Washington June 13, 2001 Chromalloy Gas Turbine, General Dynamics Aviation Service, and BF Goodrich Aerospace all have one thing in common: they are the latest companies seeking the government's okay to go "paperless."
This is according to aviationcompliance.com, a Web site of NetCompliance Inc., an Internet provider of global compliance solutions, online worker training, safety equipment and regulatory information.
Chromalloy, with repair facilities across the United States and abroad, has asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for permission to distribute its repair station inspection procedures manual electronically to its workforce, rather than send them a printed copy. Chromalloy also wants to implement electronic storage and archiving of maintenance records, and use supervisory electronic signatures for aircraft maintenance documents. It said it would also train its personnel in the use of electronic recordkeeping.
Likewise, General Dynamics wants to make its repair manuals available to supervisory and inspection personnel through computer terminal access. BF Goodrich Aerospace wants to make its Inspection Procedure Manual (IPM) available on a compact disc, read-only memory (CD-ROM) system for viewing by all its personnel "in lieu of giving a copy of the IPM to each of these individuals."
All three companies must receive the FAA's approval.
Companies today are faced with a staggering amount of rules and regulations regarding compliance and worker training, said NetCompliance CEO Krish Krishnan. And with an ever-changing regulatory landscape, more companies are making the Web the medium of choice to collect, store and publish regulatory compliance knowledge and train workers online, he said.
Kiplinger's Washington Letter has reported that Internet-based corporate training will multiply fivefold in the next three years, climbing to $11 billion by 2003 and representing roughly 10 percent of the total training budgets of many corporations. Kiplinger also reported the shift to e-learning will be especially pronounced among small companies, who are expected to spend one-half of their training budgets on Internet courses by 2004, up from 20 percent last year.
In particular, Mr. Krishnan said while the use of computers, electronic signatures, the Internet and corporate Intranets goes a long way towards improving the efficiencies in the aircraft maintenance industry, much more needs to be done to ensure continual competitiveness. "NetCompliance's recently released eComply version 2.0 technology available through our aviationcompliance.com Web site helps systematically gather, analyze and report business information related to compliance management," he said. "The aviation industry could better track, refine and methodically improve its compliance knowledge through aviationcompliance.com, while also being better able to predict and prevent noncompliance in its various regulatory requirements."
The federal government has gotten the message on Internet use for compliance as well. President Bush in February called for agencies to use the Internet "to create a Citizen-Centric Government." On Capitol Hill, Senators Lieberman and Burns are introducing legislation which will allow businesses to complete their regulatory paperwork online.
Copies of the Chromalloy, General Dynamics and BF Goodrich Aerospace documents are available from aviationcompliance.com and NetCompliance Inc. at (202) 833-3200 or e-mail, [email protected].
