Blueprint to a smoother workflow

An international jet manufacturer has deployed document management software to streamline its workflow, which entails handling thousands of blueprints and other crucial information.

Dassault Falcon is using the Fortis document management solution from Westbrook Technologies to speed data entry and document capture. Dassault Falcon's engineering division uses the system to provide information and visual references to clients at its aircraft service centers. The solution retrieves blueprints and traps specific sections to identify a component or illustrate how it is assembled.

"When clients call us with questions that involve blueprints, we quickly locate them and easily provide a great deal of precise information including installation instructions and which materials to use," says Richard Hahn, senior technical help desk representative. The division houses more than 185,000 blueprints. If the file for a particular drawing isn't too large, it can usually be pulled up on the screen while the customer is on the phone.

"Since this division is a frontline troubleshooting and technical hotline for customers, time is of the essence," Hahn says. "Because of strict completion deadlines for aircraft assembly, customers depend on us to answer questions as soon as possible. They don't have time to waste waiting for answers and we certainly don't want to delay production."

"Thanks to the solution," Hahn continues, "we are 99% on target with meeting our division's goal of getting back to clients within 24 hours. In the past, we were frequently unsure if we even had a certain blueprint, particularly if it was one of the older ones. When that happened, we had to contact our headquarters in France and wait for them to locate the original and forward a copy to us. This could take up to a week, leading to serious delays for our clients. Now we are consistently hitting the mark. We can either send blueprint copies to the customer as an e-mail attachment or as a Fortis file if they have the same software."

The solution has also decreased search time tenfold, according to Hahn.

Dassault Falcon's warehousing division uses the solution, too, to manage Material Safety Data Sheets, customer repair orders, packing lists and purchase orders. "We add 100 to 300 documents to Fortis daily," says Mike Kane, spares operations manager, warehousing division. "Having the ability to locate and immediately print documentation for customers saves an abundance of time, and we no longer have to manually comb through filing cabinets."