Traveling at the

speed of knowledge
Exploring operation and profit benefits of
deploying the Internet of Things
Part 1 of 2
Traveling at the speed of knowledge |
 Exploring operation and profit benefits of deploying the Internet of Things

Introduction
In the airline industry, the focus for lightning damage. Engine
on costs rarely wavers and the borescopes that an engineer can
pace is constantly demanding. control from another city. Or data
However, the ability to network from employee wearables that
exponential technologies continues leads to lower insurance rates. By
to offer a rich potential to improve streamlining repetitive processes
productivity, derive additional and making people more efficient,
utilization from assets, and IoT can help transform cost-saving
lower costs. Airlines need more from an incremental struggle to a
than another hard-won half a wide-open frontier.
percentage point. They need a
game-changer. This is already starting to happen.

The Internet of Things (IoT)—

networks of sensor-equipped,
intelligent, exponential of surveyed airline leaders
believe IoT offers clear
technologies that can gather data, benefits right now.²
interpret it, and take action—may
be that game-changer. By 2020,
20.8 billion objects will likely be expect identifiable
connected to the IoT, and more benefits within three
years.
than half of major new business
processes and systems will
have begun to explore and
use IoT in some way. By 2022, implement IoT
consumers and businesses will improvements as a way to
confront rising costs.
save an estimated trillion dollars a
year in maintenance, service, and
consumables.¹ What these first movers are finding
is that an investment in smart
Airlines can claim a share of devices is only part of the puzzle.
those savings. Imagine toolboxes, They must also plan carefully for
ground equipment, and lifejackets the architecture that links data,
that monitor and report their decision, and action into a self-
own status. Drones that check driving loop.

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 Traveling at the speed of knowledge |
 Exploring operation and profit benefits of deploying the Internet of Things

What IoT could look like

Airlines are already rolling out concepts such as predictive maintenance, asset tracking, and smart workforces. By integrating the networking
strength of IoT with exponential technologies like robotics and 3D printing, they are on a path to realizing scenarios like this one:

This scenario addressed the core function of keeping an aircraft in safe operation while increasing the utilization of the aircraft and the crew. A
similar journey along the information value loop might save fuel, fine-tune baggage handling, or speed back-office functions.

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Traveling at the speed of knowledge |
 Exploring operation and profit benefits of deploying the Internet of Things

IoT information value loop

Iterate, improve, dare
IoT networks don’t arrive pre-assembled
with a huge, common go-live date. They
grow over time. Establish a “digital flight
test program” that iterates and improves,
but also keeps building. Think big, but start
small, then scale fast. Every implementation
can yield lessons to improve upon the one
that follows. Augmented Sensors
If IoT initiatives grow in isolation from one behavior
Act
another, an airline risks ending up with what Act
technology executive Jean-Louis Gassée
called the “basket of remotes” problem³–a MAGNITUDE
host of “connected” devices and systems Scope
Scope || Scale
Scale || Frequency
Frequency
that don’t share the protocols necessary Create
Create
to connect to one another. Other areas of Analyze
Analyze RISK
potential risk associated with IoT include Security
Security || Reliability
Reliability || Accuracy
Accuracy
regulatory compliance, physical safety, data
security and cyber risk, and the ability to TIME
handle a larger, more complex volume of
Latency
Latency || Timeliness
Timeliness
data.

Network

Augmented Communicate
intelligence Aggregate

Standards
A new kind of loop
But how should all of these technologies •• The originating object communicates the With that last step, the information value
be connected to avoid having an unusable information to others over a network. loop has gone from physical to informational
“basket of remotes?” and back to physical, and it’s ready to start
One answer is the information value loop— •• The network aggregates different pieces around again. Now, information is a source
an architecture that describes exactly of information from different sources and of value. And harnessing that information
how these familiar technologies should times. can help airlines become safer, more
be combined in order to do something efficient, and reduce costs.⁵
•• The network applies standards to analyze
new and create new value.⁴ For a piece of
phenomena for patterns, relationships, or
information to create value, it should move
anomalies.
through all five stages.

•• The resulting analysis is a basis on which

•• Sensors create information about a
augmented intelligence can decide to
physical event or state.
act—to start, keep, or change a physical
state.

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 Traveling at the speed of knowledge |
 Exploring operation and profit benefits of deploying the Internet of Things

How to make IoT a reality

With a “flight test” mindset driving continuous IoT innovation, the actual work of creating value can be divided into manageable steps.

Ideation and strategy. What is the art of the possible? Use your business strategy to identify improvement
targets, but use ideation workshops and ecosystem contacts to reach beyond the mundane to the truly
innovative.

Pilot and roadmap. Ideas don’t get off the drawing board without a plan for governance, structure, risks,
and an analysis of capabilities. But don’t let planning slow you down; this is the iterative “learn fast” part of
the process.

Capture, store, and process. The information flow of the IoT relies on a data architecture that is robust
enough to handle it. Breaking down silos and building the capacity to secure the necessary data, process
and store it both on the edge and in the cloud, and analyze it are all complementary parts of the IoT
evolution.

Scale and deploy. After your proof of concepts have proven value and delivered the insights needed,
privacy rules, global capabilities and a keen eye towards security are critical for a successful scaling from a
targeted concept to a global rollout.

Operate. Now that it’s here, how can you make it really hum? Measure not only the way the solution
performs, but also the way it contributes to business metrics. Then improve it, and measure again.

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Traveling at the speed of knowledge |
 Exploring operation and profit benefits of deploying the Internet of Things

Dare to imagine
When technology works at its own create fertile ground for innovation that can
unfettered pace, change can be exponential. drive down costs and increase efficiency. The
Combine this with the airline industry–where first movers are already benefiting from IoT.
organizations are already comfortable with Their cost savings are already beginning to
reliance on technology, eager to shave register. The pace of that movement is only
minutes, and pressed to save dollars–you going to throttle up from here. So go ahead,
think big, start small, and scale fast.

Questions to consider
Where in your airline can deploying IoT drive cost
saving over the next 18 months?

Do you have a data management strategy for IoT?

How can you accelerate adoption of IoT across

the airline?

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 Traveling at the speed of knowledge |
 Exploring operation and profit benefits of deploying the Internet of Things

How can IoT help increase revenue, differentiate your product, and enhance
customer experience? Part two of this series will explore how IoT creates
tremendous opportunity for airlines.

Authors

Candice Irvin Robert Schmid

US Airline Leader Managing Director
Managing Director Chief IoT Technologist
Deloitte Consulting LLP Deloitte Consulting LLP
[email protected] [email protected]

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Scott Mickle, Manager (Deloitte Services LP) and
Lauren Teegarden, Senior Consultant, (Deloitte Consulting LLP) for their contributions
to the paper.

Endnotes
1. Cisco, “Cisco Global Cloud Index: Forecast and methodology, 2014–2019,” October 28, 2015. http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/ solutions/collateral/service-provider/
globalcloud-index-gci/Cloud_Index_White_Paper.html.

2. https://www.sita.aero/resources/type/surveys-reports/airline-it-trends-survey-2015

3. https://mondaynote.com/internet-of-things-the-basket-of-remotes-problem-f80922a91a0f#.8neh33lun

4. Holdowsky et al. Inside the Internet of Things: A primer on the technologies building the IoT. Deloitte University Press. August 21, 2015. https://dupress.deloitte.com/
dup-us-en/focus/internet-of-things/iot-primer-iot-technologies-applications.html

5. Lacey et al. Shipping smarter: IoT opportunities in transport and logistics. Deloitte University Press. September 15, 2015. https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/
focus/internet-of-things/iot-in-shipping-industry.html

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