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MRO IT Conference Agenda

Last updated: May 18, 2012

PRE-CONFERENCE DAY - Wednesday, September 19, 2012
4:00 p.m. Registration Opens
5:00 p.m. Showcase Exhibition Hall Opens
5:00 p.m. Welcome Cocktail Reception & Solution Provider Demonstrations in the Showcase Exhibition Hall
(Cocktail is an additional paid registration for “Showcase Exhibition Only” attendees)
6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception Ends; Registration and Showcase Exhibition Hall Close
DAY ONE – Thursday, September 20, 2012
7:45 a.m. Registration and Showcase Exhibition Hall Open
7:45 a.m. Networking Breakfast for Conference Attendees
8:15 a.m. Welcome Remarks
8:30 a.m. Opening Keynote
9:15 a.m. The Impact of Mobile Technologies on Existing Business Processes
Mobile and wireless communication technologies are moving into the aviation world in leaps and bounds. But how will these devices change the existing business process and systems? What are strategies to minimize operational disruptions during implementation stages? How do you manage changing to a more advanced tech-support system? What are the opportunities and limitations of these new tools? What IT solutions and interfaces need to be considered to support these technologies, and what are the associating costs? How do you keep these devices secure?
10:00 a.m.

Smarter Planes, Faster Intelligence?
With the technologically advanced, data-enabled aircraft now in service, maintenance operations must be prepared for the enormous volumes of aircraft data will be generated and downloaded onto their systems. The new age of the ‘data-intensive’ aircraft and sophisticated ground-based technology tools brings a level of maintenance data availability and integration that has never been available before. What will be the most effective data management strategies of the next-gen aircraft that has now become now-gen?

  • Moderator: Martin Whitfield, A&D Aftermarket & Supply Chain Solution Leader, IBM
10:45 a.m. Solution Provider Demonstrations in the Showcase Exhibition Hall
12:30 p.m. Networking Luncheon with Topic Tables for Conference Attendees
Topic Table #1: Having the Right Foundation for your Data Warehouse, No Matter What the Source is
  • Moderator: AirVault
Topic Table #2: Technology Enablers for Components
  • Moderator: Oracle
Topic Table #3: IT Deployment Philosophy
Topic Table #4: Diagnostics/Prognostics
Topic Table #5: Strategic Analytics for Forecasting and Demand Planning
Topic Table #6: Leveraging Comprehensive SMS Across the Enterprise
1:30 p.m. Topic Table Discussions End
1:30 p.m. Solution Provider Demonstrations in the Showcase Exhibition Hall
2:00 p.m. Regulatory Aspect of Modern Technologies
Discover the latest in regulatory considerations, compliance issues, and potential implications on modern technologies for aviation maintenance.
2:45 p.m. Support from the Ground: Is your Infrastructure Ready for the Modern Aircraft?
Following discussions on mobile technologies impacting MRO and the modern ‘data-intensive’ aircraft, how are operations going to be able to support these technology capabilities? For example, flight operations may be ready to utilize iPads, but will line maintenance have the ground infrastructure ready to support them? What considerations need to be made as the supporting infrastructures are being built?
  • Peter White, Manager Air Operations Technology, FedEx Express
3:30 p.m. Break
4:00 p.m.

Connecting Operations - Integrating across the Organization
With the use of technology, many airlines have started to integrate systems between traditional business silos, such as operations and maintenance, by identifying where processes overlap and have potential collaborative benefits. This session will share strategies and best practices on integrating systems between multiple business functions, overcoming challenges and finding opportunity in technology integration, ultimately creating synergies among disparate systems, processes, and cultures.

  • Moderator: Ian Boulton, Sr. Director Product Management, PTC
  • Fernando Matos, Head of Information Technologies, TAP Maintenance & Engineering
  • Scott Johnson, Sr. Director, Maintenance and Engineering Technical Administration Mesa Airlines
4:45 p.m. Topic Table Discussion Reports
5:30 p.m. Networking Cocktail Reception & Solution Provider Demonstrations in the Showcase Exhibition Hall
(Cocktail is an additional paid registration for “Showcase Exhibition Only” attendees)
6: 30 p.m. Close of Day One
DAY TWO – Friday, September 21, 2012
8:00 a.m. Registration and Showcase Exhibition Hall Open
8:00 a.m. Networking Breakfast for Conference Attendees
8:00 a.m. Solution Provider Demonstrations in the Showcase Exhibition Hall
9:45 a.m. Day Two Keynote Address
10:15 a.m. Business Intelligence
Using business intelligence effectively remains a challenge for many companies. As more data pours in from various systems, service providers and mixed fleets, it is becoming even more critical to know how to use it effectively. Hear benchmarking strategies on data analytics/mining to ensure your business intelligence is the most-effective decision-making support system.
  • Moderator: Liz Swearingin, Principal, ICF SH&E
  • Kevin Larson, VP & CIO, AAR Corp.
11:00 a.m. Break
11:15 a.m. Re-defining Operations/Processes through Technology
This session will explore innovative ways to modernize your existing systems and optimizing not only the technology, but also the processes. Where should you integrate past processes with the present technologies? What are the challenges to merging legacy systems with newer platforms? How do you assess the need to changing the technology vs. changing the business process?
12:00 p.m. Closing Keynote: Looking Forward – Where Innovative Technology is Taking Us
This closing session will bring a futuristic viewpoint into what technologies the aviation industry should look to invest their IT budget dollars today, in two years, and five years down the road. What will are the possible benefits and challenges associated with these new technologies? What defines new technology a cost versus an investment?
1:00 p.m. Conclusion of 2012 MRO IT Conference & Showcase