SNAp 2.0 - For the GRF

About SNAp 2.0

SNAp 2.0 is an app-based runway assessment software developed for simple, fast and accurate data collection to automate the process of filling out the GRF (Global Reporting Format) but also featuring the possibility to integrate friction data and other non-regulatory information that can be valuable to further increase runway safety. This new generation runway assessment software is operated on via a user-friendly interface that is compatible with desktop, tablets, and smartphones.

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Increasing safety

More data equals increased runway safety? Yes, if you import and use your data correctly. Weather data from your RWIS (Runway Weather Information System), contamination data measured by surface state sensors and friction data accumulated from your CFME (Continuous Friction Measuring Equipment), can all together be integrated with SNAp 2.0 to give you appropriately processed data for filling out your GRF. The process of adding highly useful non-regulatory data to the necessary regulatory data made possible with SNAp 2.0, significantly lowers risks associated with miscommunication - not to mention the impeccable data overview concerning runway surface conditions the interface will present.

Automated reporting

To our experience, the most convenient way of filling out reports is if the report would retrieve the data necessary without us interfering. This is how we decided to design our SNAp 2.0; to facilitate the process of filling out the GRF by having the software automate the process for us. At certain stages SNAp 2.0 will ask for confirmation by an operator and when complete, it will send the GRF directly to the ATC and other stakeholders.

Multi-entry feature

The carefully developed multi-entry feature of SNAp 2.0 contributes vastly to optimizing the degree of information accuracy by allowing several operation managers to report runway conditions on different sections of the runway, taxiways or apron at the same time, in the very same report. This feature saves time for the operation managers and most importantly it lowers risks generally related to manually compiling the report.

Gaining structure

In addition to the automated process towards the GRF, the SNAp 2.0 provides secure storing of data, traceable for all operators. Being compatible with other weather and friction measuring Sarsys systems the app-based software brings consistency to your runway assessments over time.

Global consistency

With the GRF we gain global consistency. SNAp 2.0 embraces that standardization. In a global world consistency is the key to safe runway routines. Making simple what can be made simple enables international pilots to meet accurate decisions regardless of geography or experience of that specific runway. With SNAp 2.0 the pilot has access to real-time updated information on runway surface conditions at any given point of time.

Human error safe

When developing a new tool, we design it to cooperate precisely with human perception and cognition. High tech solutions in themselves will not keep us safe. Human creativity, innovation, and insight in human factors however, will. This belief has given SNAp 2.0 an easy-to-use interface and automated functions that reduces risks of human error.

Implementing SNAp 2.0

Requirements

As an app-based system the requirements for implementing SNAp 2.0 is basically limited to the devices you find necessary for your operators. The interface of SNAp 2.0 is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and laptops. To fully benefit from the automated features in SNAp 2.0 we recommend you integrate SNAp 2.0 with other systems operation on your runway, such as RWIS and mobile as well as fixed friction and contamination measuring systems. SNAp 2.0 can also be used as an independent tool without integrating additional systems.

Workshops

The implementation includes an introductory training course designed to suit future operators. The course is given as online workshops and is held by experts that will guide you through the background and the usage of the software. All training and information on the tool will be given to you directly from our experts. A completed course grants you sufficient training to begin working with SNAp 2.0.

Start up

In as soon as 2 weeks from ordering the software you can be up and running. For a normal procedure from start to launch, we calculate 2-6 weeks for completing the implementation phase.

Support

After completing the implementation and the introductory course you will be assigned an expert contact for future support. Our software support operates internationally performing sophisticated troubleshooting via remote access. This way you can receive assistance at any location that will either solve the problem from a distance or guide you through the process via video or audio calls. When delivering a system, our technical support is always included.

A story about safety

At this moment, on this planet, we are just over 7.8 billion people. You are one of them, and the person you just spoke to is another. This is our story about safety, and foremost the story of SNAp 2.0.

Safety regardless of point of arrival

Saying that all of these 7.8 billion people travel daily in some form might be an exaggeration, so we will not say that. We will say however, that should they travel, they should be able to do so equally safe, regardless of point of departure or arrival. Increasing safety in transportation and travel on roads and runways is, and has always been, our main ambition.

One standard for all mankind

ICAO’s Global Reporting Format effective from November 2021 is a routine that will increase safety worldwide. The operation managers will fill out the same information irrespective of what airport they work at and the pilot will have access to the same report should they land in Pretoria or Svalbard. This will build a uniform procedure that will decrease the risks associated with subjective interpretations that could lead to errors caused by the human factor.

In numbers we trust

In every department of the industry, routines are developed from numbers telling us what the most sensible and safe action to take is, given the circumstances. We calculate risks and we develop algorithms that help us minimize them. At Sarsys we have done exactly this for well over 30 years.

Our love for friction and contamination

Our heart lies with the precise friction coefficient on roads and runways. This has led us to the position of being world leader and innovator of Continuous Friction Measurement Equipment (CFME) and Runway and Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS). And now SNAp 2.0.

The face of safety

What does safety look like? It can look like a global reporting format, the GRF, for runway surface conditions, the one we just mentioned. It can also look like a software developed for the purpose of increasing safety by lowering risks of human error when automating the process of filling out the GRF. It can look like SNAp 2.0.

Welcome, SNAp 2.0

This app-based software works with clean shots between interactions and is complete with an easy-to-use interface designed to suit human cognition. SNAp 2.0 is the new generation of runway assessment software’s first-born.

Words from the developer

How do we develop the perfect tool for the new global reporting format, GRF? Our developer Rickard Andersson talks about the unique features a tool like SNAp 2.0 demands from us, and what challenges it will need to meet in the near future.

What tasks did you intend to solve when starting the development of SNAp 2.0?

For a long time, we have seen the complexity in the field when operation managers are working in the same report together and simultaneously. We are also very much aware of the challenges of handling manual observations and the risks associated with them. Add to this, the present limitations in combining manual data to data accumulated via fixed and mobile contamination sensors. We could also see the advantages in including the possibility to integrate non-regulatory data from friction testers, and airplanes that are not part of the GRF but can very well be used as comparative information for the duty manager. We needed to acknowledge all these challenges equally and construct a solution to take care of all tasks in one. A groundbreaking new software was the only way forward.

What features would SNAp 2.0 have to present once a finished product?

The extensive experience we have from the everyday work of all operation managers required our solution to be extra ordinarily user-friendly and extremely integrable. This was our goal, and I can proudly say that we succeeded. It took hours and hours of research, analysis, user-experience testing and numerous iterations. But here we are!

How about the future for SNAp 2.0? Will it take on the world?

Well of course! We developed SNAp 2.0 to meet the future that is in fact already here. With the new global methodology from ICAO for reporting runway condition data, the GRF, we are going to need a far-reaching and reliable tool to set up new safer routines, globally. A pilot will be able to receive a runway report in the same format should they land in Tokyo, Buenos Aires or Stockholm. As far as we see it, the future for SNAp 2.0 is already here. The next step is to include additional data directly from landing aircrafts and other data that can be of interest when assessing if the runways and taxiways are safe or not to use. Data from landing aircraft can be used as a check and balance in order to point out certain areas where the aircraft detects discrepancies from the received GRF. This gives the operation manager information on what section of the runway to examine more closely. SNAp 2.0 will make this process quick, correct, and safe. And it is barely even in the future anymore, this feature is exactly what our collaboration with Navblue seeks to explore and develop further.

Try out SNAp 2.0

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