The organization
A mid-sized airport runs its own ground support equipment workshop serving two terminals: baggage tugs, belt loaders, ground power units, passenger stairs and baggage dollies, used around the clock.
Operators move between units every shift, and an aircraft turn depends on the right unit being ready on the stand. A unit with a brake or hydraulic fault cannot be allowed near an aircraft.
The challenge
Pre-use checks are paper cards that are rarely read, and service intervals are tracked on a whiteboard that no one updates at night.
- Defects written on a pre-use card do not reach the workshop until the card is collected.
- Hour meters are read irregularly, so services run late.
- Units under repair are sent to the ramp by mistake.
- Brake pads, hoses and belts are out of stock when a unit comes in.
- Managers cannot see how many units of each type are serviceable right now.
How it is set up in Asset Infinity
The workshop registers every unit in Asset Infinity, moves pre-use checks to the mobile app and runs service plans on the hour meter.
Pre-use inspections
Operators scan the unit’s label and complete a short checklist with required fields: brakes, lights, tires, hydraulics, hour reading. A failed item raises a work order. (Maintenance)
Hour-meter service plans
Each unit type has meter-based plans. The hour reading from the pre-use check, or from a GPS tracker on motorized units, moves the plan. (Maintenance)
Workshop parts
Brake pads, filters, hoses and tires are stocked with reorder points and issued to each work order. (Stores)
Serviceable fleet at a glance
Dashboards show units in service, waiting for repair and in the workshop, by type and terminal. (Insight)
How it works day to day
Here is how a baggage tug goes from the start of a shift to the workshop and back.
- Ramp operator: runs the pre-use check. Before taking the tug, the operator scans its label and completes the checklist: brakes, lights, tow hitch, tires, leaks and the hour reading.
- System: raises the defect. The operator marks the brakes as failed and adds a photo. A work order is raised on that tug and the workshop is notified.
- Shift supervisor: assigns another unit. The supervisor sees the tug has an open defect and gives the operator a serviceable one.
- System: moves the service plan. The hour reading from the check updates the tug’s meter-based plans. A plan that has reached its hours raises a service work order.
- GSE mechanic: repairs the unit. The mechanic takes brake pads from the workshop store against the work order, completes the repair and records what was done.
- Storekeeper: keeps parts on the shelf. Issued parts reduce stock. Items below their reorder point appear in reorder advice and go into a purchase request.
- GSE manager: checks fleet readiness. The dashboard shows how many tugs, loaders and ground power units are serviceable by terminal, and which units raise the most defects.
Before and after
| Before | With Asset Infinity | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-use checks | Paper cards, rarely read | Mobile checklist on every unit |
| Defects | Reach the workshop late | A work order at the moment of the check |
| Service intervals | Whiteboard, irregular hour readings | Hour-meter plans |
| Units under repair | Sent to the ramp by mistake | Open defects visible to supervisors |
| Parts | Out of stock when needed | Reorder points and advice |
| Fleet readiness | Counted by walking the yard | Dashboard by type and terminal |
The first month
- Fleet registered and labeled. Every unit was registered with type, serial and terminal, and labeled where operators would scan it.
- Checklists and plans built. The paper pre-use card became a mobile checklist, and manufacturer intervals became hour-based plans.
- Operators trained by shift. Supervisors trained each shift on scanning and completing the pre-use check before taking a unit.
Example results
- Every shift starts with a pre-use inspection on each unit in service
- Every failed pre-use check raises a work order before the unit reaches the ramp
- 100% of motorized units on hour-meter service plans
- Defects reach the workshop the moment an operator records them.
- Services come due on the hours each unit has actually run.
- Units with an open defect are visible to supervisors before they assign equipment.
- Parts usage by unit type shows what to keep on the shelf.
Why it worked
Checks that lead somewhere
A failed item on a pre-use check becomes a work order, so a defect never stays on a card in a drawer.
Readings with a purpose
The hour reading taken at each check drives the service plans, so operators record it every time.
Readiness at a glance
Supervisors see which units are serviceable before they assign equipment to a turn.
Looking ahead
With pre-use checks on the phone and service driven by hour meters, the workshop knows the condition of every unit before it reaches the ramp.
The defect and repair history on each tug, loader and ground power unit also shows which units cost the most to keep, which informs the airport’s replacement plan.