Worldwide Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
Steve Jobs introduced the iPod in 2001 by telling Apple fans that now they could carry a thousand songs in their pocket. That, of course, was only the beginning of a digital revolution. Today’s smartphone puts all kinds of handy tools in your pocket.
Now we have one to add, and I think you will find it an exciting next step in AOG support. It’s an app called FalconAssist. The Falcon Command Center can use it to link to flight crews or maintenance engineers in the field. Command Center staff can then loop in up to five other parties: structural or aircraft systems engineers, field reps, spares experts, interiors specialists, and others. Whoever can help solve a problem. It’s a way to quickly bring the resources of the whole company together to solve an AOG problem.
FalconAssist is in beta test right now with technicians at some of our global service locations. Next, we’ll provide it to Operator Advisory Board members for their feedback. I’m quite excited by the early reports I am seeing and expect we will roll it out to the fleet soon.
FalconAssist is compatible with all smartphones, laptops, and tablets. One of the big ideas behind FalconAssist is to “see what the customer sees.” We’ll be able to get a first look at things to help you troubleshoot and securely record audio and video to share within the organization.
The app is also a means of quickly sharing documentation and annotating images and other data from the aircraft. There’s a “whiteboard” function to jot down ideas and share them around the group. The app generates a session report at the end of a call, helping teams track the status of an ongoing situation.
Additionally, FalconAssist can help technicians who are coming up to speed on a new model such as the 6X. We expect it will be widely used through the service network to quickly access and share information and tap into experts as needed.
Would you be surprised to know that FalconAssist has evolved through collaboration with the military side of our house? Like so many Dassault innovations, the idea is not to layer on more technology but to make aircraft operations (or repairs) easier and more intuitive.
I don’t claim to be the next Steve Jobs by any stretch of the imagination. FalconAssist has been a collaborative effort on the part of many people. However, we can claim one similarity with Apple.
And that is to give you the tools that make life and work easier, better, simpler and more rewarding.
Just keep your phone charged up!
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Falcon Customer Service & Service Center Network
Dassault Aviation
