Collaborating with customers to solve their problems – the Mission Systems way
11 Jul 23
Mission Support Systems and Services OBU
BY John Sweet
Our Mission Support Systems and Services Operational Business Unit (MSSS OBU to our friends) provides a family of support systems called GECO.
This family of systems includes a desktop aircraft mission planning system and a tablet-based moving map/military electronic flight bag along with numerous supporting elements such as a mission server and data services.
GECO is a highly configurable and customisable family and with no two customers’ needs being the same, MSSS has become expert at working closely with customers to solve their problems.
GECO has been in service with the UK armed forces since 2009 and is currently in use on over 22 different fixed wing aircraft and helicopter types, which are used across a wide range of training and operational roles. Most recently, the system was rolled out to UK Military Flying Training System platforms at RAF Cranwell, including the Prefect and Phenom fixed-wing aircraft and Juno and Jupiter helicopters.
With the continued success of GECO across the world, there are three key principles that the team works to.
Our MSS OBU designs and delivers GECO, which includes a tablet-based moving map/military electronic flight bag.
Engage early, engage often (but with the right people)
When MSSS get on site with a customer, we find it’s important to engage as early as possible with a core group of empowered end-users. While a customer requirements manager will often have the final say on feature suitability, traditional written requirements rarely capture the whole story.
Instead, getting our aircrew and mission support subject matter experts on site allows us to talk with end-users, understand how they operate and think, and see their existing working environment. This enables us to customise and design GECO to meet not just traditional customer requirements, but also the true needs of the end-user that triggered those requirements.
Early engagement with the user allows us to set off on the right path, but repeat engagement is a must to ensure that the correct route is still being followed. Exposing key users to prototypes and early releases allows feedback and evolution of the product prior to delivery, while making sure their voices are heard and reflected in the final product.
Our MSSS OBU are in regular contact with all of our GECO customers, allowing us to collect valuable feedback on the product and provide continued guidance and support.
Beware the faster horse
While it’s unlikely that Henry Ford ever actually said anything about customers and faster horses, he is quoted as saying: “If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.”
When getting points of view, we often find experiences of past mission support systems colour the way users ask for features. A common challenge is having a conversation that moves beyond a customer describing their perceived solution to a problem and understanding what that problem actually is.
By having experts on hand who have operated and supported a wide variety of aircraft and mission types, the team behind GECO can have that conversation and see things from the user’s angle. With decades of military service, as well as tens of thousands of hours of military flying experience, several of the team have flown operationally with GECO, giving them a unique perspective when development is underway. This depth of experience then allows the team to dodge the “faster horse” and solve the underlying problem in the best way possible for the user.
Build features for everyone
Aviation, especially of the military kind, is a field that is defined by rapid evolution of techniques and procedures.
When a user articulates their problems, they are usually talking about the present and past, with little thought to how those problems might evolve over time.
Our wide customer base for GECO also means that, while different users may have similar problems, they are often required to be solved differently. By designing our features thoughtfully and with great customisation options for the end user, we ensure that a solution to one user’s problem can help others.
As well as that, as a user becomes familiar with GECO, their approach to using it often evolves – for example changing their map markings away from legacy procedures used on paper maps to ones more suitable to the moving map on the GECO tablet.
By giving users the power to customise, we make sure they can evolve how they use GECO over time, without having to engage in re-design of the software. Some users also choose to take regular software updates, benefitting from expanded features as GECO continues to grow and evolve.
This user-focussed approach has seen GECO fielded on two dozen aircraft types worldwide and our team awarded two Queen’s Awards for Innovation. Capable of supporting any aircraft mission across a range of platforms, the GECO family is a dedicated military aircraft Mission Support System – and the MSSS family is dedicated to its - and our customers’ - development.
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Our MSSS team was bestowed its second Queen's Award for Innovation in 2021.
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