Ramco Aviation Software is a company that continues to innovate with ‘Anywhere Apps,’ significantly reducing transaction time both during aircraft-on-ground conditions and critical aircraft turnarounds. And with 80+ Aviation leaders onboard, Ramco is the solution of choice for Heli, MRO, CAMO and Defense. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Ramco Systems Corporation CEO Sam Jacob to learn more about the company.
Sam Jacob’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background and role at Ramco Aviation? Jacob said:
“I joined Ramco Aviation 25 years ago, right at the inception of its aviation business around the late 1990s. Over the years, I’ve played various roles, primarily focusing on product design, engineering and customer engagement functions. Currently, I head the aviation business unit, where I oversee product development, project implementation, delivery, and customer support. Essentially, I manage the entire customer lifecycle, from initial engagement through ongoing support.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Jacob reflected:
“When I think about my time at Ramco, it’s really about the entire journey rather than a specific moment. I’ve been fortunate to be part of a product line from its inception – starting from the initial ideation stage, through designing and developing the product, defining our go-to-market strategies and maturing the practice. Seeing the product come to life–and realizing customer success throughout that journey–has been the highlight of my experience here.”
“Our customers require extreme reliability and excellence due to the critical nature of their operations, which ultimately impacts passenger safety. It’s rewarding to provide solutions that meet those extreme demands and positively impact the industry that we serve. Today, I’m proud that Ramco Aviation is recognized as one of the leading software providers in this space. Over the years, Ramco has built a very strong brand and reputation in aviation, globally.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Jacob explained:
“At Ramco, our core products focus on aviation operations, offering a comprehensive end-to-end ERP solution specifically designed for this industry. Our software manages all aspects of the value chain, providing essential back-office support for airlines, speciality operators, MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) service providers, and OEMs.”
“Our ERP solution encompasses complete back-office operations involving technical records management, maintenance for various asset lines such as airframes, complex assemblies like engines, and landing gears, components and ground support equipment. It addresses various complexities of aviation supply chains, such as serial number level traceability, part movement tracking across the repair cycle, asset sharing, and ownership management, among others.”
“For MRO operations, we provide integrated customer engagement functionalities, covering everything from contracted scope of work, to pricing quotations and automated billing. We also enable organizations to digitize OEM documentation and provide mobile access to mechanics on the shop floor, enhancing efficiency. Finally, our financial module is designed specifically for the aviation sector, addressing elements such as asset movement integration with fixed asset registers, depreciation based on asset usage, real-time revenue accruals etc. Overall, our products are designed to meet the unique needs and challenges of the aviation industry, equipping our customers with the tools they need to operate effectively.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Jacob acknowledged:
“The aviation industry is moving through a difficult phase with aircraft delivery and supply chain challenges and MRO capacity constraints. This has led to longer decision making time both for software purchases and software deployments. We work very closely with prospects and customers, through the selection and implementation phases, helping them to better define the challenges, the opportunities for intervention and realization of business value.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Jacob noted:
“I’m proud to say that we have always taken a technology led approach for solution building, and we have been successful in establishing a tech differentiated product in the market space that we serve. Since the beginning, our technology has been forward-looking and future-proof, and we continue to make significant strides across the board.”
“One example of this has been our early focus on digital transformation. We are always anticipating the needs of our customers – as mobile apps hit the market over the last decade, we saw their potential for aviation, even during a time when mobile development & deployment, which, at an industrial scale, was still in its infancy. We invested heavily in creating a robust suite of mobility apps, and today we have around 12 full-function apps tailored for the many different roles that exist in this space. For example, our mechanic app allows users to perform all necessary tasks without having to switch between systems, facilitating real time deployment and streamlining their workflow.”
“We designed these apps specifically to facilitate system adoption and drive user efficiencies. For example, the user experience of the digital task card mirrors the OEMs’ task structure, which helps users embrace the digital tool for actual job-step execution. This approach has significantly improved overall system adoption.”
“We focus heavily on the reliability and scalability of our system, allowing us to handle large volumes of data more efficiently and meet the needs of our customers.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Jacob cited:
“One major milestone was the release of version 5.6 of our aviation software, where we introduced our initial mobile platform. As I mentioned earlier, this was a pivotal moment in our software’s evolution as it expanded its reach to the shopfloor. Another significant milestone was version 5.8, which improved our contracted program execution compliance in the defense MRO and sustainment space, particularly in the U.S.”
“Most recently, we launched version 6.0 this year, which introduced a plethora of newer features, significantly enhancing our capabilities, especially for MRO operations related to airframes and engines. This version also included improvements in flight maintenance control and scheduling optimization.”
“These milestones reflect our commitment to continually evolving our product to meet the diverse needs of our aviation customers.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Jacob highlighted:
“I can talk about some high impact engagements with a couple of our flagship customers.”
“One of them has been a long-standing customer of ours, for more than 15 years, with a fleet of over 250 helicopters, supporting Oil & gas operations and air ambulance services. A few years ago, they made a significant upgrade in our platform, allowing them to reengineer their entire business process across maintenance execution, supply chain management, flight operations, billing, and more. Today, we manage the full spectrum of their operations across the Americas and their international operations. Additionally, we’ve implemented our FlyAnywhere EFB app, which pilots use to manage their field operations. The Ramco platform has also allowed them to leverage their extensive technical maintenance execution capabilities to deliver third party-MRO services. It’s a customer deployment that not only showcases the scalability and business impact of our product, but also our long-term continuous engagement with our customers.”
“Another success story involves working with one of the leaders in the in-flight entertainment systems space with a significant market share. They utilize our platform to deliver their worldwide aftermarket services, which involves long-term maintenance contracts across approximately 60 plus locations and several repair stations.”
“The maintenance services are enabled through an offline app called the Line Anywhere app specifically for their line operations. This app is used by mechanics to perform essential checks at the end of each flight, allowing them to record issues and manage routine tasks efficiently. Given the time-sensitive nature of this work—typically 5 to 10 minutes per aircraft—our app enables mechanics to quickly identify and address problems.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Jacob affirmed:
“Our company stands out in the industry due to its unique positioning and offerings. We provide an enterprise-grade software solution that combines the scalability and flexibility of a traditional ERP system with deep domain-specific capabilities typically found in best-of-breed software. This dual approach allows us to manage complex business models while delivering capabilities uniquely tailored to the needs of the industry.”
“Additionally, our focus on digital transformation is a significant differentiator. We offer a range of mobile applications and an integrated ecosystem that supports diverse operational needs. Our advanced materials capabilities are recognized as best in class within the industry.”
“Our robust financial management features help our clients monitor the complete business as a whole. This combination of enterprise-level software with specialized industry knowledge and advanced functionalities makes us uniquely equipped to address the challenges faced by our customers, setting us apart from our competitors.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Jacob concluded:
“Our future goals focus on ensuring our customers see real-world benefits from working with us, particularly in their digital transformation journeys. We are dedicated to executing robust customer engagement strategies that can deliver tangible and quantifiable improvements to MRO operations. Our primary aim is to take on and solve the real maintenance and supply chain challenges facing the industry. Our vision is to become the system of choice across the spectrum of operations, scaling our solutions globally without being limited to specific regions or sub-segments. We are placing significant emphasis on the defense sector, where we can replicate our success from the commercial space. On the product front, we continue to invest in newer technologies deepening the adoption of AI and optimization functions within our product suite.”
