MRO: Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul

Aurora Intelligent Scheduling of Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul Operations

Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operations present unique and complex challenges, particularly when it comes to scheduling. The intricacies of managing such operations stem from the fact that each vehicle’s operating history and condition are distinct, making the required MRO activities highly variable. Unexpected problems are often discovered during the process, necessitating frequent schedule revisions to account for additional tasks. As a result, MRO managers often face a moving target, trying to meet tight deadlines while adapting to unforeseen circumstances.

For over two decades, Aurora Intelligent Scheduling and Project Management software has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges by helping organizations manage their most complex fleet maintenance operations. Aurora MRO software integrates artificial intelligence (AI) with advanced scheduling algorithms to optimize resource allocation and time management, delivering efficient results even in the face of uncertainty. Combining human expertise with AI, Aurora enables fleet managers to plan and execute MRO tasks more efficiently, reducing turnaround time (TAT) and minimizing the number of resources required.

Aurora was originally developed to help NASA manage its mission-critical scheduling needs, including the MRO of the Space Shuttle before and after each flight. This unique application of maintenance repair & overhaul software proved so successful that Aurora has since expanded to manage complex operations for industry giants like Boeing, Bombardier Learjet, Spirit Aerosystems, the US Air Force, and the US Navy. With a proven track record across diverse sectors, Aurora has solidified its place as a go-to solution for MRO aviation software and beyond.

Aurora’s capabilities are not limited to MRO. For example, The Boeing Company uses Aurora to manage production schedules for its Boeing 787 Dreamliner™ program. The software dynamically adapts to real-time production changes, allowing Boeing to improve efficiency and reduce production lead times. This adaptability has made Aurora the scheduling tool of choice for companies seeking to streamline their operations and optimize performance.

For this section-based didactic schedule, the primary concerns are that sub-sections are not double-booked (e.g., small section A1A has an experience at the same time that large section A has a lecture, since the same students are in both, this situation would be a problem); that all atomic sections (the smallest unit) receive the same set of experiences as the other sections; and that the experiences have the necessary room allocations.

For this section-based didactic schedule, the primary concerns are that sub-sections are not double-booked (e.g. small section A1A has an experience at the same time that large section A has a lecture, since the same students are in both, this situation would be a problem); that all atomic sections (the smallest unit) receive the same set of experiences as the other sections; and that the experiences have the necessary room allocations.

The Boeing Company uses Aurora to prioritize production ofthe Boeing 787 Dreamliner™. Aurora’s dynamic assembly schedule adapts to real-time production variations, so Boeing can produce aircraft as efficiently as possible. Read our Boeing Success Story.

Aurora Outperforms Conventional Software

What sets Aurora apart from conventional scheduling software is its use of artificial intelligence technologies to encode and apply extensive scheduling knowledge and decision rules. Most traditional scheduling systems rely on basic rules to select and schedule tasks, often based on limited information about resources, constraints, and task requirements. As a result, these systems generate schedules that are suboptimal and require extensive manual intervention.

Aurora uses artificial intelligence technologies to encode and apply extensive scheduling knowledge and decision rules to generate more efficient schedules. For example, in a study conducted by The Boeing Company, Aurora managed resources more efficiently than software that Boeing had developed specifically for managing their own operations and had updated for almost two decades. Compared to Primavera, Aurora reduces turnaround time by 20%. Compared to Microsoft Project, Aurora’s schedules are 30% shorter.

Most other scheduling systems use simple rules to select and schedule tasks and assign resources to carry them out. These rules usually consider only limited information about the required tasks, resources, and constraints, so the generated schedules are far from optimal. In contrast, Aurora applies AI to account for a comprehensive set of variables, including task attributes, resource availability, and constraints. This enables Aurora to generate schedules that are far more efficient. Aurora’s sophisticated algorithms allow it to handle the complexities of MRO operations while ensuring that the scheduling process remains efficient and transparent. 

Some other systems rely on mathematical optimization to search systematically for the best scheduling solution. However, as the number of scheduled tasks and constraints grows, the computer time needed to solve the problem grows exponentially, making this approach impractical for managing large, complex operations.

One of the key advantages of Aurora’s scheduling system is its ability to model and enforce complex constraints. While conventional systems may support basic time constraints such as finish-to-start or start-to-finish, Aurora is capable of handling much more complicated requirements. This includes prioritization of tasks, resource management, and scenario modeling, allowing for highly tailored schedules that meet specific organizational needs. As a result, Aurora can manage MRO operations that other scheduling tools cannot even model.

The US Navy has selected Aurora-CCPM™ software to schedule submarine maintenance operations at the Naval Submarine Support Facility.

Aurora solves complex scheduling problems effectively by encoding and applying sophisticated scheduling knowledge and decision-making rules, along with complex constraints and resource requirements. Aurora encodes attributes of individual tasks, groups of tasks, resources, resource sets, and constraints. Aurora’s built-in and user-supplied decision rules produce better schedules by considering the values of these attributes at key scheduling decision points such as determining which task to schedule next, assigning the best time and resources to each task to optimize the overall schedule, and handling situations in which some resources are unavailable when the task is scheduled. Aurora’s knowledge-rich approach enables it to combine human expertise with mathematical algorithms to generate superior schedules. Aurora also uses advanced techniques such as bottleneck avoidance that pre-analyzes the resources required by all of the tasks, prior to scheduling them, to ensure that the most constrained resources are assigned to the tasks that have the greatest need for them, resulting in better schedules.

Conventional scheduling systems often support only basic constraints such as finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish & start-to-finish times. By contrast, Aurora enables robust modeling and enforcement of complex constraints, so it can automatically schedule projects that other tools cannot even model. Without a complete and accurate model of the constraints that schedules must satisfy, simpler scheduling systems cannot even determine whether a candidate schedule is valid. Examples of these constraints include:

Another benefit of Aurora is the transparency obtained by having a clearer understanding of the scheduled operations. For example, a Navy shipyard may be maintaining a submarine, destroyer, and an aircraft carrier, sometimes simultaneously. Depending on the Navy’s needs, it may be more important to finish the aircraft carrier first. If these priorities change, Aurora can be used to understand the side effects of increasing the speed at which the aircraft carrier is maintained, thus allowing the shipyard to plan ahead. For example, in order to ensure that one or more of the vessels are released on the updated time frame, the Navy might increase overtime or the number of shifts or hire personnel on a short-term basis.

Aurora Solves MRO Pains & Provides MRO Benefits

MRO operations are notorious for their inherent uncertainty. Discovery of unforeseen issues during maintenance tasks disrupts traditional scheduling, which often causes delays. Traditional scheduling methods struggle to adapt quickly enough, leading to long cycles of analysis, rescheduling, and dispatch work.

Moreover, traditional performance metrics, such as job completion rates and burn-down charts, often fail to account for the agility and speed required in the MRO aviation software space. Aurora addresses these pain points by providing flexible, responsive scheduling capabilities that are designed to handle uncertainty and change.

The following lists some of the complexities inherent to MRO (Pains) that Aurora addresses:

• Inherent “discovery”/uncertainty during MRO kills traditional scheduling – you’re always behind – that hurts morale and ability to prioritize and manage effectively.
• Difficult to adapt quickly – rescheduling/reprioritizing historically has taken a long time: discovery made → analysis and rescheduling → dispatch work → get back to work cycle is too long
• Traditional Metrics/Measures (job completion actuals vs. planned, job completion burn downs, job completion rates, % completes) are not aligned and do not drive the right behaviors for adaptability/flexibility/speed required in the MRO space
• Razor thin profit margins
• Turn Around Time (TAT) is key. All performance measures need to align to this
• “Everything is a one off” – no plane is ever the same no matter how hard we try to predict ahead of time what work has to get done
• Management and analysts chasing bad metrics and analysis and resulting reporting vs. keeping value added work happening on the shop floor
• Keeping labor resources at a minimum (main cost driver) instead of enabling better throughput/TAT
• Scarce and often shared equipment resources
• Generalist labor resources are best to be able to perform a variety of manufacturing operations, problem solve and be adaptable to whatever Discovery occurs – these types of resources are scarce/constrained and should be planned for

Aurora solves these challenges by enabling rapid analysis and rescheduling in response to unexpected problems. With AI-backed scheduling capabilities, Aurora optimizes resource utilization and ensures that labor and equipment are deployed where they are most needed. This leads to faster turnaround times, fewer delays, and better utilization of scarce resources.

The following lists some of the real-world benefits to MRO (Gains) that Aurora provides:

• Decreased Turn Around Time (TAT): Aurora’s ability to dynamically adjust schedules based on real-time discoveries ensures that maintenance tasks are completed faster, improving efficiency.
• Digital Solutions that can transfer easily to hardcopy (print) given varying maturities of “digital readiness” amongst their workforce
• Decreased planning/scheduling spend and/or turn over, due to poor tools/methods
• Less Manager/Lead guesswork when dealing with unplanned events, more rapid detection/identification/rescheduling/dispatching of new scheduling/priorities
• Enabling pooled resourcing across the hanger to keep labor resources adding value as discovery is made on any particular plane
• Rapid Issue Resolution, Rescheduling (reprioritization), and ReDispatch of work
• Unplanned parts/materials requirements – rapid communication and rescheduling
• Rapid and prioritized Redeployment of resource pools to maintain Hangar/global/system level KPIs like Turn Around Time

Transforming MRO with Aurora

Aurora’s intelligent scheduling and project management is a game-changer for organizations engaged in maintenance repair & overhaul operations. By leveraging sophisticated algorithms and AI technologies, Aurora optimizes the scheduling process to deliver tangible benefits such as reduced turnaround times, better resource utilization, and enhanced flexibility in response to unforeseen challenges. For companies seeking to optimize their MRO operations, Aurora offers a powerful, efficient solution that addresses the complexities inherent to MRO activities. Aurora’s ability to automate and optimize scheduling, reduce costs, and streamline workflows makes it the ideal tool for modern maintenance repair and overhaul operations. Whether you are in aviation, defense, or another high-stakes industry, Aurora’s ability to balance the demands of scheduling with the unpredictability of MRO realities ensures that your organizations can remain competitive, agile, and cost-efficient in an increasingly complex environment.