23 AirportImprovement.com September 2026 FUELING glycol that must be stored separately. SAIM allows consortia to configure their particular asset records, inspections, maintenance activities and compliance documentation around location-specific equipment, products and requirements. Closed Loop Compliance Environmental regulations in Canada require deicing fluids and associated runoff to be recovered. After aircraft are deiced on the apron or in centralized areas, glycol recovery systems collect effluent for processing, and the byproduct is recycled back into glycol for reuse. “It’s a closed loop,” explains Femia. “We recover it, we treat it, and we make glycol again to supply the airport.” Tracking the assets, outputs and activities associated with glycol is essential for environmental compliance, maintenance monitoring and cost control. For Femia, preventative maintenance is one of the top priorities the platform supports—from the sweepers that collect spent glycol and the underground tanks that store it, to the distillation systems and other components later in the loop. While regulatory compliance is crucial everywhere, reporting requirements can vary significantly by country and local government authority. Bourdeau notes that documenting applicable requirements and retaining associated records in the system helps clients maintain a clearer compliance history. Challenges and Benefits User adoption has been the main challenge since Canadian fuel and glycol consortia began implementing the SAIM platform earlier this year. Using a digital platform requires a more structured and consistent approach than many of the paper-based and other processes they previously used. “We have individuals who have worked in these facilities for the last 25 years. This is a change management process that has to take place,” says Fernia, “Other than that, the workflows and the training are pretty intuitive and we haven’t had any major issues.” As field users become more familiar with the platform, Femia continues to find additional benefits, one of which is sharing knowledge across locations. “SAIM’s strength is its close-knit community, supported by an annual event [the SAIM Connect Conference] where airports, airlines and operating teams share insights and experiences that can be applied to others,” he says, adding that these exchanges also drive future improvements and developments for the platform. Inside Perspectives Although more software providers are continually entering the market, Lux-Boim says SAIM’s distinction is that it was built by, for and with the aviation industry— and brings maintenance, monitoring and digital facility information together in one connected application. “It is true asset integrity management with a 360-degree view of your assets,” she emphasizes. “SAIM grew out of Argus Consulting’s more than 30 years of experience designing and supporting aviation fuel infrastructure. That foundation gives the platform a practical understanding of airport and airline operations and the complex systems they rely on, while allowing each stakeholder to work from the same source of information and see the facilities, assets, tasks and data most relevant to their role.” The platform also has to be practical for the people managing those facilities every day, Bourdeau adds. “We have spent a lot of time making sure the tools are easy to use, adaptable to each facility and meaningful to everyone from general and operations managers to the frontline employees performing the work,” he says. “The data should help the person in the field identify an issue, prepare for an audit and keep the facility operating safely and reliably so flights stay fueled and on schedule.” Addressing the topic from a user’s perspective, Femia notes that it is critical for operators to have more and accessible data in the current digital age. And he suspects the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the importance of being able to access operational information remotely. “So, building that database, having those dashboards, tracking information and using that information for decision-making—I think that is key,” he says. “You wouldn’t get that from a box of papers.” Scanning an asset’s Near Field Communication tag allows personnel to access its digital records and document associated inspections and maintenance.
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.