Operational efficiency is paramount for the growth of any company, particularly in the aviation industry. The ability to dedicate experienced staff to critical tasks while streamlining routine operations is essential. Shell Aircraft, a leading international company, recognized the importance of operational efficiency and turned to the Web Manuals management system in 2019 to support its documentation processes and enhance compliance and safety operations.
In the past, Shell Aircraft relied on a time-consuming system that revolved around Word documents, PDFs, and Excel files. However, they discovered that Web Manuals offered a sustainable and efficient solution that could accelerate processes and eliminate the need for printed manuals.
Jose Lopez, the Flight Operations Assurance Manager at Shell Aircraft in the Netherlands, explains, “Our process was very cumbersome because we are required in our internal procedures to have a peer review process. It had to go back and forward in old traditional comments in a document and editing took longer, so we needed faster dissemination of information, but also an easier process for our for ourselves to manage.”
Implementing Web Manuals allowed the team to swiftly deliver information to the right people at the right time. They also noticed that the system enabled easy document editing, seamless integration with regulations, and effortless sharing of up-to-date information. Simon Evers, the Training Standards Manager for Flight Crew at Shell Aircraft, emphasizes the company’s demanding needs, saying, “You want to put your compliance links in it, maybe you want to change the format that you give information to people. Certainly, the update process, who it goes to, make sure that it’s got an easy review all of our tools that we work with these days, they’re all digital on your phone, all of this information needs to go to be able to go both ways.”
With Web Manuals’ comprehensive system, Shell Aircraft significantly improved manual authoring efficiency, reduced compliance monitoring time, and enhanced communication with their crew. Simon highlights the active participation of the crew in the documentation process, stating, “My favorite thing is the ability for the crews to immediately participate in the feedback loop. So if they are out on the line, and they experience maybe something where the procedure or what’s written down isn’t quite correct, or if there’s maybe what they deem is an error or something that needs an update, they can immediately respond to it in simply right on that page. And immediately we get that information and can make that change. The whole crew participates in their SOP or in that document as being theirs. And that’s a really powerful thing.”
Efficient and simple operational documentation
Furthermore, the user-friendly interface and seamless experience offered by Web Manuals simplify the daily work of Shell Aircraft personnel. Jose elaborates, “Our roles required us to edit a lot of manuals so we spend quite a lot of time editing and also using the compliant modules. But we’re also users, we fly as a crew and we use it and it’s never been easier to find information for us, where in the past was really difficult and I really appreciate that, the easiness of use.”
In a complex organization, simplicity becomes a key asset for large teams. Jose highlights the value of Web Manuals’ easy collaboration features, stating, “We have quite a complex web of users outside of our organization that are able also to comment on the documents published for their use. And that process has proven to be really helpful, and especially easy.”
Web Manuals continually evolves to meet the dynamic needs of the aviation industry. The team consistently releases product updates based on customer suggestions, ensuring that the system remains cutting-edge and relevant. Simon expresses his satisfaction with the responsiveness of Web Manuals, saying, “There’s so much you can do with the application. As soon as you go to ask for something, it’s put on a list and things happen and that’s a really nice thing.”
In addition to providing an exceptional tool, Web Manuals takes pride in offering top-notch customer support worldwide. Jose emphasizes the approachability and commitment of the Web Manuals staff, stating, “The most attractive element for us was that the company was very approachable. The staff was quite approachable but also very open (…) I like to highlight the human element there because I think that turned the balance even more because, you know, when we saw the approach, but also the commitment and the way the things were presented, nothing was oversold, there were no over-promises.”
Shell Aircraft’s adoption of the Web Manuals management system has brought substantial benefits to their operations. By accelerating processes, eliminating printed manuals, promoting collaboration, and offering outstanding customer support, Web Manuals has proven to be the ideal solution for enhancing operational efficiency in the aviation industry.