Matti Nevala is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO of QOCO. Before joining QOCO, he successfully scaled several companies to international markets and is passionate about growth. Also, with a passion for new technologies and AI, Matti leads QOCO in delivering innovative SaaS solutions to the aviation industry. His leadership focuses on customer-centric digital transformation, enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability in aviation. In the interview below, Matti discusses how QOCO’s digital solutions for MRO processes, tool management, and mechanic resource allocation have positioned the company as a preferred software partner for businesses striving for enhanced efficiency.
Your name, your job title, and the name of the business?
Matti Nevala, CEO at QOCO Systems Ltd.
How did QOCO Systems get started?
MN: The company’s roots trace back to 2009 when Ilari Neitola founded QOCO Systems to combine his two passions: software development and aviation. The aviation industry has many processes that can greatly benefit from digitalization, significantly enhancing flight safety, operational efficiency, and the industry’s appeal to potential job seekers.
What is the guiding business principle that drives QOCO Systems?
MN: We operate with a customer-centric approach, providing SaaS (Software as a Service) products to OEMs, airlines, and MRO operators. This means we have a deep understanding of the industry’s needs and are enabling industry leaders like Rolls-Royce to adopt digital business models. We also focus on improving operational efficiency through better tool management and mechanic resource allocation. Our cloud-based SaaS products allow for scalability, enabling us to serve customers across Europe and the USA. We excel at integrating with industry-standard M&E and ERP systems. Our team is passionate about aviation and committed to advancing sustainability within the aviation industry.
“We operate with a customer-centric approach, providing SaaS (Software as a Service) products to OEMs, airlines, and MRO operators. This means we have a deep understanding of the industry’s needs and are enabling industry leaders like Rolls-Royce to adopt digital business models.”
What has QOCO Systems’ greatest business achievement been to date, and why?
MN: Securing major clients like Rolls-Royce, Safran, and Delta Group is certainly a significant achievement and a testament to our ability to enable the success of industry leaders. Our high customer satisfaction is rooted in the expertise of our team and the value we co-create with our clients. Delivering added value is a matter of pride for us, and continuously enhancing it ensures that our existing relationships grow stronger and that we attract new clients, with whom we can collaborate and innovate further.
What have been your disappointments and what have you learned from them?
MN: The slow procurement processes in the industry have been the biggest disappointment we’ve encountered with some potential clients. We believe that advancing digitalization would significantly benefit the business, but the large size of these organizations and their cumbersome processes can sometimes make acquiring modern SaaS solutions unnecessarily difficult. However, I’m confident that this will change as more CEOs and industry leaders recognize the opportunities and tangible benefits of digitalization. Additionally, the shortage of mechanics and constant cost pressures will drive the search for more efficient ways to operate the business.
In a sentence, how would you summarize what QOCO Systems does for aircraft maintenance customers?
MN: With MROTools.io, we empower our aviation maintenance customers to digitalize and streamline their tool management processes, MROTools.io Assignment is an AI-assisted tool for optimizing mechanic resource allocation, while Aviadex.io enhances collaboration and enables seamless digital communication between airlines, OEMs, and MROs.
“Delivering added value is a matter of pride for us, and continuously enhancing it ensures that our existing relationships grow stronger and that we attract new clients...”
What do you feel will be the next big thing in maintenance Aviation IT?
MN: The industry still relies on many systems that don’t communicate with each other, but I believe this is about to change, significantly transforming workflows in the near future. For example, the digital transfer of maintenance documentation between systems offers substantial benefits by reducing manual labor, minimizing errors, and increasing cost efficiency. On the technology front, AI is advancing at a rapid pace, and I believe it will have a significant impact. We have developed the MROTools.io Assignment product, which integrates real-time flight data, maintenance task packages, and HR system data on mechanic qualifications and skills into a single interface. Shift planning is then AI-optimized, reducing a significant amount of manual work and enhancing mechanic utilization rates. Many factors indicate that the industry is on the brink of significant change, but I believe it will happen in line with lean principles—one small step at a time.
“With MROTools.io, we empower our aviation maintenance customers to digitalize and streamline their tool management processes. MROTools.io Assignment is an AI-assisted tool for optimizing mechanic resource allocation...”
What do you want your customers to say about QOCO Systems?
MN: I want to continue hearing from our customers that we are true professionals in aviation digitalization who deliver on our promises and provide significant benefits to their business. Additionally, I hope to hear that we are approachable and a pleasure to work with!
Thank you for your time.
For more insights, read Matti Nevala’s full vendor job card published in Aircraft IT MRO e-Journal V13.3, Autumn 2024. This feature dives deeper into his vision for aviation’s digital future and how QOCO is driving efficiency and innovation in MRO software solutions.