“Thanks to Enterprise Alert, we have an automated, reliable and fast alerting process for our baggage handling system and other critical systems such as the docking guidance. This allows for guaranteeing a maximum response time of three min until remediation starts.” Thomas Knöfler, Head of TF2 Flight Operations, BER

About

Berlin Brandenburg “Willy Brandt” Airport (IATA: BER) is an international commercial airport located in Schönefeld, just south of the German capital Berlin. It is the third-largest airport in Germany and has been in operation since October 2020.

Situation

Flight operations at BER supervise many critical infrastructures with maximum availability to ensure uninterrupted flight operations and short turnaround times. This includes the central baggage handling system but also passenger jetties, the docking guidance system, ground power supply, the airport lighting, and others.

BER needed a solution to automatically inform service technicians of technical failures and other incidents affecting the baggage handling system. The goal was a very short troubleshooting response time.

Solution

With Derdack, BER Airport found an established, regional software provider who could offer an innovative and powerful alerting system for critical infrastructure – Enterprise Alert.

Initially, the focus was set on automated incident alerting for the baggage handling system. Using the industrial S7 protocol, Enterprise Alert was connected directly to the baggage system’s control computers (PLCs). It can thus alert available technicians within seconds in case of any technical failure or incident. Relevant alarms are filtered out from a total of 18,000 different messages and alarms. The setup is aiming at technicians acknowledging technical or baggage-related fault alarms within one minute and start troubleshooting within three. The use of smartphones with Enterprise Alert’s mobile app installed, allows comprehensive information to be provided to technicians, including location maps of failed and impacted components, to ensure a timely arrival on site. If alarms are not acknowledged within the required time, they are automatically escalated to additional members of staff.

As the system has proven itself, further infrastructure systems are gradually being integrated into the automated incident alerting system, e.g. the automatic docking guidance system for planes approaching a gate.

Currently, 80 technicians in 10 maintenance teams are notified and dispatched by Enterprise Alert.

Benefits

Here is a summary of some of the benefits the BER enjoys:

• Automated, reliable alerting process for critical facilities and systems
• Shorter downtimes due to faster troubleshooting
• Future-proof solution with many industrial interfaces and broad connectivity

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