In the aviation industry, effective documentation management and streamlined auditing processes are crucial for ensuring compliance, safety, and operational efficiency. Widerøe Airlines, a leading player in the industry, recognized the need for a comprehensive solution to optimize its documentation practices and it’s starting to revolutionize its audit performance.
Bruno Quadros Rodrigues, the Documentation Manager in the Flight Operations Department and responsible for the Web Manuals implementation in the company, is leading the transformation by integrating Web Manuals documentation management system. Coming from an outdated documentation system that required manual handling of PDFs and cumbersome back-and-forth communication, an operational change was essential.
Streamlining Documentation Workload
Editing manuals was a time-consuming process that was based on document comments for amendments, resulting in strenuous and error-prone revisions. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive and standardized solution, Widerøe decided to implement Web Manuals, a journey that started in January 2022. The optimization began with the migration of the most important manuals to Web Manuals, streamlining the editing process and fostering a coherent identity for all their documentation.
“The transformation of the editing process has been a major gain for us. We used to spend weeks throughout the year, checking and verifying that the documentation was correct. But now, the Web Manuals system allows us to have the editing process in-house, facilitating document revisions and standardization of document design.” says Bruno.
The Web Manuals system introduced a user-friendly editor tool, enabling online collaboration and automating document formatting with smart modules. This streamlined process empowered the team at Widerøe to enhance their time efficiency, facilitating the tracking of amendments and enabling cost-effective revisions. As a result, the burden of documentation workload was alleviated, enabling the team to focus on delivering high-quality content.
Audit efficiency at new levels
Moreover, the system is revolutionizing the auditing processes. Prior to Web Manuals, Widerøe faced exhaustive and time-consuming auditing procedures. The manual process involved verifying compliance with regulatory requirements by searching through countless PDFs and cross-referencing checklists item by item. This demanding process consumed valuable time and resources, as management personnel had to dedicate days to reviewing documentation.
Widerøe has been using IQSMS for audit planning and conduction, where detailed compliance lists are provided to facilitate requirements checks and control over the audit preparation. They recently implemented the Web Manuals & IQSMS connector, where they experienced a remarkable shift in auditing efficiency. The integration between the systems allowed for real-time alignment of documentation through linking between manuals and regulation items. This new approach not only optimized their audit preparation but also led to significant cost and time savings.
“We started this process with the internal EASA Part-SPA audit, which has about 150 requirements. Typically, this audit would take about two days with five participants, but with the assistance of the IQSMS connector we managed to get it done within roughly half a day. The connector is a game-changer for us because we’re saving important time and monetary resources.”, expressed Bruno.
Additionally, the quality of the audits is positively impacted by the Web Manuals system and the IQSMS connector. Bruno explained that this is especially relevant because they face on average one audit per month to stay compliant with EASA regulations and in conformity with IOSA standards.
“We could simply stay in the old format, looking for information on PDFs. But the most important question is: are we doing a high-quality audit? Are we focused on the most relevant things? Now we are optimizing our internal processes and investing most of our time in new regulations and standards, as well as in points requiring special attention.” commented Bruno.
At Widerøe, Web Manuals is now fully operational at Flight Operations, Ground Operations, CAMO, Part-147 and ATO, though the use of the IQSMS connector is yet to be expanded beyond Flight Operations. “I’m impressed by the positive outcomes, and it makes total sense to establish processes and educate personnel so we can make the most out of the connector throughout the organization. Also, we are now working on a method to measure our efficiency gains more accurately”, adds Bruno.
With the continued implementation of Web Manuals, Widerøe aims to optimize audit processes, allowing key personnel to spend more time on safe and successful operations. “Given the fact that the regulatory framework is always expanding, it makes no sense having our nominated persons or chief pilots locked in a room for hours, even days, searching for references on PDF documents. We need a shift, a new way of working, not only to reduce audit costs but also to ensure we more than ever set the focus on our operation.”
Widerøe’s implementation of Web Manuals has already transformed its documentation management, and it is now starting to revolutionize its auditing processes. With streamlined editing, standardized documentation practices, and the seamless integration of Web Manuals and IQSMS, Widerøe has paved the way to achieve unparalleled efficiency and compliance. As a leader in the aviation industry, Widerøe continues to prioritize safety and operational excellence, and is now setting new benchmarks for documentation practices and audit preparations.