Kellee Valentine, SVP Flight Operations at ACI Jet, shares his thoughts on Web Manuals and how its software has transformed the process of compliance.
ACI Jet – a California-based aviation business offering aircraft management and charter, fixed-base operations, and a maintenance and repair organization – is a complex company that once kept all its compliance manuals in one 800-page Microsoft Word document.
This meant that even changing just one word in a manual could cause significant administrative headaches for the business, with all text shifting down and every page needing to be changed and listed, introducing significant potential for human error.
It’s here that Web Manuals has offered transformative benefits to ACI Jet over the last eight years, automating processes, while ensuring changes are highlighted and that manuals are linked, which means information common to two or more manuals doesn’t need to be repeated as it is hyperlinked. Navigation is also straightforward when compared to scrolling through a single large document, with the solution also iPad compatible.
Kellee Valentine, SVP Flight Operations at ACI Jet, says: “The iPad is easy for crew to use, which is important because a lot of what the pilots do is time sensitive. Imagine that the passengers have arrived, and the weather deteriorates. The pilots need to check the requirements for flying in that weather and they need to do it with the passengers asking why the engines haven’t started yet.
“There are also major efficiency gains because of how clearly policy changes are marked. There’s no need for my team to read through an entire manual trying to figure out what’s new. Web Manuals uses change bars and a “Next Change” function that takes you from one change to the next, with the ability to show exactly what words have changed on the page. It’s powerful for pilots and mechanics, who have to follow these things carefully and whose certificates depend on it.
“This has significantly reduced the time and resources spent publishing changes – rather than maybe three or four people working six hours a day for two days to get it right, I can make the changes myself within three or four hours. Once new manuals are published, the functionality and ease of use, especially understanding what’s changed, has brought up the level of comprehension, which benefits safety. I don’t know how anyone can achieve the level of compliance we have with Web Manuals unless they are an airline employing a full-time team to do it.”
The compliance library
ACI Jet needs to comply with FAA requirements, Transportation Administration security rules, and Canadian, EASA and UK CAA regulations, plus standards the company imposes on itself as industry best practices, including Wyvern Wingman, Argus Platinum and IS-BAO Stage III.
Given this complex set of regulations, the Web Manuals Compliance Library is also delivering significant value for ACI Jet.
“If there are changes when the FAA regulations are republished, for example, Web Manuals flags anything linked to that regulation in our compliance library so we can verify that we’re still in compliance. It will do the same if I change a policy in our manual linked to a regulation or standard, reminding me to ensure we’re still compliant before I sign off on the change. We’ve loaded Wyvern and many other standards into the compliance library, all of them working the same way,” explains Valentine. “We strive to be a center of excellence for managing and operating aircraft, and Web Manuals software helps us in achieving this vision,” adds Valentine.
The power of company culture
Alongside the effectiveness of its technology, Web Manuals’ approach and company culture has played an important part in delivering results for ACI Jet.
“We were an early adopter and from the beginning we found Web Manuals had a good culture that’s very compatible with ours. They’re good people, they work hard, and they want to help. When we have a problem, we always get a quick, helpful response. Fundamentally, the software just works. I would say using Web Manuals was an obvious and easy decision for us – there’s simply no other system out there that I’m aware of that has the functionality and ease of use for an aviation company,” explains Valentine.
Krister Genmark, Vice President of Sales, Web Manuals, says: “We’ve enjoyed a hugely successful partnership with ACI Jet over the last eight years. We share similar values – always looking to deliver an exceptional service to clients and identify smart ways to harness the power of technology to drive efficiency.
“Manuals are often static documents. It’s so complicated to make changes that operators refrain from doing it. What our solution offers – and what ACI Jet has demonstrated – is that it’s possible to continually improve, which is important from a safety management perspective.
“The well-earned success of ACI Jet, which has significantly streamlined its compliance process, underlines the role Web Manuals can play in enhancing efficiency to drive business results.”
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Read more about their interesting story in the EVA Magazine article.
