The Role of Quality Assurance for IoT transformation in Aviation
By: Debjani Goswami
Tags: Aerospace, Quality Assurance, Do178c, Software Testing, Aviation

The ultimate purpose of Quality Assurance practices is to understand the preferences of the consumer base to improve the user experience. With the full-fledged digitization of today’s world, all industries are rushing to stay head-to-head with the latest technology to survive the needs of the changing market. The aviation industry is no exception.

The perks of QA, which include a hike in revenue, a better-organized business process and an improved customer experience, are relevant and necessary for the Aviation industry to recover from the bumpy ride they have had so far due to the lack of proper QA. The inability to implement appropriate QA practices has not only resulted in the absence of consumer satisfaction. Still, it has also caused a higher level of cost expenses, security issues, operation organization, and software or hardware malfunctioning. These serious issues have put the Aviation industry in rough waters with the states’ political and legal bodies.

The Aerospace industry prioritizes customer interaction throughout the entirety of their journey lifecycle to ensure customer satisfaction, loyalty and a way to leverage more revenue generation. The Aviation industry’s newest technology is looking towards the modernization of their IoT or Internet of Things processes.

How does IoT make sense for the Airlines Industry?

To make sense of the relationship between IoT and the Aviation industry, it is essential to understand the different phases of a passenger’s journey lifecycle on a day of traveling. The passenger must reach the airport hours in advance of the final takeoff to go through several processes before boarding- baggage queue, check-in, security check- before they finally board the aircraft. When you understand that the journey lifecycle is not limited to just the time the passenger physically spends inside the aircraft but extends beyond it, it becomes easier to visualize the IoT scope to improve several aspects of flying.

Some phases of this lifecycle have already been improved through digitization, like online check-in and quick baggage drop. Within the airport, passengers are offered location-based services, including Bluetooth beacons, Wi-Fi, Geolocation, etc. These added conveniences help customers have a better travel experience and help other associated businesses inside the airport thrive.

From the point of view of a consumer, the most significant demand would be access to information in real-time, which helps them make informed decision-making. From the service provider’s side, it will be beneficial to collect customer feedback and enhance the experience according to them. At the end of the day, what a consumer wants are convenience and engagement.

IoT works like a double-edged sword, ensuring customer satisfaction is optimum while providing maximum revenue generation for the enterprise. But for it to live up to its potential, the planning and implementation of IoT must be appropriate. Moreover, with the growing lack of cyber safety, any system that has incorporated IoT needs to be under constant monitoring to avoid potential cyber-attacks. Here comes the need for quality assurance to make IoT perform as expected.

How does QA help in the IoT transformation of the Aviation industry?

Here’s how QA uplifts the IoT transition in the Aviation sector:

Provides better security: With the incorporation of new services at the airports that include luggage check-in without showing ID proof, crossing security checkpoints through screening and making purchases inside the airport using smartphones, the need for security assessment has only grown bigger. This is where QA is of help. Security Testing and Vulnerability Assessments test the different devices rigorously to ensure that all the information is kept safe. In this regard, aerospace organizations also need to comply with the DO 178b compliance, which are guidelines related to proper functioning of the avionics software being used. QA experts in the aerospace domain can assist companies with rigorous software testing ensuring that the compliance guidelines are perfectly met.

Enhances performance: To stay ahead in the competitive market, the Aerospace industry is always looking forward to introducing new, first-of-its-kind services. But the intent would not matter if the execution is not proper. To ensure that the services are up to the organization’s vision and at par with the consumer expectations, a team of QA experts needs to assess the entire system and execute performance testing in the Aerospace sector to validate and give a green signal to the whole process.

Establishes a network: IoT transformation involves an extensive array of activities supported by different network junctions. A proper networking channel is an absolute necessity to collect and process consumer requests, gather their feedback and understand their preferences. This helps provide a more personalized customer experience that helps uplift the company’s goodwill and maintain the customer-corporate relationship on a happy note. A smooth experience ensures that everyone availing the service is converted into a returning consumer. With network function testing, QA provides a flawless experience for users.

Consumer satisfaction: Lastly, the aspect of consumer satisfaction, which is undoubtedly the point of focus in the entire transformation process. One of the most apparent inconveniences for consumers availing of flying services is the long waiting in lines before boarding. This can be tackled through a simple solution- send an alert notification to the passengers to leave the lounge and get ready for boarding when the aircraft is ready. This will potentially cut down the chaos, but it also comes with a risk- if the notification is not sent on time to all the passengers, some may miss their flight if they are alerted too late. This is where QA is required.

They need rigorous QA testing to ensure that the service delivery is correctly offered on time. The intention behind the action, which is to make the flying experience smoother for travelers, is actualized. UX and usability testing and accessibility testing maintain the standards to ensure a rewarding customer experience. This is just one instance. In every case where the airlines industry incorporates new age technology to modernize their operations, QA must come first before the actual implementation to ensure the process goes smoothly.

QA makes IoT transformation seamless.

IoT transformation in the Aviation industry is not just about more significant revenues and a better version of the existing flying experience. The long-term promise is an entire paradigm shift that can potentially change the very nature of flying as we know it today. Having a strong QA in place ensures the transformations are smooth today and works to prepare the industry for the more drastic technological changes that are approaching.