Through Life Support:

Command and Control for

Complex Assets
Maximising Asset Availability with R4i BuildPoint

WHITEPAPER
 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

Contents

1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 3
2. The Data Management Challenge ............................................................................................. 3
3. The Through Life Support Concept ........................................................................................... 4
4. The Benefits of TLS ..................................................................................................................... 4
5. A Modular Approach to TLS ....................................................................................................... 5
6. TLS – Part of Lean Manufacturing and Best Practice ............................................................ 6
7. Configuration Management – The “Point of Truth” ................................................................. 6
8. What – When – Who – How ....................................................................................................... 7
What is the configuration and operational state of an asset? ................................................... 7
When does the asset need to be serviced or decommissioned? ............................................. 7
Who is qualified to operate or service the asset? ....................................................................... 7
How is an operator or maintainer going to do a task? ................................................................ 8
9. Asset Provisioning Based on a Configuration.......................................................................... 8
10. Parts Management and Bill of Materials (BOM) .................................................................. 8
11. Change Management .............................................................................................................. 9
12. Technical Data Management and Publication ................................................................... 10
13. How R4i BuildPoint Maximises Asset Availability ............................................................. 10
13.1 Configuration and Inventory Management ......................................................................... 11
13.2 Production Line Management .............................................................................................. 11
13.3 Managed Maintenance .......................................................................................................... 11
13.4 Information Publishing ........................................................................................................... 12
14 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 13
15 About Absolute Data Group (ADG) ..................................................................................... 14

ADG Absolute Data Group Pty Ltd 2 www.absolutedata.com

 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

1. Introduction
Technical Data Management, when combined with Production Management and Planned
Maintenance Technologies provides a powerful Through Life Support capability to
manufacturing organisations that develop, assemble and support complex assets that have
a long service life.

This whitepaper explores the concepts that make up the Through Life Support – or TLS –
model, and goes on to detail how the three TLS modules in the R4i BuildPoint application
enable one commanding view of a business‟s critical assets, personnel and inventory.

Obviously not all TLS systems are the same. Technology has also changed significantly in
the past few years. No longer do manufacturers require several separate, expensive
software systems. Now, affordable modular systems are available, opening up extensive
opportunities and benefits for most manufacturers. As a result, this whitepaper documents
what manufacturers should look for in a credible TLS system.

This document is provided by Absolute Data Group Pty Ltd (ADG). ADG has more than 15
years‟ experience in providing technical data solutions to the Engineering, Defence and
Aerospace sectors in Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.A.

2. The Data Management Challenge

For organisations that manufacture business critical products with a long in-service life, the
information required to support the asset increases with each product update or variant. For
manufacturers, the changing relationships between products, suppliers, parts and
documentation are important and need to be documented and maintained. These
relationships play a critical role across a business. For example:

 When maintenance needs to be conducted, the correct manuals need to be supplied

to a maintainer that has the correct qualifications to complete the task.
 Where manufacturers must comply with regulatory controls for the construction and
operation of their assets, further information tracking is required to verify compliance
and manage the risk of a product failure.

Common issues faced by Manufacturers include:

 Engineering changes – Who authorised a design change?

 Supplier is obsoleting a part – What assets, task cards and manuals will be affected?
 Qualifications – Are my suppliers‟ and staff‟s certificates and qualifications current?
 Asset history – Who carried out maintenance on my assets and when?
 Information change – A drawing has been updated, what is impacted?
 Inventory support – How many parts do I need to store to support my customers?
 Time to market – Is my support documentation behind the construction and delivery
of products to market?
 Quality – Is the longer an asset is in service, causing us to have to use manual
processes to update the supporting data?

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As more products are delivered to customers, more variations are built and additional suppliers
are engaged. Too often engineering staff may struggle to cope with the manual management of
product data which often results in system failures or accidents.

3. The Through Life Support Concept

Through Life Support (TLS) is the ability to know the configuration and state of an asset
while ensuring correct support systems are available to build, repair and service throughout
its life, or replace that asset. TLS has been in use in the Defence and Aerospace industries
for more than 60 years and the benefits of TLS are now being applied to other industries to
reduce costs, lower risk and improve asset uptime.

Managing the TLS of a complex asset requires the collection and management of the asset‟s
design data, the initial creation of the asset‟s configuration and maintenance plans and the
management of inventory to sustain the asset. Rather than being a single application or
task, a TLS system brings key tasks and information sets together to provide a leveraged
application platform. This includes, but is not limited to:

 Maintenance Planning  Configuration Management

 Obsolescence and Disposal
 Support and Test Equipment (S&TE)
 Facilities and Workshop Capabilities
 Technical Documentation
 Software Support
 Manpower and Human Factors
 Reliability and Maintainability (R&M)
 Training and Training Equipment
 Storage and Transportation
 Supply Support

The ability to know the design and supportability of components and assemblies will yield
considerable time savings when these systems are re-used on a new or different asset. For
example an engineer may have an existing “Crane Truck” chassis that needs to be
reconfigured to suit the transportation of cold goods.

Using the “configuration management module” of a TLS system, they can simply clone the
“Crane Truck” configuration, delete the crane assembly and add the new body and air
conditioning. The new configuration is finalised and a new configuration manual can be
auto-generated. This can include:

 Engineering breakdown of the asset

 Maintenance plans and user guides
 Bill of Materials (BOM) and provisioning information
 Electronic manuals and task cards

When technical data is automatically generated from a known, authorised source,

considerable time (and therefore cost) savings can be achieved.

4. The Benefits of TLS

A TLS application brings together disparate technical data used to manage the design and
support of an asset. Such data could include:

 Technical drawings  User manuals

 Job cards  Maintenance plans
 Bill of Materials (BOM)  Configurations
 Parts, inventory and tools  Training material
 Test equipment  Maintenance guides

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

When this information is held in Excel spreadsheets, Word documents and PDF files, the
information is passive, as it is not being actively interrogated and validated by an application.

By bringing this information into a TLS application such as R4i BuildPoint, warning
thresholds, data errors and conflicts are flagged for user attention. Furthermore, a TLS
system provides data access security, logging and a system audit capability.

When a TLS system also combines configuration control and active maintenance
management, a high quality product can be manufactured and supported whilst the risk of an
equipment failure or injury due to incorrect technical information or an untracked component
is reduced.

5. A Modular Approach to TLS

A TLS system can be a large, single vendor integrated solution, a combination of tools or a
“home grown” product that has evolved over time. Absolute Data Group believes that the
core requirements for a TLS system are configuration control, a validated production method
for products, and an integrated maintenance solution. See Figure 1 – The Three Pillars.

Figure 1 – The Three Pillars

Traditionally older computer-based maintenance and TLS systems have been rigid in design
and the costs for software and hardware have been high. Over the last four years,
advancements in software development technologies and operating systems have seen the
cost of systems lower dramatically. Where a TLS system is modular, organisations can
purchase low cost core modules and expand functionality as their requirements grow.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

6. TLS – Part of Lean Manufacturing and Best Practice

Lean Manufacturing, also called “Lean Production”, is a practice that strives to eliminate
inefficiencies from a manufacturing process. Coupled with a regime of continuous
improvement, an organisation can work towards best practice in the design, manufacture
and support of their products.

Whilst Lean Production, Continuous Improvement and Best Practice are efficiency
methodologies, a TLS system is the enabler that applies the policies and practices that have
been determined by the organisation. Task time can be measured, parts and consumables
tracked and assembly time assessed to ensure production tasks are meeting performance
indicators.

7. Configuration Management – The “Point of Truth”

At the heart of any credible TLS system should be the ability to manage the configuration of
an asset‟s design, including the systems, assemblies and components that make up its
configuration (Figure 2 - A Typical Configuration Breakdown). The management of a
configuration extends to the drawings and supporting information that are required to
maintain the asset.

Figure 2 – A Typical Configuration Breakdown

Once a configuration moves from an “In Work” state to a “Finalised” state, a maintenance
plan can then be assigned to the configuration and maintenance tasks applied to the asset.

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8. What – When – Who – How

The use of “what, when, who and how” are core knowledge points for engineering and
logistical personnel.

 What is the configuration and operational state of an asset?

 When does the asset need to be serviced or decommissioned?
 Who is qualified to operate or service the asset?
 How is an operator or maintainer going to do a task?

A TLS system must provide the correct “what, when, who and how” information for all assets
and objects stored in the TLS system.

What is the configuration and operational state of an asset?

Typically an asset with a long in-service life will move through a series of configurations,
including “as designed”, “as built” and “as delivered”. Over time the asset will be upgraded,
modified and repaired until it is eventually sold or disposed of. For the safe and efficient
operation of the asset, support personnel need to know what has changed in the design of
the equipment they are working on. They also need to have confidence in the user manuals
and operator guides, which must be up to date and match the asset that is being serviced.

When managing a product‟s configuration, all the required parts, documents and drawings
are associated as objects of the configuration. The TLS application needs to apply version
control on these objects as parts and drawings are updated, while existing assets may be in
the field and assembled to an older configuration.

The linking of objects (such as parts) provides usage visibility to support personnel. An
example of this visibility is component tracking. For example, if a hydraulic pump is found to
have a design fault, a TLS application must be able to identify which configurations have
assemblies that use the faulty pump and the assets that were built to that configuration and
are therefore affected.

When does the asset need to be serviced or decommissioned?

Most assets that are used in commercial applications will have a maintenance plan. The plan
consists of one or more service books that contain multiple tasks that need to occur based
on one or more conditions. A condition may be a set distance travelled, engine hours,
operation cycles or a combination of these (and more).

Maintenance can also be based on conditions generated by the asset itself, using signals
sent from onboard diagnostics system via industry protocols such as OBD-2, EOBD and
JOBD. Rather than using a set schedule to perform a maintenance task, the asset will notify
the TLS system that a condition or pre-warning condition has been flagged.

Who is qualified to operate or service the asset?

A schedule listed in a service book generally lists the skills required to operate or service the
asset. A TLS system with an integrated Asset Maintenance module will ensure a technician
cannot be assigned to a task for which they are not qualified to conduct.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

The skills and qualifications of personnel, contractors and suppliers need to be known and
monitored. To save administrative time, a TLS system will actively check the status of
certificates and tickets to ensure that a maintenance task is not conducted by personnel with
expired qualifications. It will flag any expired certificates or qualifications.

Finally, asset and site managers have a duty of care to the personnel that operate and
service the assets in their charge. A TLS system with an integrated Asset Management
module can ensure that personnel do not exceed specified working or travel hours in a given
time period.

How is an operator or maintainer going to do a task?

If an operator or maintainer meets the required skill grade and their work profile does not
exceed the specified hours, they can be tasked to complete the maintenance task. For the
task to be safely and efficiently completed, the maintainer needs to know:

 Where is the asset and what is its current maintenance state?

 What is the task and what parts, consumables and tools are required?
 Are there any hazardous materials (HAZMAT) involved in the task?
 Where is the authorised technical manual or reference information?

A TLS system must ensure that the right person has the right parts at the right time.

9. Asset Provisioning Based on a Configuration

When an asset is delivered and readied for operation there may be a list of spares and
support equipment that are required to be available while the asset is in operation. For
example a diesel locomotive will carry additional oil, emergency spares and special
diagnostic tools in the event of a generator failure. These items are based on the
configuration of the locomotive. As the asset is repaired, upgraded or modified the
provisioning list for the asset will change.

As each configuration is made up of systems and assemblies that have their own
provisioning requirements, the TLS system needs to manage the relationships between
these objects and generate a single list of provisions that will be shipped with the asset prior
to commissioning.

10. Parts Management and Bill of Materials (BOM)

The management of parts, spares, tools and HAZMAT items becomes complex when
maintenance activities are being completed. Firstly, a supplier needs to be sourced, lead
times established and the items added to the TLS inventory. See Figure 3 – Stock Control.

Secondly, the item needs to be monitored. Does it have a shelf life, is it a controlled item or
is it an item that is provisioned with an asset? Are there certifications or special handling
instructions that need to be recorded with the item, such as a calibration certificate that
needs to be re-tested before a certain date? If a test item or part is out of date, a
maintenance activity will be impacted.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

Figure 3 – Stock Control

Finally, inventory levels are always in flux. As maintenance tasks are scheduled, stock
needs to be pre-allocated and then levels adjusted as work is completed. Unscheduled
repairs will also need to be taken into account, as low stock levels may be exceeded. A TLS
system will need to monitor the parts required for upcoming tasks and raise an alarm event if
parts will not be available.

11. Change Management

The design, and therefore configuration of an asset, may require modification over time.
This engineering change could be due to:

 An asset being upgraded to a new configuration

 A defective component or design problem being corrected
 A product modification for a customer or to access new markets, or
 A product being modified to meet a regulatory compliance

To ensure the integrity of the asset‟s configuration, maintenance plan and inventory,
changes to the configuration need to pass through a configuration or “change” management
process. Change management is the process of submitting a change (or changes) that
moves through a workflow process and authorisation gates/activities, until the change is
approved and implemented, and the configuration is updated to reflect the asset.

An engineering change can affect many objects that make up an asset. These include:

 Drawings and provisioning lists

 Manuals and user guides
 Service books and schedules
 Parts, consumables and tools

A TLS system needs to provide a robust workflow application that instigates and completes
a workflow to ensure all affected objects are updated. If necessary a new configuration will
be produced.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

Finally, the change management workflow system provides a permanent record of

engineering changes to a configuration or a required process.

12. Technical Data Management and Publication

The design, manufacture and support of an asset over its in-service life will result in large
quantities of information being attached to the asset‟s master configuration. Some or all of
this information will change over time, so the versioning of the data needs to be managed
and auditable. All information will be linked to a finalised configuration that defines the
asset‟s build and maintenance plan.

A TLS system needs to provide for a vault, repository or content control method for all
objects in the system. This component needs to be “aware” of the configuration
management module and the versioning of objects used in the configuration. See Figure 4 –
Object Management within Configurations.

Figure 4 – Object Management within Configurations

13. How R4i BuildPoint Maximises Asset Availability

R4i BuildPoint is a powerful combination of Product Lifecycle Management, Asset
Maintenance, Production Management and Technical Documentation software. The
application was specifically designed for manufacturers and maintainers of complex assets
and offers a modular approach to TLS (See Figure 5 – R4i BuildPoint Modules).

This unique combination provides intelligent Through Life Support and Technical Data
Management, and gives one overarching view of the design, production and support of
assets that require high availability.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

Figure 5 – R4i BuildPoint Modules

R4i BuildPoint is a modular browser-based solution with add-in components that include
integrated e-learning, electronic manuals and dynamic content creation tools. These tools
are also accessed via a web browser.

13.1 Configuration and Inventory Management

R4i BuildPoint‟s core module is the Configuration Management system. A configuration is
the known “build state” of an asset, including the components and assemblies that make up
the asset. The configuration may also include parts, consumables and tools which are
stored in the system as inventory. Key module capabilities include:

 Component and assembly traceability across designs

 Management of inventory and stock levels
 Object management within configurations
 Change control and process management with audited workflows

13.2 Production Line Management

The Production Management module turns designs (or „configurations‟) into build orders for
customers. These orders are sent to the production line where manufacturing will start at
station one and continue through all stations until the asset is ready for delivery. The correct
maintenance plans, manuals, configuration information and provisioning data will be
generated for the new product and the customer‟s details associated with the product.

13.3 Managed Maintenance

The optional Asset Management module leverages an asset‟s configuration and
maintenance plan to deliver support for planned and unplanned maintenance. This occurs
for all assets in the system.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

The R4i BuildPoint system includes a browser-based field service application called R4i
BuildPoint ToolBox. This enables service personnel to action maintenance tasks and lodge
Work Orders for action. The Asset Management module includes:

 Automated scheduling of maintenance tasking

 Fatigue management and qualification checking on tasks
 Part, tool and consumable stores management
 Resource groups and skill code groups
 Asset maintenance and maintainer history
 Travel time tracking

13.4 Information Publishing

As inventory items are added, product configurations created and maintenance programs
designed, R4i BuildPoint‟s Publisher application ensures all relevant documentation can be
published. R4i BuildPoint Publisher produces high quality documentation that provides all
the information required to support the manufacture and maintenance of products (see
Figure 6 – R4i BuildPoint Publisher). This includes:

 The configuration break down of the asset, including the systems and assemblies
 A complete Bill of Materials (BOM) for the asset
 All maintenance task cards required to maintain the asset
 The maintenance plans for the asset and its systems
 Complete provisioning lists for the configuration
 A controlled items list of high value or restricted components

Figure 6 - R4i BuildPoint Publisher

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The end product of the document publishing system is a complete product manual that is
specific to all assets built to that configuration (see Figure 7 – Configuration Manual).

Figure 7 – Configuration Manual

14 Conclusion
ADG believes an asset cannot be supported in isolation. Its design, build state and change
history must be known and supporting maintenance plans and technical manuals kept up-to-
date. R4i BuildPoint‟s unique capability to provide Asset Management, Production Line
Management and Technical Data Control will reduce delivery times and the injury risk to
maintainers and operators.

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 Maximising Asset Availability With R4i BuildPoint February 2011

15 About Absolute Data Group (ADG)

Absolute Data Group (ADG) is a global solutions company that enables the Manufacturing,
Defence and Aerospace industries to create, manage and leverage information that is vital to
the operation and maintenance of their mission critical assets.

With Head Office in Australia and Partners around the world, ADG has provided mission
critical Information Management and Technical Publishing Solutions for more than 12 years.

ADG‟s solutions are easy to use and fast to implement, and span asset management,
product lifecycle management and technical documentation, including solutions that are
compliant to the international S1000D standard used in Defence.

ADG‟s international customers include Boeing, QANTAS, Saab, the U.S. Air force, Audi,
Australian Aerospace, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Australian Government, General
Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Chand LLC, Tenix Defence, Toyota, Unisys, Virgin Blue and
the LSC (UK) Group.

ADG‟s software products are approved for use on the Australian Defence Restricted
Network and the U.S. Air Force Network.

For more information, visit www.absolutedata.com

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