Blockchain: Piloting the future of aviation
Building an airplane requires the assembly of a number of components. It requires intricate relationships between OEMs, suppliers and maintenance companies that make up the supply chain. Given the large volume of data and information used or produced during the product’s life cycle, the complexity and decentralization of the process present many difficulties and room for error.
For example, the many data collection points result in isolated databases, data security issues, data redundancy and inefficiency. Add to that the task of assessing the sustainability of the product being used, and the challenge becomes manifold. Evaluation of a product’s sustainability and whether ecological and social standards are met is only possible with considerable effort.
These challenges in the aerospace supply chain require a strategic solution. The answer: Blockchain!
Blockchain benefits
The aviation supply chain is a critical use case for blockchain in aviation, enabling efficient solutions that positively impact industry players and end consumers. The basis of blockchain design allows the exchange of information without manipulation. This includes data on the materials used or required, process and product details, overall quality, maintenance, etc. The platform also allows the flow of documents authentically, with end-to-end project status information acting as a digital framework for the entire supply chain network.
Blockchain benefits include process automation and synchronization, transparency, quality and availability of information. In addition, it guarantees increased security without errors through decentralization and encryption tools. Most importantly, blockchain helps track aviation parts more efficiently, predict when repairs are needed, and significantly improve maintenance procedures to meet performance standards. It can also track when a part is added or removed from an aircraft, how long the parts have been in use, who carried out the repair, when and where it was carried out, etc.
Blockchain also ticks the box for sustainability. It takes a lot of work to assess how sustainable a product is. Blockchain technology can result in standardized data collection for the product’s life cycle, secure and transparent transfer and emission-free product development. It enables holistic data assessment to comply with ecological, environmental and social standards across the entire value chain.
In the wake of the COVID pandemic that most negatively affected the aviation industry, the deployment of blockchain technology will help reduce costs through better information gathering, improve overall efficiency, enable better maintenance and help diagnose potential problems.
In short, blockchain may well be the silver bullet to the unique challenges facing the aviation industry in the future.
(Chidanand Hiremath is VP, ER&D, Aerospace & Defence, Capgemini India)
Published on
7 August 2022
