Management System for Malaysian Airlines

Abstract

This research paper is a final year project proposal assignment. It is done in a format of reduced final year project. Paper contains description of Integrated Aircraft Health Management System (IAHMS) project, its aims and objectives to perform. Project has its scope and challenges that developer has to pass through. System development methodology comparison, selection and justification is given as well. System has its proposal to a existed consumer in face of Malaysian Airlines Systems Berhad (MAS). Further section contains MAS profile and description. Literature review consists of primary and secondary research. To ensure that IAHMS suits company in primary research has run through MAS marketing position and its strong and weak points. Secondary research is done over Integrated Health Management researches done by Airbus and NASA. Feasibility studies are descripted to ensure the feasibility of project and further development and implementation. Next sections are going in terms of system risks analysis, system analysis. system implementation, system testing. In the end of research paper conclusion is provided.

Project Description

Rapid growth of air traffic worldwide and increased competition among airline companies struggles new challenges for Malaysian Airlines now days. According to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), (Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation & ICAO, 2010) growth of aviation traffic in Asia-Pacific region for year 2010 is expected on level of 10.8% and for years 2011 and 2012 forecasted at about 7.5% annually (for table of growth see appendix).This situation struggles airline companies to compete for market much more.

In another hand todays maintenance for aircrafts is still not advanced yet, and require big time and human resources to be used. In these terms of increment air traffic, simplification of service in terms of operational costs, consumed time and human resourced reduction sounds attractive. Will allow not only have better health management of an aircraft for agile use of it, but also tangible benefits.

Aim of the Project

Produce a system which let Malaysian Airlines control and manage aircraft health condition and reduce maintenance costs.

Project Objectives

1. Analyze requirements from Malaysian Airlines for Integrated Aircraft Health Management Systems and come with clear problem statement

2. Analyze commercial benefit to Malaysian Airlines of implementing Integrated Aircraft Health Management Systems in terms of maintenance simplification and operational cost reduction

3. Analyze existing aircraft system and maintenance operations for specification project requirements on terms of system development

4. Analyze existing aviation safety requirements, match them with Integrated Aircraft Health Management Systems and come out with safety benefits of system

5. Create Integrated Aircraft Health Management Systems development methodology for Malaysian Airlines

6. Implement system to Malaysian Airlines and prove project's economical, marketing and technical advantages of system

7. Provide Malaysian Airlines competitive advantage on airline market.

Scope

The scope of this project involves not only entire company and its personal it also includes vendors from third parties. System includes development series of application for existed sensors aboard aircraft and creating or additional implementing of sensors and matching them with existing system.

Challenges of the Project

Project is challengeable enough as marketing research over Integrated Aircraft Health Management System hasn't been done for civil airline companies. This may require deep marketing analysis and analysis of Malaysian Airlines requirements.

Developing methodology is also challengeable to perform. In literature review are given sources over research over this area, but they are concerned future perspectives and military aviation.

Last challenge is to test and prove safeties of a system and its profitability in terms of reduction of operational cost and maintenance cycle.

Project is willing to be very challenging in many terms as from management level till the development stage.

Deliverables

* Problem analysis

* Business and technical environmental analysis

* Project development methodology

* Dedicated cost planning

* Proposed system analysis, design, implementation

* Project management documentation

* System prototype

Project Development Methodology

Project Methodology section contains the concepts and methodology comparison that can be used for this project. System development Life Cycle describes activities and functions that system developer typically perform, regardless of how those activities and functions fin into a particular methodology (Shelly, G., B., Cashman, T.,J., Rosenblat, H.,J., 2001).

Particular SDLC model includes steps of:

* System planning

* System Analysis

* System Implementation

* System support and operation

Below is given description of methodologies, provided analysis table and justification comparison.

Spiral development methodology

One of the formal approach, development proceeding by developing of successive prototypes, with each new prototype adding additional functionality and being integrated with the previous prototype. (Hawryszkiewycz, I., 1998). Spiral model turn around requirement analysis, risk analysis, prototype design, prototype development, and then cycle repeats but with other requirements.

1 - Spiral Model (Spiral Software Development Life Cycle Model, 2010)

Advantage Disadvantage

Work force specialization Begins with less defined objectives and may be uncomfortable for management