News & Events

MDS Europe – New Name, Same Service Guarantee!

MDS Aero Support Limited in Derby, England has been operating as a satellite office of MDS Aero Support Corporation of Ottawa for the past 18 years. The office has grown from a single client service to a multi-function capability that is operating throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

When a gas turbine engine is ready for testing, whether for R&D, production, or post-overhaul, the test facility needs to be ready as well. All test systems, including mechanical, electrical, and the data acquisition system must be up-and-running. MDS in the UK pioneered the concept of test system readiness, or “availability”, as the key performance factor for a support service guarantee.

Recently in 2015, the office was formally incorporated into the newly defined MDS Global Customer Support organization as a regional hub for the UK and Europe. Activities out of the new office in Derby include service support for numerous clients in the UK and regionally throughout Europe.

In addition to customer service support activities, the office also includes a regional business development and sales presence, small project execution capability, as well as assistance to projects and customer upgrades in the area. Due to the specialist nature of calibration services, equipment is shipped from around the world to our ISO17025 UKAS accredited calibration laboratory in Derby. The office has been accredited since 2006 for numerous measurement types and equipment relevant to engine testing, a major accomplishment for MDS. MDS Aero Support Limited is also ISO 9001 and ISO14001 certified.

Historically, the office in Derby has been tagged informally with the moniker “MDS UK” to distinguish it from our other offices. While the formal incorporated name still stands, we are pleased to launch the new office name of MDS Europe that represents the wide customer service impact that we have.

A Bit of History

MDS operations in Europe inaugurated the “availability” concept years ago with a major OEM in a demanding and dynamic environment after a large upgrade by MDS of that customer’s data acquisition and controls systems. MDS test facility support personnel were located at the customer site and the small, dedicated team quickly established themselves as an efficient, professional, effective, and essential team member of our customer. The success of the support agreement resulted in a growth of scope, coverage time, and capabilities for MDS.

The year 2012 marked a watershed moment for MDS in Europe as it grew beyond a single client operation and the office was providing support to many clients around the UK and Europe. MDS leaders recognized the opportunity to consolidate personnel and operations in a single location. The new coordinates provided the flexibility to expand with new clientele, offer new services, and create a purpose built support centre rather than relying on customer supplied space.

A support team is still in place at the first customer site, guaranteeing the test facility availability, tracking issues and status, performing maintenance, and remaining integrated with the customer’s operations.