The Tips, Tricks, and Pitfalls of Sourcing Aircraft Parts (Jet Blast Podcast)
I had the pleasure of having a great discussion around Tips, Tricks, and Pitfalls Sourcing Parts with Nathan Winkle, Lee Brewster, and Andy Nixon, June 8, 2020. We discussed ghost inventory, traceability, modernization of the part purchasing process and much more. The team had some great insight and questions about how things are and how things could be.
Will Dent, President and CTO of AeroParts Now, speaks with Nathan Winkle, Lee Brewster, and Andy Nixon on the Jet Blast Podcast.
Things to Consider When Buying Aircraft Parts
Does your vendor or supplier have certifications that help increase your chances of getting an authorized and airworthy aircraft part upon delivery?
Aviation Suppliers Association offers ASA 100 certification. This standard was created to comply with FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 00-56A.
Other certifications include ISO AS9100, AS9110, AS9120, IOS 9001. As with anything this does not guarantee you will have the part airworthy and approved, but it increases the chances greatly.
Part sellers should provide you traceability information, conformance, and physical possession of the part through images, documents, etc. during the quoting process. Training is available from the ASA and it’s partners to help with receiving inspection of parts you take delivery of.
Use modern marketplaces that have actual inventory and pictures.
Marketplaces that offer or even enforce the ability to host images of actual parts, traceability documents and price such as PartsBase, ePlane and Honeywell Go Direct Trade help our industry move forward with the ability to find the part the first time. Would you ever buy something from Amazon without a price or picture? As an industry were laggards with regard to online purchasing, but Lisa Butters with Honeywell’s Go Direct Trade requires listings to include price, pictures and traceability before you can list on their site.
Marketplaces in our industry have a systemic problem of Ghost Inventory. Ghost inventory is when suppliers list parts they do not have in stock. Regardless of the reasons, as a buyer you need to be aware of this and as you develop your approved vendor list you will get a sense of who really has the part versus who doesn’t.
Develop an approved vendor list before you’re AOG.
When you source parts outside of the OEM you need to shop around and find trusted vendors. Doing this during routine work versus AOG is the right time. Putting this into your operations manual and training your team on what to look for in a vendor will go a long ways. Adding some audit controls will help, too.
Don’t accept the status quo.
This is not an exhaustive list of what to look for, however listen to our discussion and help push our industry forward to be modern like the aircraft we operate by not accepting the status quo.