february2022 - 14

Industry Expert Column
Crossing Over to Digitalization
Paper documentation is outdated and the need to digitalize manuals and
standard operating procedures continues to grow.
BY KRISTER GENMARK
L
ike all businesses, the success
of ground handlers relies upon
consistent and efficient execution
of a task. Something that can only be
achieved by ensuring that the team
knows exactly what to do and that
there is an easy and effective way of
improving the way of working.
How to achieve this is often detailed
in standard operating procedures (SOPs),
integral to all organizations involved in
the aviation industry, whether an airline
carrier or ground handler.
Manuals and SOPs may not always be
the most exciting, but they provide vital
instructions on the running of key processes,
as well as details on how to implement
new practices and adhere to the
latest regulations and safety advice. They
are often used across departments and
need to be accessible and easy to handle.
The information they contain can
sometimes make the difference between
success and failure. Sadly, in the aviation
industry, failure has the potential for catastrophic
consequences, so quite simply, it
is not an option.
However, despite their importance,
for many years aviation manuals have
been giant, doorstep encyclopedias that
were not easy to handle or read and were
often stored away until it was time for
them to be replaced. Thankfully, many
companies in the aviation industry
have now recognized that paper
documentation is outdated and the
growing need to digitalize information.
Although the benefits may be recognized,
organizations often lack the
knowledge of how to begin the process of
digitalizing manuals.
Impact of COVID-19
This trend for moving online has
increased significantly over the past two
years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even though nearly every company
in the aviation industry has been affected
by COVID-19, not every company has
suffered equally. Regardless of size or
activity, those that have coped best either
had a strong digital infrastructure in
place when the pandemic began or rapidly
and willingly embraced new technologies
when COVID-19 struck.
Although it has often been hard to find
positive news during the pandemic, the
acceleration of technology use within the
industry has been encouraging.
Quite rightly, the need for aviation
safety has not disappeared, or even
reduced by a fraction, during the crisis.
Regulatory compliance always remains
vital. Disseminating safety-critical
updates quickly and directly to teams,
through an efficient and consolidated digital
system, has never been more important.
So, it hasn't been a surprise to see
aircraft operators and ground handlers
By implementing a digital
platform, modifications
can be made to manuals
and SOPs at the touch
of a button while
keeping the document
revision in good order
and then shared almost
instantaneously.
14 || Ground Support Worldwide || February 2022
WEB MANUALS
february2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of february2022
