More Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Facilities Go Live with Western Data Systems Software

Business Wire, Oct 29, 1998

CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1998--

-- Boeing Australia in Melbourne & Brisbane, Australia --

-- U.S. Navy Naval Aviation Depot in Jacksonville, Fla. --

Western Data Systems Thursday announced that several more commercial and military aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities have now gone live with the company's CompassENTERPRISE software suite.

These include multiple sites within The Boeing Company's Australian operations, Boeing Australia Limited, as well as the first of 18 United States Department of Defense military depots, the Naval Aviation Depot at Jacksonville, Fla.

CompassENTERPRISE is an integrated suite of applications to manage the entire MRO cycle, from induction, to tear-down and dispositioning, to procurement and remanufacturing management.

"More and more maintenance, repair, and overhaul organizations in both the commercial and government arenas are beginning to implement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) based solutions to improve operational efficiencies," stated Anton Rodde, WDS President. "We're proud to say that many of the leaders are using WDS software to do so."

Boeing now using CompassENTERPRISE for Aircraft Repair and Refit

in Australia

In July, Boeing Australia Limited (BAL) went live with the first phase of their implementation of a new generation Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system based on Western Data Systems CompassENTERPRISE and Oracle financial applications. Three sites are now using the new system to manage bills of material, inventory, purchasing, work orders, contract costing, and accounting.

The BAL Aircraft Systems Division sites include the Avalon aircraft repair and refit facility near Melbourne, the Amberly aircraft modification site near Brisbane, and Boeing Australia headquarters in Brisbane.

BAL chose CompassENTERPRISE because it provides the capabilities needed to support both new production and MRO operations with a common system. It was also important that the WDS applications were integrated with the Oracle financial application backbone being implemented across all of Boeing Australia Limited.

According to Boeing ERP Project Manager Graham Matthews, "Our objective is to simplify and unify processes throughout Boeing Australia Limited. CompassENTERPRISE tied into the Oracle financials provides the infrastructure for this by replacing individual legacy systems and providing a common approach and consistent reporting across all of our divisions."

Avalon production operations will increase substantially later this year when P-3C Orion aircraft begin to arrive for major avionics and instrumentation upgrades as part of a contract with Raytheon/E-systems. The Amberley facility has implemented the CompassCONTRACT purchasing application in support of that site's F111 MRO activities.

All accounting for the Aircraft Systems division is now on the integrated Oracle General Ledger system at the Brisbane headquarters, with the remainder of Boeing Australia accounting scheduled to come up by the end of September. Boeing is one of Australia's leading aerospace and defense companies, with many sites around the country.

The various divisions produce a wide range of commercial and military products, in addition to providing aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.

NADEP JAX Now Using CompassENTERPRISE for Military Depot

Management

The Naval Aviation Depot in Jacksonville (NADEP JAX) is now live with `Slice 1' of their implementation of CompassCONTRACT to support their extensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations.

"We're very excited about partnering with our suppliers and customers to bring about this positive impact on our local operations, as well as the improved effectiveness it will ultimately bring to the entire logistics supply chain," stated JAX Project Leader John Zulich.

"The WDS software will enable us to fully utilize the proven forward planning and closed-loop management principles of MRP II in the inherently difficult to predict MRO environment."

Located along the St. Johns River in Northeast Florida, NADEP JAX is one of three modern industrial facilities commissioned by the Navy to perform in-depth rework, repair, and modification of aircraft, engines, and aeronautical components. The facility performs work on an extensive list of equipment for the U.S. Navy as well as for other U.S. and foreign armed services.

With more than 4,200 civilian employees and military personnel, and 52 buildings on 102 acres, NADEP JAX is a huge and important operation. It performs Depot Level Maintenance (DLM), conversion, modernization, and In-Service Engineering on a wide range of Navy aircraft, including the P-3 Orion, F/A-18 Hornet, F-14 Tomcat, EA-6B Prowler, and A7 Corsair.

JAX has the most modern, state-of-the-art engine facility in the Navy, processing hundreds of engines a year. In addition, JAX is responsible for numerous multi-million dollar aircraft modernization programs, support for a wide range of electronic and mechanical components, and substantial Aircraft Support Services performed throughout the life cycle of the equipment.