design thinking, and user experience to develop eLITE from scratch, transforming the business and IT relationship from transactional to collaborative.

eLITE has helped the LM team significantly improve its operational efficiency through collaborative planning, real-time operations awareness and alerting, task prioritization and tracking, and assisting Technicians and Engineers with information and support on the go.

Emerging Technologies in Aviation, Such as Supersonic Travel or Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Aircraft, That Intrigue You the Most

With the difficult time of the pandemic behind us, I am thrilled by the changes taking place around us. Digitalization of MRO tasks, for example, will transform the way we work, and I am eager to see how much productivity and efficiency it will bring to the MRO industry.

"The best solution to a business pain point may not even be a digital one."

As an avid traveler, I look forward, too, to the day when I can breeze through every airport effortlessly, with biometrics, zero-trust security, and personalization at play, and have peace of mind that my flight will depart and arrive on time.

Advice for Professionals and Organizations Looking To Navigate and Leverage Digital Transformation Opportunities within the Aviation Industry

At the end of the day, focus on the business objectives and not technology alone. It is easy to get lost in the hype of technology, and the latest technologies may not be the most relevant. A commercial organization should not run digital transformation initiatives as a research institute. Know what your business aims to achieve and then work on finding a solution. The best solution to a business pain point may not even be a digital one.

At the same time, be prepared to commit your best resources. The struggle of talent crunch in aviation is real, but delegating the digital transformation entirely to an external vendor is not going to take you far as they are not in the best position to articulate the intricacies of your business, nor should they be deciding your processes.

Digital transformation takes time and concerted effort but is one that will bring tremendous growth to the company and its staff – let’s embrace it together!