The “Hidden” SSI Software Feature Air Carriers Love Most

Ask any of the air carriers we work with and they will tell you that there is a lot to love about Scheduling Systems, Inc. and our Operations Management Software package. It can help users view schedules, manage aircraft, highlight potential bottlenecks, and so much more.

Because innovation and continual improvement are at the heart of what we do, we often reach out to our base of customers – a list that includes leading domestic and international passenger airlines, as well as a global leader in cargo transportation. No matter where the conversations begin, operations managers invariably mention that there is one feature they especially love: OMS what-if scenarios, our sandbox, which serves as a solution generator.

 

Why Our Customers Love Using OMS in Sandbox Mode

Aviation operations move quickly. You cannot ever count on any two days, or even two hours, being the same. In addition to letting teams see and respond to dynamic events, our software lets them consider situations that could affect schedules, crews, and equipment moving forward.

Imagine for a moment that you had to deal with one of these all too familiar situations:

 

• Inclement weather is causing delays throughout your company
• You must account for an unexpected crew sickness
• One or more of your active aircraft need maintenance
• A plane has been damaged, requiring crews, passengers, and payloads to be rerouted
• Maintenance operations are moving from one station to another
• There are upline delays causing issues throughout your schedule
• You need to rotate crew to a new aircraft before they go stale

 

Naturally, we could add dozens of further entries to this list. And OMS could help you deal with any or all of these situations, presenting you with solutions in an easy and intuitive graphical format. In this instance a user could work within the sandbox to see how one change will affect other future operations before finalizing them. For instance, they could find that delaying a flight would leave insufficient time at the next connection to carry out cleaning, refueling, and other tasks.

Additionally, the OMS sandbox gives the option of planning ahead. In a what-if scenario you can play with one or more variables in real time, seeing how they will affect your operations moving forward. As an example, you might imagine a major storm affecting an entire region for two days. Then, you could make contingency plans to mitigate the downline impact before it even happens. OMS will let you discard your changes, publish them, or share with other teams or managers.

In essence, the OMS sandbox allows you to work on known and unknown issues that could impact flight times, crew availability, and other variables.

 

Does Your Operations Software Give You the Tools You Need?

When you are facing unexpected delays and issues, the last thing you want is to work through the bigger picture of facts without any preparation. With the OMS what-if scenarios you have the visibility and flexibility to make better decisions – on your own or with the help of other departments.

The OMS what-if might not be the feature that first brings you to our software platform, but it is one we know our customers in the air carrier industry appreciate having access to.

Not getting sandbox functionality from your current operations management platform? Contact us today to schedule a demo and see how the SSI Operations Management System works for yourself.