Rolls-Royce opens the doors of its Operational Service Desk in Berlin |
| Emilie Drab in Berlin |
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12 APR 2017 | 546 words
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© Rolls-Royce |
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Rolls-Royce has a significant presence in Germany, in particular at Dahlewitz, near Berlin, where its facilities include various research and testing centres, but also production centres (Trent XWB, BR710, BR725 and so on.). At the heart of this complex, the engine manufacturer also hosts an agency, the OSD (Operational Service Desk), whose role is to manage emergencies if a business jet engine is experiencing a failure. The agency has one objective: speed - saving time is the priority for business jet users.
The OSD manages different types of operation, the routine operations, AOG which require a team of Rolls-Royce technicians to go out into the field or AOG which may be managed by the operator. By bringing everyone who manages all customer service aspects (engineers, component and spare engine pool managers, logistics managers and so on) together under one roof, it represents the single point of contact for customers who need assistance.
So, if an engine component breaks down, an engineer will try to determine whether the aircraft can still fly or will try to solve this breakdown, using the description and photos communicated to them by an on-site technician. At the same time, the component pool manager will determine which site can provide the spare component if the engineer decides that the breakdown requires the aircraft to be taken out of service and the defective part replaced. The largest parts store is located in Derby, but others have opened in different regions around the world to optimise the service, such as in Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Dubai and Singapore. For their part, the logistics manager will study which Rolls-Royce resources will be used to ship the part as quickly as possible and under the best conditions.
Being able to carry out all these searches at the same time rather than having to wait for the engineer's verdict to find out whether a part is available, followed by how it will be transported, enables Rolls-Royce to guarantee the development of a plan to respond to the AOG in a maximum of four hours and a re-entry into service within 24 hours. If an engine needs to be replaced, this increases to 72 hours. While the engine producer has over 120 spare engines in stock, it takes two days to ship one out.
Jörn Linstädt, Head of Aircraft Availability - Business Aviation at Rolls-Royce, emphasises that there are three centres dedicated to repairing and servicing engines (in Derby, Dahlewitz and Montreal), supported by sixteen regional agencies, 110 representatives in the field and over 70 approved service centres. The network also features seven parts and engine warehouses and 32 storage depots.
Jörn Linstädt also illustrated the OSD's capacities with a "remote rescue" example, which occurred after an American operator's business jet failed to start on an island in British Columbia. The OSD determined that the problem was due to the starter and that the only solution was to replace it. To do so, the agency mobilised a new engine, spare parts, the tooling and teams required for the repair and chartered a C-130 to ship everything out to the Canadian island. "It sounds sexy, but it's also really expensive. Fortunately for them, the customer was covered by CorporateCare", he joked.
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Emilie Drab
Assistant editor
Civil aerospace, Air transport
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