How to Start a Quality Control Program

Perfect mechanics (and you know who you are) don't need a quality control program. You do everything right the first time, every time. Your tech manuals are memorized, saving a lot of otherwise wasted research time. Congratulations. Go directly to the next article. This one isn't for you.

For the rest of us, who aren't quite as sure of our infallibility, a quality control (QC) program can catch the occasional backward safety wire or misread torque specification. It doesn't need to be elaborate and can apply to any shop, even those as small as two mechanics.

Now, I can hear you protesting that you already have too much paperwork to keep track of and if you're not required by regulation to do something, you're by gosh not going to do it.

While that's all true, I would point out that you are a professional, which sometimes requires that you go above and beyond the minimum standards mandated by the regulations, to include doing some things simply because they enhance safety. It all depends on your self-image.

A common misconception is that the only operators who need a QC program are airlines, certificated repair stations, and charter operators who fly aircraft type certificated with 10 or more passenger seats. Not so. In actuality, all of us need a QC program, but only some of us are required to have one...so far.

Most foreign airworthiness regulatory authorities don't allow individual mechanics to just go out and work on their own. Europe (EASA) and Canada require mechanics to work through an approved maintenance organization (AMO) that has its own set of manuals and specifications.

Generally, the FAA evaluates all aspects of foreign regulations and where possible, harmonizes ours to make life easier for everyone at the State Department, where the harmonization program originated. We could debate the wisdom of that program, but the basic reality is that harmonization is here to stay, so we should perhaps consider turning our lemons into lemonade.

One aspect of most foreign regulations is the requirement for a quality manual to govern every aspect of aircraft maintenance. Coincidentally, that's also a requirement of the new Part 145 repair station regulations. Are we beginning to see a pattern here?

Assuming that a quality control manual is inevitably somewhere in your future, and that having a QC program will help you stay on the safe side of aviation, why not jump-start your own program now, geared to the size of your operation as it exists today?

Not only will the process allow you to identify your weak areas (and we all have them), but it could also save you a lawsuit down the road when one of your customers has a mishap. It also could have the side benefit of creating a very favorable impression with the FAA aviation safety inspector who comes investigating that same accident. An ounce of protection, not offense, is your best defense.

Even small maintenance shops can benefit from the QC process. This is all about documenting what you probably already do, without thinking of it as an ongoing process.

When you receive a part from a vendor, for instance, you probably inspect the part to make sure it's what you ordered, check for any shipping damage and check the certification that came with it to make sure the manufacturer or repair shop has bought off on it. Guess what? You've completed the first part of a QC program and didn't even realize it.

In a two-person shop, both individuals should be designated and qualified as inspectors so they can inspect critical portions of each other's work. This means that both will have to be familiar with the QC processes that you document and that each should be qualified on the different aircraft types you maintain.

This may entail some factory training, depending on how you write your manual. If so, this will be your only major cost. You may also want to have both individuals in possession of a current FAA Inspection Authorization.

Having this as a requirement of your QC system establishes your standards and may make all the difference when you show the recurrent training as a tax-deductible company expense.

You don't have to hire any consultants to write your manual and inasmuch as you're not required by the regulations to have one in the first place, you don't need FAA approval, either. If you have a good relationship with your friendly local FAA principal maintenance inspector, though, you might ask for an informal review of the manual, with any suggestions for improvement gratefully accepted. Remember, if you eventually apply for a Part 145 certificate, this manual will be the foundation of your system.

The FAA has produced an excellent guide for developing your QC system. It is contained in Advisory Circular 145-9. This document was produced by AFS-340 to help repair stations prepare for the new manuals and systems required by the rewrite of Part 145 in 2003. It is downloadable from the Web HERE.

Section 4-10 details the requirements for Part 145 repair station QC manuals. Bear in mind that you, as a non-145 repair facility, have the option of using only those elements that are practical for your operation and that you can live with on a day-to-day basis. That way, it becomes a living document, rather than just a dust-catcher on your shelf.

All the requirements for a QC manual are contained in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of section 4-10. These cover just a half page and should be the first place you go in determining how to move forward.

The standards of this advisory circular are also a pretty good guide for what you should anticipate as your minimum training requirements, as well. If they fit, go ahead and use them.

Quality control is a continually evolving process. Once you have your first draft completed, put it aside for a week or two and ask yourself if what you do matches what you say you do. If it doesn't, change either the manual or the process. Don't hesitate to change the quality control manual to cover procedures you didn't think about the first time.

Once you have a finished product you're comfortable with, congratulations are in order. You are at that point well along the road to FAR 145 certification and you can eat the rest of the pie one bite at a time, at your leisure.

Additional excellent quality system information is available on the websites of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) at www.sae.org, American National Standards Institute (ANSI) at http://ansi.org, and at the Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA), www.aviationsuppliers.org.

Feel free to mix and match as appropriate to your operation. -- By Howard Fuller, A&P

Promoting Employee Happiness Promotes MRO Success

It may seem almost too obvious to state, but the truth is happy employees are good for business. Moreover, in the MRO sector, employee happiness is a key weapon in the never-ending battle to attract and retain the best people.

Twenty to thirty years ago, it was easy to attract qualified personnel from the military, according to some maintenance managers, but the military has become more adept at keeping trained technicians in the service. Meanwhile, the civilian schools are not graduating as many technicians as they used to. The result is that the MRO labor pool that the industry relies on is shrinking.

Adding to the challenge of finding good people is "the competitive demand [from other industries] for employees with the proper skill set, work history, attitude, and work ethic," said Kevin Dawson, Midcoast Aviation's human resources director. In order to find the technicians Midcoast needs among all the competitive clutter, Dawson said, "we use a variety of sources such as employee referrals, newspapers, the Internet, job fairs, and radio spots."

To motivate qualified technicians to answer these ads, MROs need to be the employers of choice. What that means is that besides offering a decent wage, you must offer new employees a place where they can work with a relative lack of frustration, have access to the tools they need, and have opportunities for training and career advancement.

Reputation also matters, said Aage Duenhaupt, Lufthansa Technik's manager for international communications. "The names of Lufthansa and Lufthansa Technik are names that people are readily attracted to," he said. "Our reputation for quality workmanship, advanced facilities, and career advancement explains why many of our people have been with us for 35 to 40 years."

Anyone can promise the moon to attract new-hires. It is in seeing those promises kept, however, that new-hires are convinced to become established employees, knowledgeable assets that do your customers and your company proud.

For instance, to ensure that MROs keep their promise to advance employee skills and careers, a company needs someone in the organization who is always looking ahead. Some managers feel that if everyone is mired down in the day-to-day skirmishes of business and no one is looking towards the future, the company won't retain employees. They'll go to a competitor who gives them the opportunities they were promised at their job interviews.

Beyond having an executive dedicated to looking ahead, an MRO's corporate culture--the way it does business every day--must actively display a commitment to employee growth and excellence in daily decisions and actions. At Midcoast Aviation, for instance, "our culture is one where a dedicated, hard-working individual can have a rewarding career," said Dawson. To ensure that this cultural position is translated into working reality, " we offer many opportunities for training and development and have many human-capital-building initiatives under way." For its part, Midcoast Aviation "spends a great deal of money on training to keep employee skills up to the latest standards," Dawson noted. "A look at our organization will reveal many employees who started on the shop floor and have worked their way up through the organization because of willingness to take on greater responsibilities and the ability to deliver on commitments."

Of course, keeping the right people isn't just based on looking ahead; it is also achieved or lost on the shop floor every single day. Beyond the need for competent managers who know how to motivate employees, the working environment itself can decide whether people stay or go.

A factor as simple as the condition of the hangar floor can influence employee retention. When money and time are on the line, basic factors such as having every power tool working when you turn it on, and having all tools that should be calibrated always being calibrated and ready to go can be crucial factors for employees when determining if they feel supported in their work.

Again, even simple items like broken ladders being fixed or thrown in the dumpster, and having shop floors swept and clean can make a huge difference in employee satisfaction. Most experienced managers believe that the working environment should be as minimally frustrating as possible.

Earlier in this article, we mentioned that you don't have to offer top dollar to get and retain good employees, if everything else they want is available. True enough; however, it is important to offer wages that are competitive with other sectors. By themselves, the cleanest shop floors in the industry won't attract the qualified people you need.

A good rule of thumb is provided by Midcoast Aviation's Kevin Dawson: when it comes to employee compensation, he said, "we offer competitive pay and benefits and constantly reference market data to ensure our total compensation package attracts and retains the kind of talented employees we currently have and will need in the future."

In addition, "healthcare benefits are very important. [This is why] we offer life, dental, vision, and disability insurance as well as choices of medical plans, and do so at a very reasonable cost to the employee."

In addition to competitive pay and benefits, Lufthansa Technik offers employees "the opportunity to fly Lufthansa at reduced rates," said Aage Duenhaupt, "and to take up postings in different places around the world."

Based on what has been said so far, an MRO that successfully attracts and retains good employees does so by offering competitive wages, a good working environment, and taking care of its employees' needs and career growth.

Fair enough, but the same can be said for other industries that are competing with MROs for skilled technical personnel. So how can MROs make sure they stand out from the crowd?

One way is to get the message out to schools and other industries about the quantum leaps being made in aerospace engineering. The aircraft of the 21st century are among the most complex machines ever built and some of the most elegantly engineered as well. For technicians who want challenging jobs that keep up with technology, the MRO sector is a natural choice.

Another method is to involve employees more closely in day-to-day decision-making; everything from which new aircraft the MRO should be servicing to the maintenance standards of the hanger tool areas.

Involved employees are more likely to be committed employees, especially if their input makes a real difference to how their shops are run.

Still, the best way to attract and keep the right people is to provide a workplace that keeps them happy, not gleeful or giddy, but motivated and satisfied.

"Employee happiness results from the combination of many things," observed Kevin Dawson. "Near the top of that list would be creating a climate which demonstrates that management cares about its employees, including of course being responsive to employee needs. [At Midcoast Aviation] we have that climate and are currently implementing several initiatives to further demonstrate management concern for employee well-being." -- By James Careless