MRO Aviation Software Implementation Case Study

MRO Aviation Software Success with Acumatica Cloud ERP Integration 

The aviation maintenance industry is complex and highly regulated. Aviation equipment repairs must be completed on time while meeting the highest safety standards. The airlines are responsible for keeping planes maintained but they usually rely on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) companies like STS Aviation Group (STS) to make the repairs. One big challenge many MRO companies, like STS, are using outdated, manual, or non-integrated MRO and accounting software systems. Using outdated technology makes it incredibly cumbersome and costly to operate the shop floor efficiently while maintaining the highest safety standards. Luckily, STS Aviation discovered that Acumatica Cloud ERP paired with the Clients First embedded MRO solution, ProMRO was the right solution to propel them to the next level.

If you are an MRO aviation company in a similar situation, read this case study and contact us to learn how we can help! 

STS Aviation Group provides aircraft technician staffing services, engineering and support service, aircraft component and supply chain management, and line maintenance services for on-the-ground aircraft. Since 1985 the company has more than quadrupled its size to $230 million in revenue with 500 employees. One of the top reasons STS are leaders in the MRO industry is because they are automating business processes with ProMRO Aviation. ProMRO Aviation enables STS to meet the ever-increasing needs of the extremely complex aviation and aerospace industry. Today, the company operates in the U.S., UK, Canada, Mexico, and Ireland with over 40 locations and continues to grow!

In the past, STS Aviation struggled with multiple applications to handle a variety of tasks. The non-integrated system required manually typing information into each separate program. This duplicate data entry resulted in wasted time, added the element of human error, and hurt overall productivity. Quotes were created in one system, inventory was housed in another, and timekeeping required a third system. In addition, a fourth software solution was needed for checking tools in and out. Also, reporting was a nightmare and required exporting and importing data into spreadsheets.  

STS Aviation started the search for a new solution. Prior to finding ProMRO the options they reviewed fell short of their requirements. The solutions were missing functionality and were too expensive. Most large ERP packages they reviewed were designed for airlines and not the MRO aviation industry.

“Not only do those large packages run in the multi-millions, but they also take $2 million to $6 million to implement. Those airline applications typically only cover the front office." says Rob Wire, Vice President of Information Technology, STS Aviation

A winning combination with Clients First and STS Aviation Powered by ProMRO for Aviation and Acumatica Cloud ERP

Clients First have been working with clients in the aviation industry for over 20 years. ProMRO was developed by Clients First. STS works closely with Clients First to provide feedback in regard to their business requirements in favor of future product development. It is a great solution to handle STS Aviation’s specific integration and automation requirements. STS Aviation needed a central check-in system so mechanics and engineers could clock in the various tasks they worked on in a day, a process that needed to be connected to a specific project, plane type, and invoice. The system needed to be flexible so mechanics could add information about non-routine items, and time spent could be allocated correctly to specific tasks. This is just one example of the many requirements addressed with the ProMRO Aviation solution integrated with Acumatica Cloud ERP.  

“We implemented Acumatica, which was much more cost-effective and tailored it to our needs,” Wire says. "We were excited about Acumatica’s framework and robust API, and since we have written some custom software for line maintenance and engineering, we wanted to extend it to the ERP.”

ProMRO Helps STS Aviation Today and Tomorrow

Mechanics and engineers on the shop floor became more efficient with ProMRO Aviation. The system helped reduce the number of trips walking back and forth from the shop to the planes.  Mechanics, supervisors, and inspectors scan their badges at a Kiosk (or mobile app), which automatically displays tasks to complete, inspect and view upcoming projects. When a repair item is complete a notification is automatically sent to a supervisor, and once the supervisor notes it is correct, it automatically flows to the inspector and so on. Mechanics also use the Kiosk to check tools in and out and check a tool’s calibration. The system is integrated with Centrik for certification tracking and takes preventative measures if, for example, a mechanic who only works on Boeing Co. planes has been accidentally assigned to an Airbus. Additionally, the system tracks parts used against inventory.

“ProMRO Aviation works hand in hand with all Acumatica functions – AR, AP, Inventory, and with the project accounting, budgeting and control. We gained the ability to take a whole project from CRM to quoting to reusing project templates to modifying them right through to tracking the work and invoicing, all without any dual entry,” Wire adds. “We’re now highly efficient."

The following key benefits help enable future growth for STS Aviation:  

• • Tightly integrated ERP system Acumatica Cloud ERP combined with ProMRO Aviation with maintenance, repair, and overhaul aviation functionality meets front and back-office needs.
  • Real-time reporting with customizable dashboards provides necessary insights for strategic business decisions
  • Eliminating importing and exporting data saves time and resources
  • Eliminating manual and error-prone data entry saves time and increases accuracy
  • Customized project templates improve quoting jobs and on-time deliverables 
  • Improving reporting provided critical business insight into billable hours and operations to maximize profitability
  • Streamlining operational processes with integrated MRO software makes the business scalable for future growth

Register for our ProMRO webinar: "Is Your MRO Software Similar to AOG? Is it time to consider your options?"

Join us for one hour to see what a modern MRO ERP solution should look like.

• Date:  Thursday, May 26, 2022
• Time: 12:00 PM in Central Time (US and Canada)

About Clients First  

Modern business software is intended to help increase productivity, improve profitability, and be easy for staff to use. Most of today’s ERP solutions are good at most general business processes. Specialized businesses like MRO need extra functionality for manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul for aviation and heavy equipment, for example. It's important to find the right software solution. It's also important to find an implementation partner that can help you get the most out of the system. That is why Clients First is not a software company, we are a business solutions and services company.

Contact Clients First today to learn more! 

Email: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, or call us at 800.331.8382