AlarisPro, a pioneer in advanced software for professional unmanned aerial systems (UAS) operations, presents this article to guide you through the essential factors to consider when choosing a UAS fleet management solution.
As the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sector continues to expand, manufacturers and operators are quickly realizing that effective fleet management is vital for business growth. Without a centralized UAS fleet management system, tracking daily operations, maintenance tasks, aircraft configurations, and pilot and hardware certifications becomes a daunting and inefficient process.an all-encompassing fleet management solution should alleviate the challenges of daily data collection while enabling thorough analysis and forecasting of all fleet-related aspects. By implementing the right system, companies can redirect valuable resources toward critical areas such as safety, reliability, and maximizing return on investment (ROI). This guide aims to assist you in transitioning from outdated paper logs and spreadsheets to a more cohesive approach.
It’s crucial to note that a global solution does not exist; each operator’s needs are unique. If you are seeking “expanded operational approvals” or managing a rapidly growing fleet with multiple teams across various locations, a specialized solution that integrates operations, maintenance, and system health monitoring is essential.
For manufacturers, adopting an integrated fleet management system that aligns with the software utilized by their customers offers significant advantages.These include the ability to document and analyze testing data,track configuration changes,and generate reliability metrics for UAS and components,which can inform design enhancements. A collaborative solution between manufacturers and operators ensures a seamless flow of data from growth and production to customer delivery and field operations.
A Unified Approach to Data Management and UAS Fleet Oversight
An effective fleet management solution serves as a comprehensive and secure records management system, empowering users to confidently expand their fleet. Key features should include tracking capabilities for UAS, pilots, flight logs, certifications, and maintenance activities. Given that leadership time is limited, it’s crucial to consolidate essential fleet facts into an intuitive dashboard that provides a holistic view of operations.
Reporting functionalities should enable users to delve into their data and cross-reference inputs from various sources, both automated and manual. Additional reports should cater to different stakeholders, showcasing efficiencies, financial outcomes, and upcoming actions. This capability surpasses the basic mission management solutions offered by some providers,which typically only extract fundamental flight data to report on flights and pilot activity. Many of these solutions fail to monitor system health, maintenance events, or component and payload information.
Integrated maintenance Tracking vs. Simple Note-Taking
Even the simplest quadcopter comprises numerous single-point failures that necessitate tracking through an integrated maintenance solution. While many mission management systems allow for the annotation of maintenance events, these are frequently enough mere notes that lack preventive maintenance alerts, required actions, or upcoming inspections. Such notes are isolated events that cannot be cross-referenced with operational data for deeper insights. Even if your current note-taking system seems sufficient, it’s advisable to consider a comprehensive solution sooner rather then later. Many leaders design their companies for growth into more complex, higher-risk operations to enhance profit margins. Implementing an integrated solution early on allows for data expansion as the company grows, eliminating the need to switch systems later. For routine high-risk operations and those involving larger, more complex systems, a robust fleet management system is essential.
A Systems-of-Systems Approach to Reliability
For large-scale or intricate operations with stringent safety reporting requirements, a comprehensive system that employs a systems-of-systems (SoS) approach is crucial for assessing reliability and managing operations and maintenance.This engineering methodology evaluates the contribution of each sub-system (e.g., individual components) and its impact on the overall reliability of the UAS. Expanded operational approvals (such as BVLOS and flight over people) and Type Certified (TC) UAS necessitate a higher level of reporting than traditional Part 107 operations. These requirements encompass UAS and operational data for waivers, as well as detailed tracking of components, serialization, and reliability data for TC applications.
Moreover, the alignment between operators and manufacturers yields significant benefits. The FAA’s streamlined TC process mandates that manufacturers document the reliability of each flight-critical component or assembly (including serial numbers) as part of the Durability and Reliability (D&R) testing to ensure system safety. This level of documentation far exceeds the capabilities of basic note-taking mission management solutions. A comprehensive system is required to correlate and reference D&R data across various production and test flight elements to generate performance data for FAA approval.
Essential ROI Metrics and Actionable Insights
Tracking the usage, performance, and reliability of a fleet is crucial for evaluating its return on Investment (ROI). Key data must be readily accessible to stakeholders and easy to interpret. The list of essential metrics is extensive and includes:
- Aircraft utilization metrics, including mission types, hours flown, and encountered issues
- Configuration management, including serial numbers for applicable components
- Continued Airworthiness tracking (operational status, grounded status, FCF requirements)
- Reliability metrics, including component hours, replacement rates, and failure rates
- Monitoring payload and battery performance and related issues
- Predictive maintenance, including schedules, requirements, quality inspections, and reported issues
- Documentation of completed maintenance events, labor, and service frequency for each system
- Tracking crew and system hours related to specific projects for performance and cost analysis
Ultimately, spreadsheets and basic mission management software provide only fragmented information, failing to deliver a comprehensive overview. While these simplified tools may suffice for some operations, they are inadequate for more complex scenarios and for manufacturers needing to make informed airworthiness and design decisions.
Looking forward, once you have gathered all necessary data on your UAS fleet, the next step is to leverage it effectively. Data becomes most valuable when it drives action or solutions. Presenting, filtering, and organizing data in a manner that encourages actionable insights is crucial.
Considerations may include:
- Logical access to the data required for making real-world operational decisions
- Fleet readiness status—metrics used by military and airline operators to assess mission capability, which UAS operators should also adopt
- Flexibility to customize tracked data and alerts, allowing companies to adapt their fleet management software as they grow
- Unrestricted access to your data at all times; you should never lose access or face restrictions on exporting your data
- Preventive maintenance and component replacement schedules and reminders to understand their impact on overall readiness
- simplified project and asset management to help stakeholders balance fleet capacity with operational needs
UAS companies must implement detailed fleet management solutions to alleviate the burden of daily data collection. While fleet management needs vary by company, leadership should seek a solution that can scale with their operations as they increase in frequency and complexity. A well-implemented solution enables effective analysis and forecasting of all aspects of a company’s fleet, including operations, maintenance, and predictive insights. Integrating connectivity with the OEM enhances safety and reporting capabilities. Ultimately, effective fleet management allows leadership to allocate valuable resources toward what truly matters—safety, reliability, and maximizing ROI.
