Getting the Most Out of MRO ERP Software

Vendors share hard-won lessons on selection, implementation, and optimization

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has transformed the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) industry. Used properly, it lets MROs manage operations more efficiently and respond faster to customers — boosting productivity and profitability.

However, MRO ERPs are not magic solutions. To deliver their best outcomes, these software systems must be implemented properly, and managed optimally.

So how can an MRO get the most out of the MRO ERP software? In this article, Aerospace Innovations gets answers from experts in the field.

The Players
There are many companies who provide MRO ERP software and/or services related to them. The five firms who gave us their informed insights were IFS, Maxa AI, Ramco Systems, Swiss AviationSoftware (Swiss-AS), and Ultramain Systems. Here is a summary of what they have to offer:

IFS provides an end-to-end MRO ERP solution that unifies engineering, planning, maintenance execution, quality, and supply chain with customer management, finance, and human resources within a single platform. “With solutions for airframe, engine and complex assembly, and component-level maintenance, it gives repair stations and MROs complete visibility into every part, process, and work order, from induction to release, while using AI-driven insights to optimize turnaround time, labor allocation, and inventory management,” said Rob Mather, IFS’ Vice President of Aerospace & Defense. “The goal is simple: Make every maintenance action intelligent, traceable, and efficient.”

“At Maxa AI, we specialize in automating financial and operational analytics for the aviation industry,” said Monica Badra, Maxa AI’s MRO Solutions Consultant. “Our platform connects fragmented systems — ERPs, CRMs (customer relationship management systems), and maintenance management tools — to create a unified, intelligent layer of insight. We help MROs and OEMs transform data into fast, actionable business intelligence, eliminating the manual reporting burden and empowering every department to make data-driven decisions.”

Ramco Aviation Software offers a comprehensive, cloud-native suite purpose-built to digitalize and optimize the operations of independent MROs and airline engineering divisions.

“At its core, the solution covers the entire MRO value chain — from base and line maintenance, engine and component overhaul, and shop repair, to supply chain, contracts, electronic publications, mobility and finance — all within a single integrated system,” said Saravanan Rajarajan, the company’s AVP & Head of Consulting – Aviation, Aerospace & Defense. “It delivers real-time visibility into work order status, automates material and manpower planning, and supports full traceability and compliance with global aviation regulations.”

Swiss-AS’s AMOS is a comprehensive MRO ERP suite that brings together all the elements of maintenance management — from planning and engineering to materials, logistics, and compliance — in one integrated platform. “For MROs and repair shops, this means seamless coordination between production planning, materials, and finance,” said Julien Methot, the company’s Head of Consulting and Projects. “Swiss-AS’s mobility solutions like AMOSmobile/EXEC enable fully paperless maintenance execution. The result is increased productivity, shorter turnaround times, and improved regulatory compliance — all powered by data-driven decision making.”

Ultramain Systems’ ULTRAMAIN MRO software is designed to eliminate paper from the maintenance process, enabling MROs, repair shops, and service organizations to focus more time on productive work and less on administrative overhead. “A standout capability is Ultramain’s industry-leading ability to import customer-issued PDF job cards directly into the system,” said John Stone, the company’s Vice President of Product Management. “This allows MROs to execute customer work instructions in a completely digital environment without re-entering data, resulting in a seamless, efficient maintenance experience.”

Doing the Implementation Right
Whichever ERP software an MRO decides to buy — a process that requires careful shopping based on the customer’s specific needs — it is paramount that the software be deployed properly. If not, it won’t deliver the full range of results that the MRO purchased it for.

So where to begin? “Well, before beginning an implementation, an MRO’s greatest advantage lies in preparation,” Stone told Aerospace Innovations magazine. “As a result, the first step is to clearly understand its own critical processes — those that drive productivity and directly impact compliance. Knowing which activities are essential, and why, allows the organization to communicate these priorities effectively to the Ultramain implementation team. This collaboration ensures that system configuration supports both regulatory obligations and operational goals.”

“The most effective preparation is prioritization,” added Badra. “MROs should identify where understanding their data can create the most value, whether that’s reducing turnaround times, optimizing cash flow, or increasing customer margins.”

“MROs that invest time upfront in process alignment and data quality typically see the fastest and smoothest implementations,” Methot noted. This is why, before implementing a new ERP system, an MRO should establish a cross-functional project team with strong internal sponsorship to manage the deployment. This team should document existing processes and identify areas for improvement, cleanse and standardize operational data, and allocate resources and time for staff training and system testing. As well, “having a clear strategic vision of what the MRO wants to achieve — efficiency gains, digital transformation, customer service improvements — ensures that the configuration truly supports long-term goals,” he said.

“The most important foundation is readiness, in terms of people, processes, and data,” Rajarajan said. “This includes identifying clear KPIs at the functions, departments and organization level. MROs should also ensure that regulatory documentation is current and properly structured to support migration planning. Finally, the organization must plan for managing the change early — helping teams to understand implementation as a strategic business initiative rather than an IT project.”

A word to the wise: “A project like implementing a new MRO system is most successful when the demand comes from the business, not IT,” said Mather. “You have to define the business need, the problem the implementation is intended to solve and the value that the new system is expected to unlock so that you know where you are trying to get to – what you are trying to achieve.”

Ensuring Optimal Performance
Successfully implementing an MRO ERP solution is only the first step in this productivity process. To keep it running satisfactorily, “optimization becomes an ongoing discipline rather than a one-time event,” Stone said. “Ultramain encourages customers to treat the system as a living platform — one that evolves alongside their business processes, regulatory requirements, and operational goals.”

“Optimization is a continuous journey,” said Methot. “After going ‘live’, our customers benefit most when they establish a Competence Center to manage configuration, user requests, and release updates. They also maintain optimal performance by performing regular audits and adoption reviews to align processes with evolving business goals, and investing in training and process improvement workshops on an ongoing basis.”

However, according to Monica Badra, these steps are not required for Maxa AI users. This is because “Maxa manages optimization autonomously,” she explained. “Our system continuously learns from user behavior and data updates to maintain accuracy and performance. While maintaining clean data entry practices always enhances value, Maxa’s system can also detect discrepancies and inconsistencies on its own. In short, once deployed, MROs can focus on decision-making. Maxa handles the analytics evolution behind the scenes.”

Ramco’s Rajarajan has a different view on MRO ERP optimization. “Once an MRO software suite has been implemented, the real value lies in how effectively the organization drives user adoption and avoids reverting to legacy practices or deviating from the established processes,” he said. “The first step is to establish a post-implementation governance framework — a cross-functional review committee that periodically evaluates user adoption, key functions usage, system performance, process adherence, and data quality. As well, MROs must continuously monitor data accuracy — including aircraft configurations, part and task masters, and maintenance histories — while cleansing inactive or outdated records. Integration points with ERP, OEM, and digital record systems should also be periodically reviewed to ensure synchronization and interface efficiency.”

As for IFS’s Rob Mather? He warns that MROs must keep their ERP solutions current if they want to achieve consistent optimal performance. “Businesses are not static and neither is software,” said Mather. “With each software release, new features are added to the software — many of which, when turned on, can improve the efficiency of the MRO. Therefore, over time, it is important to continually update the configuration of the system to make sure that it is configured optimally for the current state of the business, and to take advantage of the newest features available.”

The common thread: MROs that treat their ERP as a living system — with clear ownership, regular reviews, and continuous training — get far more value than those who see it as a ‘set it and forget it’ tool.

Signs of Trouble
How do you know if your MRO ERP solution is having problems? There are ways to find out, namely by keeping a sharp eye out for signs of trouble.

“Symptoms of a poorly configured system often appear operationally before they show up technically,” Mather observed. “Examples include bottlenecks in approvals, data inconsistencies, duplicate work orders, or inaccurate turnaround reporting. If the users of the system begin creating workarounds, or many processes are being supplemented with personal tools, like an explosion of Excel spreadsheets, it is a clear signal that the configuration no longer aligns with real-world operations.”

When workarounds do appear, they should be treated as early indicators rather than failures. This is because the specific nature of workarounds can provide valuable insights into where the configuration, training, or process design may need to be fixed. “Another common scenario occurs when new sub-processes evolve after go-live — steps that weren’t originally defined during implementation but are now critical to daily operations,” said Stone. “If these aren’t incorporated into the configured workflow, users often find themselves improvising to fill the gap.”

User frustration and resistance to adoption are also signs of misconfigurations. These are often caused by inadequate training and support structures, poor software performance, complex non-intuitive screens, and a lack of options for correcting data entry mistakes.

Compliance and traceability gaps are a second major warning area, Rajarajan said. “If audit trails are incomplete, certification workflows (e.g., CRS, 8130-3) don’t trigger properly, or AD/SB tracking doesn’t reflect accurate status, it indicates misaligned configurations or missing data entries. Frequent data corrections or off-system tracking in Excel are also red flags that users no longer trust the system as a ‘source of truth’.”

How to Fix Problems
Once problems have been identified in an MRO ERP system, it is vital to determine their causes and fix them as soon as possible.
At Swiss-AS, “our approach begins with a root cause analysis, often performed through an AMOS Adoption Audit,” said Methot. “We identify where processes or configurations deviate from best practice, then deploy corrective measures such as realigning business rules, re-training users, or optimizing data flows. We always encourage ERP managers to follow an iterative correction cycle: diagnose, adjust, validate, and stabilize.”

“Recovery begins with root-cause analysis,” Mather agreed. “The team must determine the cause of the issue and provide a recommended fix. The same process holds whether we’re talking about an error in the technical infrastructure configuration or we’re talking about minor issues stemming from process drift, data quality, or system design. IFS provides diagnostic tools and expert support teams that can quickly isolate and correct the problem, minimizing downtime, and preserving data integrity.”

Ramco Systems takes a similar approach. “When a misconfiguration happens, an initial assessment is done to identify the cause, be they software issues, process misalignment, data quality or user-driven,” said Rajarajan. “If the cause is related to software, then the first step is to stabilize operations by isolating the impacted modules or processes. If the cause is identified as either process misalignment or user-driven, teams should initiate a controlled audit process. Based on the outcome, the necessary actions such as process reconfiguration, refresher training, or support augmentation are implemented to rebuild confidence and prevent recurrence.”

As for Ultramain? “When a system shows signs of misconfiguration, the path to recovery usually starts with people rather than code,” Stone said. “In many cases, the issue can be traced back to training. Once training gaps are addressed, the next step is to review the configuration itself. Small adjustments to business rules, workflows, or form layouts can often bring the system back in alignment with the operation. Only in the rarest cases does a misconfiguration require actual code changes.

Minimizing Issues in the Future
Clearly, the companies who make and support MRO ERP software want their customers to experience as few problems with them as possible. This is why the companies who contributed to this report are taking steps to minimize issues in the future.

A case in point: Swiss-AS is investing heavily in automation, smart configuration, and usability enhancements to make its MRO ERP software even more reliable. “Our roadmap includes features that leverage AI-driven recommendations, configurable templates, and self-service analytics, all designed to reduce manual setup and maintenance,” said Methot. “We’re also advancing our cloud and API strategy, enabling more flexible integration and system scalability. The goal is to let AMOS handle more of the background complexity so that MROs can focus on what they do best: Keeping aircraft flying safely and efficiently.”

Ramco Systems’ focus is on reducing dependency on manual setup and minimizing operational overhead for its customers. To make this happen, its customers can have the software tailored to their line of business and workflows prior to implementation. “Upon confirmation of their order, Ramco will deliver a preset configured solution, reducing the effort from the customers’ end,” Rajarajan said. “Looking forward, our roadmap emphasizes self-healing diagnostics and AI copilots that proactively flag inconsistencies or misalignments in process and data, and recommend options or workflows during upgrades based on operational patterns. Ultimately, Ramco’s goal is to shift configuration from a manual, IT-driven task to an intelligent, automated, and user-guided experience — empowering MROs to focus on operational excellence rather than system administration.”

IFS is already following a three-step strategy for reducing users’ pain points. “Firstly, IFS has a fully-managed cloud offering for our MRO customers,” said Mather. “This takes away the burden of Technical Infrastructure Configuration as it is all part of the managed service. Secondly, IFS’s robust, out-of-the-box, fit-for-purpose solutions for MROs removes the need for the kind of configuration needed to model the business as you would have with a generic ERP. Thirdly, although the configuration required to model your business and your specific processes will not go away, IFS strives to make this activity as easy as possible.”

We conclude this section with Ultramain Systems. “The tools that exist in ULTRAMAIN today already take us a long way toward self-sufficient system management,” Stone said. “Looking forward, ULTRAMAIN is focused on extending that flexibility through the intelligent application of AI. Rather than using AI solely as a digital assistant to answer questions, we envision it as an active configuration partner. The same no-code tools that empower administrators today will be guided by AI to help users create or adjust their own custom experiences. For example, the system could observe how a maintenance team performs certain tasks, then suggest workflow improvements or automatically generate dashboards that surface the most relevant performance metrics.”

The bottom line: It is realistically possible for MROs to get the most out of their ERP software. The experts’ advice in this article provides a clear roadmap, from sourcing through implementation and into daily usage. Taken together, this roadmap suggests a future where MROs spend less time on configuration and more on using data and automation to drive operational performance.