Evaluating one plan versus another has always required the production of data, KPIs and reports. As technology evolves in this wider field Motulus have begun to look at how analytics to support planning tools has evolved, and how analytics modules should be shaped for the future.
Management teams, planning teams, administrators, and analysts in resource-intensive organizations need to stay informed about what’s happening within their operations. No matter how well-crafted their plans are, they need to understand the risks and identify areas of waste.
This is especially true for aviation planning teams. Aviation operations manage enormous costs, whether related to crew resources, airport operations, or aircraft. The financial stakes are often staggering.
Given these stakes, measuring both current and potential plans becomes essential. Throughout history (even before the days of software) data and KPIs have been compiled. Most resource planning software recognized this need years ago and included reports or KPIs as key features. In fact, these reporting tools have become so standard that they are almost taken for granted.
Consequently providing KPIs and reports became a basic requirement for planning software, often used to evaluate different plans. However, the functionality rarely extended beyond the simple reports, which could lead to frustration amongst planners.
Why? For several reasons. Reports were often rigid and limited, lacking customization options for specific businesses, organizations, or use cases. They might deliver 50%, 60%, or even 70% of what a user needed, but changes were often costly, cumbersome, or impossible.
Additionally, the data dictionaries could vary from vendor to vendor within the same industry. Common metrics such as duty hours might be defined slightly differently in each system or report, leading to inconsistencies.
The data itself was also challenging to analyze or combine with other relevant datasets. Although the reporting functions fulfilled their basic roles, the last decade has introduced new challenges. With increased data literacy and a growing number of analysts within airlines, the drive for more enhanced offerings has increased, especially as more sophisticated BI and visualization tools like Power BI and Tableau have become prevalent, offering more visually appealing and informative charts based on broader datasets.
As a result, frustration within planning teams has grown, particularly among those who are analytically inclined and data-driven. There is a growing desire to combine datasets, manipulate data, and create better, more compelling stories; especially as users see this being done in other business areas or applications.
Motulus recognized these challenges. When designing their reporting functionality, (MDash) the focus was on meeting modern needs rather than reverting to the status quo. The Motulus analytics engine allows users to combine raw data with existing data safely, either by importing or exporting to and from databases. It includes standardized reports but also makes it easy to configure or customize new reports, either by Motulus or by the airlines themselves. The platform includes sophisticated visualization but also allows for easy integration with other visualization software.
Understanding today’s data challenges and the evolution of reporting, Motulus has created a flexible, future-proof component that can meet the needs of all airlines, large or small.
Reach out to us to learn more about our new analytics offering.
Photo by Choong Deng Xiang on Unsplash
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