Real challenges. Documented patterns. Forensic outcomes.
The following scenarios are based on documented industry patterns and real challenges faced by facilities in each sector. Client names are not disclosed.
The Engine Came Back Clean. The Operator's Lawyers Said Otherwise.
An independent MRO facility returned a CFM56-7B engine following a full workscope restoration. Six weeks later, the operator filed a $2.2 million warranty claim alleging the engine was returned in degraded condition.
The MRO had done nothing wrong. But their sensor data was stored in a proprietary test cell system — unsealed, unverifiable, and legally indefensible.
“The data existed. It always existed. For the first time, it was sealed at the moment it was generated — and no one could argue it had been touched.”Read the full scenario →
The Turbine Tripped. The Operator Blamed the Manufacturer. The Manufacturer Had No Proof.
An industrial gas turbine tripped at a power generation facility. The operator filed a $4.1 million warranty claim alleging a manufacturing defect. The manufacturer's engineers knew the failure was caused by the operator running the unit outside its design envelope.
The problem was not the engineering assessment. The problem was that every data point they could access came from a system the opposing party controlled.
“The sensor data told the whole story. The problem was that until it was sealed, no arbitration panel would accept it as evidence.”Read the full scenario →
The DCAA Audit Found a Gap. The Gap Cost More Than the Contract.
A defense maintenance contractor completed a year of engine overhaul work under a cost-plus government contract. The DCAA audit found no problems with the work quality. It found a documentation gap — sensor data existed but had no tamper-evident audit trail.
Two pending contract renewals worth $11.4 million were placed on hold. The work had been done correctly. The records could not prove it.
“The DCAA does not audit the quality of your work. They audit the integrity of your records. Those are two completely different problems — and only one of them can sink a contract.”Read the full scenario →