In This Issue
Upcoming Events
- Jul 28-31, 2008
NPMA National Education Seminar, Reno - Sep 22-25, 2008
Military Logistics Summit 2008, Washington, D.C.
Industry Related
About i-News
i-News is a quarterly publication providing technology, business and service professionals with the latest information related to GOLD and AuRA service and support, including product announcements, case studies, media coverage, upcoming events, product tips and organizational news.
Featured Partner
McLane Advanced Technologies (MAT) is a rapidly growing information technology, logistics management and advanced technologies business that offers a full suite of technical solutions, including development of logistics management and database systems, computer based training, warehousing management, and systems integration. MAT is part of McLane Group, which pioneered exponential growth in the field of distribution and turned a century-old family business into a multi-billion dollar global enterprise.
In April 2004, MAT was selected to modernize three Army legacy logistics systems (ULLS-G and SAMS-1&2) into the highly successful Standard Army Maintenance System-Enhanced (SAMS-E) in operation at 14,000 different organizational locations. Miro Technologies is assisting MAT in SAMS-E modernization by providing software engineers and subject matter experts to assist in implementation and training at various U.S. Army posts worldwide.
MAT also offers a comprehensive suite of multi-level security tools for cyber warfare and offers the only true integrated solution for cyber defense and attack. Visit www.mclaneat.com for more.
AuRA rolls out at SAS Norway
Miro Technologies recently announced a successful AuRA rollout at SAS Norway. The rollout in Stavanger, Norway, provides an AuRA solution for EASA Part M activity that includes engineering management, planning and line maintenance for the SAS Norway 737-400 fleet.
The AuRA implementation will continue in a phased approach, according to Terje Helgaland, Assistant Director Engineering and the project manager of the AuRA implementation. The next phase will bring online the 737-500s, followed closely by the 737-NG (600/700/800) and Fokker 50 fleets. The airline’s Part M group located in Stavanger will be the primary AuRA users.
Grandstar Cargo selects AuRA ASP
Chinese start-up airline Grandstar Cargo has selected MainTrack’s Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) solution based on the AuRA software from Miro Technologies. AuRA will be delivered as a Managed Service by MainTrack Services B.V. (MainTrack), the Application Service Provider (ASP) who has teamed with Miro and Comsenso in the Netherlands to provide a hosted service for airlines over the web.
“The simplicity of accessing AuRA over the Internet suits our operations,” said Ching Yao Liu, Grandstar Cargo VP Maintenance & Engineering. “AuRA will help us maintain tight controls over our engineering and maintenance costs as we continue to expand,” he continued. “The beauty of the ASP concept is that we don’t need to invest in expensive servers, database licenses or software licenses and build our own IT department. And we only pay for the service as we use it. For a start-up, the change in cash flow profile is a significant benefit. The ASP solution also affords us the ability to use world-class IT systems, usually only affordable for large airlines, rather than cooking up a homemade solution or settling for second best old technology products from little software companies.”
Unlocking the true potential of PBL initiatives
PBL contractors typically expedite parts more efficiently these days than military organizations in the past, but all too often only marginal benefits are realized. Significant benefits can only be realized when PBL contractors have real-time access to integrated maintenance and supply data. This current and historical system reliability information drives product reliability improvements, meaning the PBL contractor makes more money by doing fewer rather than more repairs.
A new white paper entitled "Integrating maintenance and supply data to unlock the true potential of PBL initiatives" describes how today's technology can capture integrated maintenance and supply data, enable real time maintainability and reliability analysis and drive product improvements to unlock the true potential of PBL initiatives.
Miro Technologies has obtained permission from Frost & Sullivan to distribute this informative white paper at no cost to all recipients of this newsletter. If you wish to download this free white paper, just click on the link below.
Frank Kapper joins Miro executive team
Miro Technologies recently announced that Frank Kapper has joined their executive management team as Vice President of Business Development, Aerospace & Defense.
"Frank Kapper is an outstanding addition to our executive management team," said Vincent Monteparte, President & CEO of Miro Technologies. "Frank has been highly successful in MRO solution sales and an innovator in the application of advanced business process improvement methodologies and technology-enabling software solutions," he continued.
"I am excited about the potential to build upon the success already achieved by Miro Technologies in the A&D market," said Kapper, "and look forward to the opportunity to work with some very talented people."
Miro exhibits at recent industry events
Miro Technologies exhibited at recent industry conferences, including the MRO Conference & Exhibit + MRO Military held April 15-17 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and the Airline & Aerospace MRO & Operations IT Conference held May 21-22 in Frankfurt, Germany. Aaron Abshire, Manager IT Business Automation Partner, ExpressJet Airlines, presented an AuRA case study at the Frankfurt event (see photo below) that generated considerable interest among delegates attending the conference.
Check out the 'Upcoming Events' section of this newsletter to learn where the Miro team will exhibit later this year.
New tools in GOLDesp v8.4 benefit users
The release of GOLDesp™ v8.4, the latest version of Miro's "Enterprise Service Platform," adds important new functionality, including a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) module and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) reporting and compliance tools sure to benefit both existing and new customers.
The GOLDesp Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) module leverages RFID technology to enhance basic warehousing functions, thus providing customers the ability to more quickly and accurately track and manage inventory through the supply chain with the use of passive RFID maintenance tags. New active RFID technology will provide increased asset visibility of items in transit from one site to another.
GOLDesp v8.4 also adds new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Reporting & Compliance capability. Miro has developed specialized functionality to meet Department of Defense (DoD) mandated reporting of government equipment in the custody of contractors. Three Miro customers received the CFO reporting functionality for Air Force activities in the v8.4.1 release; the July 2008 release of GOLDesp v9.2 will bring this functionality to all customers.
The July release of GOLDesp v9.2 will include a new web-based Demand Module and also incorporate the initial phase of comprehensive Item Unique Identification (IUID) item tracking, reporting, marking and updating. This is good news, considering that the DoD has now mandated the unique marking of parts that are serially managed, mission essential, controlled inventory or costing $5,000 or more. Phase 2 expansion of IUID and Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF) functionality within GOLDesp is scheduled with the release of v9.4 at year-end 2008.
GOLDesp is a Java EE compliant web application that provides a Service Oriented Architecture and user interface designed for ease of use with a variety of automated decision-support tools. The application features new dashboards for easier use as a management tool; new form architecture; improved data security; enhanced web-based reports and data cubes that leverage new data security, and restricted visibility profiles.