Full Transcript
Tristan Oualid: To mark our 10-year anniversary of our partnership with Spairliners, Lokad has traveled to Hamburg to meet with some of the people who work so hard to make this project a success.
I’m delighted to be joined by Cyril Gaudard. First of all, thank you Cyril for taking the time to talk with us.
Cyril Gaudard: Good morning, it’s a pleasure to be here.
Tristan Oualid: Could you maybe start by introducing yourself and your position at Spairliners?
Cyril Gaudard: Yes, I’m Cyril Gaudard, and I’ve been with Spairliners for six and a half years. Currently, I’m a team leader in the Asset Management Group. Essentially, asset management at Spairliners is about ensuring we have the right availability of components for our customers at the best cost possible. With Lokad’s expertise, this is one of the main criteria we focus on in our daily operations. We use procurement, meaning we buy parts and source them on the market. We also engage in sales and divestments, and in those aspects, that’s where we work together.
Tristan Oualid: What are the specific problems that Lokad helps you with?
Cyril Gaudard: Lokad helps us target our pool performance, which includes ensuring availability. One of the main outputs Lokad provides is defining how to reach this availability at the best cost possible. This means prioritizing purchases and investments in the pool for components, which will yield the most performance for the lowest cost. Lokad approaches this as the service level per dollar spent. Other challenges include pool balancing, as Spairliners has different warehouses across Europe and the world. Lokad assists us in understanding where to locate our inventory and offers modules for getting new customers, investment recommendations, and optimal pool sizing.
Tristan Oualid: The concept of service level per dollar of inventory is very interesting. Can you explain a bit more how this works?
Cyril Gaudard: Typically, in supply chain or basic procurement, we have concepts like minimum order quantity or minimum stock levels. When we reach a minimum stock, we reorder parts, which traditionally was the only criterion. With this concept of performance by dollar spent, we prioritize how we spend money. It’s not just about reaching a certain inventory level; there’s a prioritization guided by Lokad, advising us where it’s best to spend in terms of pool management and customer performance. There’s a risk analysis that outlines acceptable versus unacceptable risks. Instead of focusing on a part number or component level, we look at the entire pool and prioritize components accordingly.
Tristan Oualid: Can you also comment on the relationship between your teams and Lokad’s supply chain scientists?
Cyril Gaudard: I’ve had the chance to work with different supply chain scientists at Lokad over the past six years. The team has always been very dedicated. I can say the support has been amazing. It’s more than collaboration; it’s a relationship where both companies have grown together. As Spairliners, we’ve benefited from Lokad’s growing expertise in aviation. We were their first aviation customer, but since then, they’ve worked with other companies and gained a better understanding of aviation specificities and challenges. We have weekly meetings where we review ongoing developments and questions. Once a year, we have on-site workshops where we meet face-to-face to dive into different developments further.
Tristan Oualid: If something goes wrong in the pipeline or other modules, what is the process?
Cyril Gaudard: The Lokad team is always easy to reach and very responsive. Anytime we notice something wrong or have questions, anyone from Spairliners can reach out, and there will always be a supply chain scientist or a backup to provide answers. We’ve seen high dedication and flexibility from Lokad, matching our needs as a dynamic company that can implement processes and shift strategies faster than larger companies.
Tristan Oualid: Looking forward, are there any upcoming developments you can share with us?
Cyril Gaudard: We constantly have developments to align simulation results with current operations. Especially in the last five years, the industry has seen much disruption, which requires fast adaptation. The added value of Lokad is in matching our fast-changing requirements. On a daily basis, we have developments, but they also support future strategies. We’re exploring improved repair management. We aim to extend our repair network to different continents and optimize flows. We want to be smarter in repair management to offer the best support and optimal pool management. We’re excited to work with Lokad on these projects, supporting our long-term strategy. The relationship with Lokad allows constant brainstorming where both parties contribute, adding significant value.
Tristan Oualid: We look forward to continuing this partnership. Thank you for your time; it was a pleasure talking with you today.
Cyril Gaudard: Thank you.
