Quick Summary

Bronson led the development and configuration of 11 To-Be business processes and workflows for a major Canadian aviation services provider’s Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) department.

The engagement supported AIM’s modernization of aeronautical data processing for the Canadian aviation community within a newly acquired workflow tool.

Bronson developed business rules and straw models for each process, refined them through agile workshops with subject matter experts, and configured the tool to minimally viable product standard.

A workflow statistical model was developed to identify weaknesses and bottlenecks in the new processes for both operational improvement and change management.

Knowledge transfer workshops positioned AIM configuration staff to maintain and extend the workflow system independently after engagement close.

Project Overview

The Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) department of a major Canadian aviation services provider manages the aeronautical data and information services critical to Canadian aviation. The department compiles and maintains aeronautical information databases, designs and verifies instrument procedures, and produces the reference data documents required by the Canadian aviation community.

As part of a broader modernization program, AIM was implementing a newly acquired workflow tool to manage these operations end to end. The department sought a consultant to lead the development of To-Be business processes for the modernized environment and to configure those processes in the new workflow system.

Bronson was engaged to deliver both halves of that mandate: the process design and the technical configuration. The work had to result in workflows configured for formal user testing and acceptance as a minimally viable product ready for production deployment, with sustainable configuration management built in from the start.

The Challenge

Configuring brand-new aeronautical workflows in a recently released tool, during a pandemic, with formal MVP acceptance criteria attached, is not a routine engagement. Several layers of complexity stacked together.

The main challenges Bronson tackled:

  • Newly released workflow tool. The workflow tool itself had changed substantially from previous versions and was not yet in widespread use. There was a significant learning curve for both configuration and adoption, and no established user base to draw from.
  • High-bar acceptance criteria. The processes had to be configured for formal user testing and accepted as a minimally viable product for production deployment, with sustainable configuration management embedded from day one.
  • Fully remote collaboration. The entire engagement was delivered through the COVID-19 era, requiring fully remote configuration, workshops, and stakeholder validation throughout.
  • Multi-stakeholder validation. Each To-Be process touched several subject matter expert groups. Refinement required structured tabletop exercises with all relevant stakeholder groups represented.
  • Software bugs and limitations. Because the workflow tool was new, Bronson had to identify bugs and limitations in real time and feed them back to the software developer for resolution.
  • Capacity transfer. AIM ultimately needed to own the workflow system. The engagement had to leave AIM configuration staff with the technical understanding required to maintain and extend the workflows independently.
  • Operational performance insight. Beyond configuration, AIM needed a way to identify weaknesses and throughput bottlenecks in the new processes for both day-to-day operations and longer-term change management.

The department needed a delivery partner who could combine process design, hands-on configuration, software-vendor coordination, and knowledge transfer in a single agile engagement.

Our Solution

Bronson designed and delivered a structured, agile engagement that married process development, technical configuration, and knowledge transfer. The work was organized into the following streams:

1. Scope and Process Identification

Bronson worked closely with the AIM Modernization Project team to identify the processes in scope for the minimally viable product. Eleven To-Be business processes were confirmed as the focus for design and configuration.

2. Business Rules and Straw Model Development

Bronson used existing documentation to develop business rules and straw models for each process. The straw models gave subject matter experts a concrete starting point for refinement rather than a blank page.

3. Agile Refinement Workshops with Subject Matter Experts

Bronson applied an agile iterative approach to refine the process models, conducting workshops with subject matter experts representing each stakeholder group. Workshops were run as structured tabletop exercises and continued until each process met the acceptance threshold.

4. Workflow Tool Configuration

Bronson configured the workflow tool to manage process roles, activities, and variables for each of the 11 processes. Configuration documentation was updated after each refinement cycle and configured workflows were presented back to subject matter experts for validation.

5. Software Vendor Collaboration

Throughout the engagement, Bronson worked with the AIM Engineering team and the workflow tool’s software developer to develop a deep understanding of the tool’s capabilities, integration requirements, and known limitations. Bugs and software improvement opportunities identified through this collaboration were documented and communicated back to the developer for resolution.

6. Workflow Statistical Model

Bronson developed a workflow statistical model to identify weaknesses and bottlenecks in the new processes. The model supports both change management for supervisors and managers adopting the new workflows and ongoing operational improvement after go-live.

7. Knowledge Transfer Workshops

When AIM was ready to assume workflow configuration responsibilities, Bronson developed and delivered a series of knowledge transfer workshops tailored to complement training provided by the software vendor. The workshops helped AIM configuration staff understand the complexities and nuances of workflow design and configuration, positioning the team to own the system independently.

Key Deliverables

Scope Confirmation for 11 To-Be Processes – A documented scope confirmation identifying the 11 To-Be business processes in scope for the minimally viable product, aligned with AIM Modernization Project priorities.

Business Rules and Straw Models – Initial business rules and straw process models for each of the 11 processes, developed from existing AIM documentation as the starting point for stakeholder refinement.

Refined To-Be Process Designs – Eleven refined To-Be business process designs, iterated through agile workshops with subject matter experts representing each stakeholder group and validated to MVP acceptance threshold.

Configured Workflows in the AIM Workflow Tool – Eleven business workflows configured in the newly acquired workflow tool, including all associated forms, roles, activities, and variables, accepted by AIM for integration into the production environment.

Configuration Documentation – Configuration documentation maintained and updated after each refinement cycle, providing AIM with a durable record of how the workflows were built and the reasoning behind the configuration choices.

Software Bug and Improvement Log – A documented log of software bugs and improvement opportunities identified during the engagement, communicated to the workflow tool’s software developer in collaboration with AIM Engineering.

Workflow Statistical Model – A statistical model for identifying weaknesses and throughput bottlenecks in the new AIM workflows, supporting both operational improvement and change management for supervisors and managers.

Knowledge Transfer Workshop Materials – A series of tailored knowledge transfer workshops and supporting materials enabling AIM configuration staff to independently maintain and extend the workflow system after engagement close.

The Impact

Bronson’s work gave the AIM department a working set of modernized business processes, a configured workflow system ready for production acceptance, and the in-house capacity to own both moving forward. Specifically, the engagement delivered:

  • Eleven To-Be business workflows for aeronautical data processing, configured to minimally viable product standard and accepted for integration into the production environment
  • Knowledge transfer workshops that positioned AIM configuration staff to independently maintain and extend the workflow system after engagement close.
  • A documented stream of software bugs and improvement recommendations communicated to the workflow tool’s developer, enhancing the tool’s reliability for AIM production use.
  • A workflow statistical model used by AIM for ongoing process analysis, bottleneck identification, and change management support.

The result is a modernized workflow foundation for one of the most operationally critical departments in Canadian aviation, delivered entirely through remote collaboration and structured to support long-term ownership by the AIM team.

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