Repair and overhaul of parts - quotes, orders, invoices, enquiries and central repair database.

• Provides standards for the most cost-effective exchange of information for aircraft parts repair between customers and repair agencies.
• Increases cash flow due to electronic invoicing.
• Improves efficiency - faster ordering process resulting in reduced inventory.

Repair Order Administration provides a common standard for the cost- effective exchange of aircraft parts repair information between customers and repair agencies.

• Usable by the widest possible number of companies.
• A comprehensive, user-friendly specification.
• Speeds repair times by providing the repairer with advance notice of part arrival and possible fault, for effective allocation of resources and parts allocation.
• Individual items can be tracked via serial number.
• Despatch times can be monitored (ie users know when a part arrives at the repair station).

The adoption by airlines and repair stations of SPEC 2000 Repair Order Administration is widely expected to exceed other modules over the next few years, apace.

SPEC 2000 Repair Order Administration Formatted Message Summary

Quotations

A customer can send a quotation request (R1QTNREQ) to a supplier. The supplier can respond in two ways: either send a full quotation with prices, lead times etc., (R1QTNXMT) or send an interim response while developing a price (R1QTNINT). If the supplier decides to send an interim response (R1QTNINT), this can be followed later by a full quotation response (R1QTNXMT).

Purchase Orders

A customer can then send the supplier a purchase order (R1CPOXMT). The arrival of this is automatically acknowledged by the supplier (R1CPOACK). This tells the customer that the supplier has received the order - it does NOT mean the supplier has accepted the order or that the supplier agrees with it.

If a supplier finds it necessary to alter a purchase order during the repair process (perhaps parts are scrapped or alternative repair processes are required) which the customer is unaware of, the supplier can send a repair order exception message (R1EXCXMT) to inform the customer of the changes.

A repair order exception is automatically acknowledged on receipt by the customer sending a customer order exception acknowledgment (R1EXCACK) back to the supplier.

The Arrival of Parts

When the customer ships the parts to be repaired, the customer will send the supplier a shipment advisory message (R1CUSSHP) giving pertinent shipping information. This will give the supplier extra time to schedule the repair, obtain any parts they may need and organise the manpower required. Consequently, the supplier may be able to improve turnaround time for repairs. Shipment advisory does not have to be acknowledged but if validation checks fail, the supplier can reject the message using the SIREJECT message.

When parts arrive, the supplier will send a material receipt message (R1MATRCP) to the customer, confirming that the shipment has arrived. This enables shipping performance between the customer and the supplier to be monitored. It does not verify the content but does acknowledge the shipment has been received.

If the parts received differ from the order received, the supplied sends a repair discrepancy message (R1DSPXMT) to the customer. The discrepancy may be that the part number referenced on the paperwork is different from on the parts received, or that the quantity is different or possibly that the serial numbers are not the same.

A repair discrepancy is automatically acknowledged by the customer by sending a repair discrepancy acknowledgement (R1DSPACK) back to the supplier.

Once all discrepancies between the order and the shipment are resolved using the repair discrepancy message (R1DSPXMT), all future changes to the repair orders, by the supplier, are communicated to the customer using the repair order exception message (R1EXCSMT). These future changes may be generated during the repair process.

Repair Order Status Enquiries

A customer can enquire about the status of a repair in two ways. They can either enquire about a part number using the repair status part number inquiry message (R1PNRINQ) or enquire about a purchase order using the repair status purchase order inquiry (R1CPOINQ).

The repair status part number inquiry (R1PNRINQ) gives the capability for a customer to enquire on the status of a particular part number in all purchase orders with the supplier. There is also a facility to enquire about specific serial numbers of a particular part number. The supplier can respond to a part number inquiry by sending a repair status part number response (R1PNRRSP). This enables the supplier to report on the stage of each item with a particular part number.

The repair status purchase order inquiry (R1CPOINQ) allows the customer to enquire on the progress of a particular purchase order. There is also facility to enquire about specific serial numbers within a particular purchase order. The supplier can respond to a purchase order inquiry by sending a repair status order number response (R1CPORSP). This enables the supplier to report on the stage of each item within a particular order number.

The Despatch of Parts

Once a repair process has been completed and the parts are shipped back to the customer, the supplier can send a repair agency shipment advisory message (R1SPLSHP). This informs the customer that the repaired items are on the way back to them. This message is not automatically acknowledged by the customer but if the message fails validation checks, the supplier will receive a S1REJECT message from the customer.

Invoicing the Customer

To invoice a customer, a supplier needs to send a customer repair invoicing message (R1INVXMT). The combination of customer order number, part number and invoice number makes an invoice number unique. Therefore there can only one invoice per part number. When the customer receives an invoice, it is automatically acknowledged by sending a customer repair invoice acknowledgement (R1INVACK) back to the supplier. If the customer does not agree with the invoice (such as part number, order number, price etc.,) then he can send the supplier a repair invoice exception message (R1INXXMT).

Central Repair Database

The Central Repair Database, co-ordinated by Continental Data Graphics in California for the Air Transport Association (ATA), is a massive database containing information on (basically) repair facilities, lead times and prices for participating companies. A company can choose exactly what information to enter and who should be able to view it. This information is carefully controlled and can only be viewed by participating companies who request certain information.

The supplier can access the Central Repair Database through SPEC 2000 Repair Order Administration. The supplier can only use these messages if he is a subscriber to the Central Repair Database.

There are three messages available to the supplier: on-line updates (R1CDBUPD), part number inquiry (R1CDBINQ) and contact information (R1CNTACT).

The on-line updates message (R1CDBUPD) allows the supplier to add, delete or revise repair information held on the Central Repair Database through an on-line transaction. At the end of the month, Continental Data Graphics will capture all updates, create magnetic tapes and mail them to all designated customers with viewing rights.

The part number inquiry message (R1CDBINQ) allows the supplier to enquire about a particular part number on the Central Repair Database. Responses to on-line enquiries are always based upon the enquirer's viewing rights. The supplier will either receive an abbreviated response (if the part number is listed by more than one agency) or a complete response (if the part number is listed by just one repair agency or a manufacturer code and/or a suppliers code is specified).

Sending a contact information message (R1CNTACT) allows the supplier to request information about companies using the Central Repair Database so the supplier can contact them