Making a new set of rules effective for thousands of users

Change Management + Process Optimization

How we helped the German Armed Forces to implement DEMAR – a new set of regulations and processes

Initial Situation

The German Armed Forces implements a German version (DEMAR) of the European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMAR).

EMAR is a set of harmonized regulations for military aviation in Europe, aiming to improve safety, reduce costs, and foster interoperability between member states by adapting civil aviation standards to military needs. They are based on civil aviation.

DEMAR uniformly regulates, among other things, the maintenance, servicing, and technical operational readiness of all German military aircraft.

These tasks are performed by the flight engineering groups of the flying units of the Air Force, Army Aviation, and Naval Aviation – more specifically: the management and teams of military and civilian approved organizations / approvals like DOAs, POAs, CAMOs, Part-145.

DEMAR not only regulates aspects of safety and operational readiness of weapon systems, but also, for example, the correct execution (processes) and complete documentation of the work carried out by the approvals.

Challenge

Thousands of aircraft mechanics, avionics engineers, and other specialists, both in uniform and civilian employees, are affected by the organizational and procedural top-down changes due to DEMAR.

One consequence is that these experts will have to be retrained. This is usually easier for young people than for older ones.

In addition, many will have to change their routines and behavior and adopt new habits. This is challenging due to our human “Anti-Change DNA” as we at viadoo call it.

Others lose rights and status they have built up over decades. This has a massive impact on motivation, self-esteem, and ultimately on performance.

These challenges are crucial because DEMAR like any other new regulation only becomes effective when trust, clarity, participation, empowerment, and acceptance are ensured from the perspective of their users.

Solution

Two armed forces commands allowed viadoo to accompany them part of the way. We were tasked with sensitizing executives (primarily staff officers) to the social and emotional aspects of the new regulations, processes and structures of DEMAR.

Therefore, we conducted a multi-days workshop in one command. Among other things, we developed a shared vision as well as ideas for a communication strategy.

In the other command, we worked with two other service providers to conduct surveys of those who were and are affected by the switch to DEMAR on site.

In additional workshops, we jointly applied the Bundeswehr’s change management standards to the introduction of DEMAR and identified risks and potential for optimization.

In order to reach all stakeholders and support the necessary change, we recommended, among other things, the establishment of a central transformation office at top level with a corresponding cascade, as well as roadshows, all-hands forums and other measures.

Results

In the end, the two military commands implemented our input, for example the vision and certain measures like regular newsletters to communicate effectively with their stakeholders.

This way, viadoo Guides helped to ensure trust, clarity, participation, empowerment, and acceptance of DEMAR by management and teams of military and civilian approvals like DOAs, POAs, CAMOs, Part-145.

In addition, we helped ensure that those affected could better understand the need for the new regulations in the first place.

As we naturally take the confidentiality of our clients seriously, we anonymize our success stories. However, the cases are real.