INFORM - Advanced Optimisation Systems

INFORM develops advanced optimisation systems for application in:

• Airport ground resource and operations management
• Supply-chain management
• Transport logistics and fleet management
• Risk management

To ensure its products and services are always industry-leading, INFORM employs more than 350 software engineers and consultants at its headquarters in Aachen and Frankfurt, Germany, and field offices in Europe and the US. Nationals from 27 countries create a multi-cultural, multi-lingual, global environment for the company's business.

Since 1984, more than 700 customers have successfully used INFORM's advanced optimisation systems. Over 50 airports, airlines and ground handling service providers in over 150 airports worldwide rely on GroundStar, the company's flagship product for the aviation industry.

Optimised airport processes and ground resources management

GroundStar (GS) is a suite of software systems for the intelligent support of ground handling operations and airport processes. It is an industry-proven, standard system with the flexibility to efficiently adapt to individual customer's needs.

GroundStar's core systems are:

• GS Planning
• GS Rostering
• GS RealTime
• GS HubControl
• GS GroundFleet
• GS AirportMap
• GS CRM
• GS AODB

GS Planning: strategic and tactical planning scenarios

GS Planning is used to create long-term, mid-term and short-term planning scenarios, including resource demand calculation and generation of optimised shift and shift-pattern models. Seasonal flight information management and slot-capacity planning are also covered.

Planning of aircraft stands, gates, check-in counters, baggage carrousels and other airport infrastructure elements are also within the scope of GS Planning, thus facilitating the overall integration of these resources in operations with staff and ground support equipment.

GS Rostering: creating and maintaining staff rosters

GS Rostering produces and maintains staff rosters under various methodologies and in full integration with planning, day-of-operation, human resources, time and attendance, and payroll. Powerful time-management tools ensure full control of work time, time off, and absences. Vacation planning, staff kiosks and web-access facilitate management tasks and improve staff quality of life.

GS RealTime: real-time allocation of resources

GS RealTime's highly developed optimisation algorithms assist the dispatcher in the deployment of resources, mobile and immobile, and in the allocation of automatically created tasks derived from current or imminent flight events. Non-flight related tasks are also taken into account and optimally assigned to resources.

An optimum match of resources and tasks is achieved by the blending of qualifications, distances, priorities, load capacities and many other variables, and technical and organisational conditions. The system's automatic communications capabilities ensure the information is available to all involved parties.

On-the-day management of aircraft stands, gates, check-in counters, baggage carrousels and other airport infrastructure elements are also within the scope of GS RealTime.

GS HubControl

Bird's-eye views visualise all required details of the operation. The GS HubControl system monitors the multiple activities involved in the turnaround process, including relevant external events, and provides timely identification of actual or potential bottlenecks.

GS GroundFleet

GS GroundFleet integrates GPS-based localisation of ground support equipment with real-time generation of tasks and their optimised allocation to assets and resources. The best deployment of GSE based on the current position of the fleet's units is complemented by functionality including passive and active geofencing, control of the assets' operational and engine status, safety and security features, and the capturing of data required for GSE maintenance purposes.

GS AirportMap

GS AirportMap supports GS GroundFleet and GS RealTime by offering graphical views of the apron which show aircraft (approaching, taxiing, at gate or stand, being towed, in hangar), GSE and other GPS or RFID-equipped resources. Movements, speed and status of aircraft and GSE are visible either in general or in hot-spot views, which also display color-coded alerts when deviations from the plan occur.

Airport-wide mobile management and wireless communications are at the core of the GS RealTime system, ensuring that decisions are transmitted efficiently and information is collected and distributed fully and timely.

GS CRM: tracking contracts and creating invoices

GS CRM facilitates the creation, tracking and maintenance of contracts and SLAs between the handling service providers and their clients, registers provided services, and generates invoices for contracted, additional and ad-hoc services.

GS airport operational database (AODB)

GroundStar's airport operational database's (AODB) proprietary Message Broker provides a powerful platform to integrate, consolidate, manage and distribute the large and diverse amount of data affecting the multiple organisations and systems involved in the ground operation: a homogenous data integration in the heterogeneous airport systems environment.

Application packages for specific handling operation areas

GroundStar's core systems are complemented with application packages that address the unique needs of each specific area of the handling operation, including passenger services, security, loading / unloading, baggage, aircraft services, fuelling, cargo, catering, gates / stands, check-in counters, baggage carousels and others.

Professional services

INFORM provides all services necessary to successfully implement its systems, including consulting, training, modelling, configuration, integration and system engineering. INFORM's maintenance and user-support services ensure a smooth post-implementation utilisation of GroundStar.