Case Study

Westpac Rescue Helicopters Adopts Air Maestro to Enhance Integration of Data and Drive Efficiency

Overview

Northern NSW Helicopter Rescue Service (Westpac Rescue Helicopters) is a non-profit organisation with extensive experience in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). The modern fleet of AW 139 helicopters provide 24/7 medical and rescue coverage from three bases at Belmont, Tamworth and Lismore. Supported by more than 130 staff and a large group of volunteers, the team provides aeromedical services to 1.5 million people across Northern NSW.

Industries

Emergency Medical Services
Search and Rescue

Years

Working with Air Maestro

Modules

Safety & Operations

Location

Australia

Key Client Challenges

Air Maestro is a pivotal tool for Westpac Rescue Helicopters to manage core safety and operational data across the organisation. For over 14 years, Air Maestro has been used to maintain flight records, training assessments, monitor company recency items and deliver a comprehensive audit and safety reporting program.

Prior to introducing Air Maestro, the Westpac Rescue Helicopters team used numerous disparate tools including Excel spreadsheets and hard copy documentation. Having core operational and safety data managed by various systems, meant that finding and updating records became difficult, especially with staff turnover. Often these records would be lost when IT accounts were disabled and auditing of key information posed challenges.

Yvette Ashlin, Safety Officer at Westpac Rescue Helicopters, reveals, “The team were looking to utilise a paperless, up-to-date electronic method whereby staff can enter records and it remains accessible to all for viewing and tracking. We realised Air Maestro would allow us to easily provide assurance and evidence during audit activities, along with the supporting documentation for our Integrated Management System”.

There was no other product on the market which provided all of the key components required for our organisation. Even to this day, I don’t think there is another product quite like it in terms of managing all of these system modules in one place.

An All-in-One Solution

Westpac Rescue Helicopters was a smaller organisation when it first implemented Air Maestro in 2008, however the software was quickly embraced by flight crew as an easy-to-use product where all data could be easily entered, tracked and reported on. Air Maestro’s ability to scale seamlessly supported Westpac Rescue Helicopters during organisational expansion.

Air Maestro now provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for the management of flights and crew, scheduling line maintenance and training, recency tracking, auditing and safety reporting.

Yvette recalls, “There was no other product on the market which provided all of the key components required for our organisation. Even to this day, I don’t think there is another product quite like it in terms of managing all of these system modules in one place”.

Used extensively by the operational and engineering departments, minimal user training was required, as the system is easily navigated and very user friendly.

“Presently, we find that many new staff have already had experience with the software from other employers which makes it an easy transition. Those who don’t use it very often (purely for entering a safety report) find that they need an occasional refresher session on how to navigate Air Maestro, but for those who use it on a daily basis, they find it very efficient”.

I think the key benefit of Air Maestro has been the ability to report easily from the various modules. We use the system every month to generate reports for our Board, senior management team and our clients. This has certainly improved efficiency across all of our reporting requirements.

Exceeding Expectations and Improving Efficiency

Yvette states that the Westpac Rescue team have always been pleasantly surprised by just how comprehensive the software is. “The fact that it is a holistic management tool for our type of organisation means that it provides us with exactly what we need. As our needs grow, so too does the software”.

“I think the key benefit of Air Maestro has been the ability to report easily from the various modules. We use the system every month to generate reports for our Board, senior management team and our clients. This has certainly improved efficiency across all of our reporting requirements”.

Air Maestro’s ongoing upgrades have always allowed us to stay on top of industry and regulatory changes. If something is not made available during an update to the system, the Air Maestro team has always been accommodating to make these changes for us.

Focusing on the Needs of Customers

The Air Maestro team focuses on meeting market needs and providing changes to the software, enabling compliance from a regulatory and industry perspective.

“Air Maestro’s ongoing upgrades have always allowed us to stay on top of industry and regulatory changes. If something is not made available during an update to the system, the Air Maestro team has always been accommodating to make these changes for us. The fact that there is now an ideas portal to lodge suggested improvements and changes means that other organisations can review the suggestions and provide feedback on whether they would like the changes too. This is a great tool for ensuring customer satisfaction and drives changes based on the needs”.

“We are proud to be able to say that we were one of the first clients to sign up for this product in Australia and it has given us the opportunity to watch it adapt and evolve over time”.