This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More
Soutron’s Integrated Library Management System is cleared for take off!
EUROCONTROL, the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation, manages air traffic across 38 member states from its Brussels headquarters. Its library network spans multiple countries and serves around 2,000 users with information that directly supports aviation safety.
The organization needed a single, shared catalog to replace five separate library systems, tighten control over critical regulatory documents from the International Civil Aviation Organization, and improve budget oversight across multiple currencies. Soutron delivered a web-based library management system built on Microsoft .NET and SQL Server, integrating all five libraries into one platform.
The result was a unified catalog, streamlined document control workflows, and a marked reduction in manual, time-consuming tasks for library staff.
EUROCONTROL is the European Organization for the safety of Air Navigation. Their mission is to harmonize and integrate air navigation services in Europe, across 38 member states. Based in Brussels, with offices in Luxembourg, Netherlands, France and Germany, they aim to create a safe and uniform Pan European Air Traffic Management (ATM) System for civil and military users.
The Library at EUROCONTROL supports multiple business operations through a network of special libraries in different locations, all of which are concerned with managing information to support the safety and security of millions of people travelling across Europe each year. The ability to share accurate, timely and accessible information across country boundaries is critical to the library’s function.
Juliette Engel, manager of European Library Services at EUROCONTROL, had a vision to integrate the several separate libraries and share the information on a single catalog making it easily available to the 2000 users as well as introducing efficiencies in purchasing and cost savings for the organization.
“The ability to be closely involved with the project management and even influence the development of the system tailoring it for our specific needs played a significant factor in the selection of Soutron.”
Juliette Engel
European Library Services Manager
Soutron was selected following a detailed tender process. To meet the rigorous requirements, multi-site and multi–office capability and the flexibility demanded by EUROCONTROL’s libraries, Soutron proposed their own brand new library management system.
“The ability to be closely involved with the project management and even influence the development of the system tailoring it for our specific needs played a significant factor in the selection of Soutron”, said Juliette.
Soutron was designed from the outset as a web-based application, using Microsoft .NET and SQL Server database technology. The three principles behind the system are simplicity, flexibility and efficient workflows, to meet the needs of individual libraries whilst sharing a single common flexible database.
Accurate expenditure control was difficult for EUROCONTROL, especially when ordering journal subscriptions for numerous locations in several currencies. One single system with reporting facilities to monitor and manage budgets would help the library to control resources in a way that was never previously possible with disparate systems.
Critical Loose-Lead Control
There was also the need to control loose-leaf materials from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which publishes rules and best practice on a regular basis: these are vital to the roles of various EUROCONTROL employees. The Library therefore has to ensure that the latest information published is available to users to ensure safety in the skies above Europe. ICAO updates these publications regularly and knowing who has what, how many copies are required and which have been issued with updates is laborious and time-consuming.
Soutron agreed to produce a detailed analysis of these procedures and their application to the ILS.
In re-defining and simplifying the processes for ICAO document control, a streamlined workflow was introduced via Soutron including full integration with the main catalog. “To say it simplified the work involved in controlling these documents is an understatement. The improvement in the way of working has removed tedious and frustrating work for staff, saving hours”, said Susanna Gaynor, Head of Library at EUROCONTROL.
When Graham Partridge, Soutron’s R&D Director and Project Manager, asked Susanna about the significance of these documents and their updates, he didn’t expect to be told, “Planes might crash! If the wrong documentation is not followed or updates are not received it could be a matter of life or death”. The conversion of the data from the original five libraries was a major undertaking. Combining bibliographic records and copies and making the data conform to an agreed standard was a complex process. “As Soutron had a proven methodology and cared about what they were doing, I knew that we would get a good result and we did”, says Juliette Engel.
It is the system’s simplicity that appeals most to users. Intuitive workflows throughout meant that user training was very straightforward. The OPAC is now in use across the EUROCONTROL network and plans are afoot to extend the system to other areas of the business.
EUROCONTROL’s library staff continue to be closely involved in the definition of new functionality; in fact, Susanna Gaynor was one of the first to see the new database and cataloging features for version 3. The EUROCONTROL team have forged an excellent working relationship with Graham Partridge and there are frequent exchanges of ideas. EUROCONTROL is a progressive large European organization that does things in a deliberative and organized manner and the Library is very much at the forefront of information management techniques and has to keep pace with the rapid development in aviation information.
Delivering results for Air Traffic Management and Aviation organizations like EUROCONTROL. Talk to our team
Today the catalog is a single cohesive entity for the first time and content of varying formats is being added all the time, which is very satisfying for everyone. Each library still works autonomously though within a central framework, thus a single annual fee covers the maintenance and support costs for all of the libraries.
Juliette’s comment sums it up: “Responsiveness, flexibility and accuracy are crucial to our organization and we get all of this from Soutron ILS and from Soutron people. The database software is great but the relationship we enjoy is even better”.
To learn more about EUROCONTROL visit their website at:
www.eurocontrol.int
To find out how you can migrate to a fast, secure, cloud-based information management system to support your organization, book a 20 minute discovery call with us today, see below.
View another case study from a similar industry sector.
Simply complete the form on the right to start a conversation with one of our specialists today.
We look forward to hearing from you.
The first step is to learn more. Here's how we can answer your questions:
Yes. A modern library management system can unite libraries across multiple countries and locations under a single shared catalog. EUROCONTROL ran five separate libraries across Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France and Germany.
After implementing Soutron ILS, all five were brought together into one central platform, giving around 2,000 users access to a unified catalog while each library continued to operate within its own local framework.
A library management system with dedicated document control workflows can track who holds which regulatory publications, manage updates as they are issued and flag outdated versions. For EUROCONTROL, controlling ICAO publications was a high-stakes process where out-of-date documentation carried serious safety implications.
Soutron introduced automated workflows integrated directly with the main catalog, removing the manual effort involved and ensuring staff always had access to the latest versions.
Yes. Managing journal subscriptions and expenditure across multiple offices and currencies is a common challenge for multi-site library networks. A library management system with built-in reporting and acquisition tools gives library managers a clear view of spending across all locations from a single interface.
EUROCONTROL used this capability to gain control over budget oversight in a way that was not achievable when running separate systems in each location.
Specialist and government libraries handling sensitive or safety-critical information should look for a system that offers multi-site capability, flexible cataloging, strong document control and clear workflows for acquisitions and budget management. The ability to work closely with the vendor on configuration and development is also important, particularly where operational requirements are complex.
EUROCONTROL selected Soutron following a formal tender process, with the vendor's willingness to tailor the system to specific needs being a key factor in the decision.
