The missing link to federate existing systems of record.

The industry today is dominated by manual processes and is highly fragmented in terms of information flow, even for information that pertains to the same part or plane.  Each aviation player in the value chain has their own set of databases from which they record and manage their interaction with each part on a plane. 

Rarely is that information shared upstream or downstream, and that is due to perceived risk as well as a lack of fair monetization and distribution of value. This lack of information flow creates severe inefficiencies across many MRO and aftermarket transactions.

To mitigate those inefficiencies, SkyThread enables a federated system of record for the aviation industry called the 4Ps Utility Layer. This blockchain obtains industry consensus on critical master data and their inter-relationship at any given time.

Leveraging blockchain, the 4Ps Utility Layer maintains the master data for more than dozens of use cases,  creating substantial value for the commercial aerospace industry.  

 The master data is classified into four core entities: 

•        Planes – by tail number and unique ID. The Utility Layer defines a plane and catalogues its history of configurations from aircraft birth through to its decommissioning. The layer creates a “back to birth” record for all existing aircraft and captures induction data for all newly produced aircraft.

•        Parts – by aircraft part and serial number. The Utility Layer defines an aircraft part and record its condition throughout its service life. The parts layer creates a “back to birth” records for all existing aircraft parts and captures induction data for all newly produced parts.

•        People – by aircraft technician. The Utility Layer defines a technician and all those who are eligible to certify aircraft and part repairs and certifications of airworthiness. This is a manual process today. Aircraft OEMS are interested in a better solution and have begun to digitize these records. There are 300,000 technicians today and the industry will need to double that number as the industry grows beyond the COVID recovery.

•        Places – by geo tracking that define the locations where the aircraft and parts are produced, printed, assembled and repaired at any given time.

For each of these master data entities, SkyThread takes a unique approach called “Data for Life”. This includes the birth of an aircraft from the manufacturer through its operating life to final aircraft decommissioning and recycling.

For parts, this includes the birth of an aircraft part from the Tier 1 and aircraft OEM, through its life on the original aircraft, through its MRO cycles and all the way through part decommissioning and recycling. 

For technicians, this includes the original certification of the aircraft technician as well as the ongoing education and experience of the technician. The technician is key to this endeavor as they are responsible for the intersection of the “part and the plane” during repair cycles. 

The “Places” dimension follows the plane, the part, and the technician to create a major layer of validation in the chain such that it is clear that the plane, part, and person are in the place noted by the geo tracking of each. 

With appropriate data standards in place, SkyThread and participating aviation stakeholders create the "missing link" between existing processes and legacy systems to enable use cases delivering increased value for the aviation ecosystem.