Aerospace Manufacturing ERP Requirements

Aerospace manufacturers require ERP software that manages far more than accounting, purchasing, and inventory. The system must connect product configuration, customer requirements, approved suppliers, material traceability, Work Orders, production operations, inspections, quality records, employee qualifications, and shipment history.

Aerospace manufacturing frequently involves complex products, long supply chains, controlled materials, serialized assemblies, outside processing, detailed customer requirements, and extensive documentation. Information created by Engineering, Purchasing, Inventory, Production, Quality, and Accounting must remain connected throughout the manufacturing lifecycle.

An integrated aerospace ERP system helps manufacturers support AS9100 quality-management processes, maintain product genealogy, control suppliers, manage production risk, retrieve audit evidence, and understand the status of every customer order and Work Order.

Aerospace ERP software should provide one controlled record connecting customer requirements, engineering data, purchased materials, production operations, inspections, finished products, and customer shipments.

Aerospace manufacturing ERP requirements including AS9100 quality management, lot and serial traceability, supplier controls, Work Orders, inspections, document control, and audit readiness

Aerospace manufacturing ERP connects customer requirements, suppliers, materials, production, quality, product genealogy, audit records, and financial transactions.

What Is Aerospace Manufacturing ERP Software?

Aerospace manufacturing ERP software is an integrated business system designed to manage the operational, quality, traceability, and financial requirements associated with producing aerospace and defense products.

The software may support:

Customer and contract review
Item Master and product configuration
Revision-controlled Bills of Materials
Approved manufacturer and supplier control
Material Requirements Planning
Purchase Order management
Receiving and receiving inspection
Lot, heat, batch, and serial-number traceability
Work Order management
Manufacturing routings
Production scheduling
Shop floor tracking
Inspection and test management
Nonconformance and corrective action
Document control
Employee training and competency
Calibration and equipment management
Actual manufacturing costing
Shipping and certification records
General Ledger integration

ERP and Quality Management Must Work Together

Aerospace production cannot be managed effectively when purchasing, inventory, Work Orders, inspection records, corrective actions, and product genealogy are maintained in unrelated systems.

Why Aerospace Manufacturers Have Specialized ERP Requirements

Aerospace manufacturers frequently operate under customer, contractual, quality, regulatory, and industry requirements that extend beyond ordinary production and accounting controls.

Complex Product Structures

Products may contain multiple assemblies, revisions, alternates, customer configurations, controlled materials, and serialized components.

Extensive Traceability

Manufacturers may need to connect suppliers, material certifications, lots, Work Orders, employees, inspections, and serialized finished products.

Supplier Risk

Purchased materials and special processes must come from approved and qualified sources.

Quality-System Integration

Inspection, nonconformance, corrective action, calibration, training, and document control must support production activity.

Customer-Specific Requirements

Each order may include unique quality clauses, certification requirements, source restrictions, and record-retention obligations.

Audit Expectations

Records must be complete, controlled, accessible, and connected with the products and transactions they support.

Core Aerospace ERP Requirements

ERP Requirement	Business Purpose
Contract Review	Identifies customer, product, delivery, quality, documentation, and certification requirements before acceptance.
Configuration Management	Controls product definitions, revisions, BOMs, drawings, specifications, and effective changes.
Supplier Control	Restricts purchasing and processing to evaluated and approved sources.
Material Traceability	Preserves supplier, Purchase Order, receipt, lot, heat, batch, and certification history.
Work Order Control	Defines what must be produced, which revision applies, and how manufacturing will be performed.
Production Routing	Controls the sequence of manufacturing, inspection, testing, and outside-processing operations.
Quality Management	Connects inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, calibration, and training.
Product Genealogy	Connects source materials and production history with finished-product lots or serial numbers.
Document Control	Ensures employees use approved and current drawings, instructions, procedures, and specifications.
Audit History	Records significant transactions, changes, approvals, users, and dates.
Actual Costing	Accumulates the actual material, labor, outside processing, machine, scrap, and overhead cost of production.

Supporting AS9100 Quality-Management Processes

AS9100 builds upon ISO 9001 and adds aerospace-related expectations involving operational risk, configuration management, product safety, counterfeit-part prevention, supplier control, traceability, production controls, and quality-system effectiveness.

An ERP system can support these processes by connecting:

Customer requirements and quality clauses
Product and document revisions
Approved suppliers and external processors
Receiving and inspection records
Material certifications
Production Work Orders and routings
Employee training and competency
Equipment and calibration status
Nonconformance and corrective action
Product genealogy
Shipping documentation
Audit trails and retained records

ERP software does not create compliance by itself. It provides the controls, records, workflows, and visibility used to implement and demonstrate the organization’s approved quality processes.

Customer Contract and Purchase Order Review

Aerospace requirements frequently originate with the customer’s Purchase Order, contract, specifications, drawings, quality clauses, and delivery schedule.

Contract Review should evaluate:

Customer part number
Internal part number
Product revision
Ordered quantity
Delivery schedule
Customer drawings and specifications
Quality clauses
Approved source requirements
Inspection and testing requirements
First Article requirements
Serialization and lot-control requirements
Certificate of Conformance requirements
Material-certification requirements
Special-process requirements
Packaging and labeling requirements
Record-retention requirements

Flow Requirements into Operations

Requirements identified during Contract Review should be connected with Sales Orders, purchasing documents, Work Orders, inspection plans, production instructions, and shipment records.

Customer Quality Clauses and Requirement Flowdown

Customer quality clauses may define controls that must be applied throughout purchasing, production, quality, and shipping.

Customer Purchase
Order and Clauses

➜

Contract
Review

➜

Supplier Purchase
Order Flowdown

➜

Work Order and
Inspection Controls

➜

Shipment and
Certification Records

The ERP system should help ensure applicable requirements are communicated to:

Engineering
Purchasing
Approved suppliers
Receiving
Production Planning
Shop floor employees
Quality inspectors
Outside processors
Shipping personnel

Learn more in our Customer Purchase Order Quality Clauses guide.

Product Configuration and Revision Management

Configuration management helps ensure the product manufactured matches the approved customer and engineering requirements.

The controlled configuration may include:

Internal part number
Customer part number
Product revision
Bill of Materials revision
Drawing revision
Specification revision
Routing revision
Software or firmware revision
Inspection-plan revision
Approved alternates
Effective dates
Engineering Change Order

Configuration Record	ERP Relationship
Item Master	Defines product identity, revision, classification, controls, and linked documentation.
Bill of Materials	Defines components, quantities, approved sources, and assembly relationships.
Routing	Defines manufacturing and inspection operations.
Work Order	Preserves the configuration authorized for a specific production build.
Shipment	Connects the delivered product with the manufactured configuration.

Do Not Replace Historical Configuration Data

When revisions change, the ERP system should preserve the configuration used by previous Purchase Orders, Work Orders, inspections, and customer shipments.

Aerospace Item Master Data

The Item Master provides the controlled definition of purchased, manufactured, non-inventory, tooling, document, and service items used throughout the ERP system.

Aerospace Item Master data may include:

Part number and revision
Description
Customer part numbers
Make-or-buy classification
Inventory stage
Unit of measure
Product classification
Material specification
Drawing and document links
Approved manufacturers
Approved suppliers
Lot-control requirements
Serial-number requirements
Shelf-life requirements
Inspection requirements
Production and purchasing lead times
Cost and financial classifications

Learn more in our Item Master Data Management guide.

Revision-Controlled Bills of Materials

The Bill of Materials defines the components, materials, subassemblies, quantities, and approved alternatives required to manufacture a product.

Aerospace BOM controls may include:

Parent and component revisions
Quantity per assembly
Unit of measure
Effective dates
Approved manufacturer parts
Approved suppliers
Alternate and substitute restrictions
Customer-specific configurations
Reference drawings
Material specifications
Where-used relationships
Engineering approval history

Customer and
Engineering Definition

➜

Approved Product
BOM

➜

MRP Material
Requirements

➜

Work Order
Material List

➜

As-Built Product
Genealogy

Learn more in our Bill of Materials guide.

Approved Supplier and External Provider Control

Aerospace manufacturers depend on suppliers for raw material, components, tooling, calibration, laboratory testing, and special processes.

Supplier records may include:

Approval status
Approved products and services
Customer or program restrictions
Quality certifications
Approval date
Reevaluation date
Audit history
Performance ratings
Delivery history
Quality history
Corrective-action status
Required Purchase Order clauses
Contact and facility information

Supplier Status	Meaning
Approved	Authorized for the defined products, services, processes, or programs.
Conditional	Use is permitted subject to defined limitations or additional controls.
Pending	Evaluation or approval activity is incomplete.
Inactive	Supplier is not currently used but historical records remain available.
Disqualified	Purchasing is prohibited unless formally reevaluated and approved.

Learn more in our Approved Vendor List guide.

Supplier Performance Monitoring

Supplier approval should be supported by ongoing performance monitoring.

Supplier KPIs may include:

On-time delivery
Receiving rejection rate
Certificate accuracy
Quantity accuracy
Corrective-action responsiveness
Audit findings
Lead-time performance
Purchase price performance
Special-process performance

Quality Performance

Measure accepted, rejected, returned, and conditionally accepted receipts.

Delivery Performance

Compare confirmed supplier dates with actual receipt dates.

Documentation Performance

Track missing, incorrect, or incomplete certifications and shipping records.

Corrective-Action Performance

Monitor response time, root-cause quality, implementation, and effectiveness.

Counterfeit and Suspect-Part Prevention

Aerospace manufacturers may require controls intended to reduce the risk of counterfeit or suspect material entering the supply chain.

ERP controls can support:

Approved manufacturer requirements
Approved distributor and supplier restrictions
Manufacturer part-number control
Purchase Order quality clauses
Certification requirements
Lot and date-code recording
Country-of-origin information
Receiving inspection
Material quarantine
Supplier nonconformance records
Full receipt-to-shipment traceability

Supplier Selection Must Consider More Than Price

Purchasing from an unapproved or unverifiable source can create quality, product-safety, compliance, and customer risk.

Aerospace Purchase Order Management

Supplier Purchase Orders should communicate the exact item, revision, quantity, delivery, certification, quality, and processing requirements associated with the purchase.

Purchase Order information may include:

Internal part number
Manufacturer part number
Supplier part number
Revision
Quantity and unit of measure
Delivery schedule
Material specification
Quality clauses
Certificate requirements
Inspection requirements
Special-process requirements
Customer or program reference
Approved-source requirements
Record-retention requirements

Learn more in our Purchase Order Management guide.

Receiving and Receiving Inspection

Receiving is the first internal control point for purchased materials and externally provided services.

Receiving may verify:

Supplier identity
Purchase Order and line item
Part number and revision
Manufacturer and manufacturer part number
Quantity and unit of measure
Packaging and condition
Lot, heat, batch, date code, or serial number
Material certifications
Special-process certifications
Country of origin
Expiration or shelf-life information
Customer and quality-clause requirements

Supplier
Shipment

➜

Purchase Order and
Certificate Review

➜

Receiving
Transaction

➜

Inspection and
Acceptance

➜

Controlled
Inventory

Material requiring inspection or documentation review should remain unavailable until the required acceptance has been recorded.

Material and Process Certification Management

Material certifications, Certificates of Conformance, test reports, and special-process certifications may be required to support product acceptance and traceability.

Certification records may be linked to:

Supplier
Purchase Order
Receipt
Part number and revision
Material specification
Lot, heat, batch, or serial number
Outside-processing operation
Work Order
Finished-product lot or serial number
Customer shipment

The ERP system should allow rapid retrieval of the certification associated with a specific received material or delivered product.

Aerospace Inventory Management

Aerospace inventory may require detailed controls involving source, status, ownership, traceability, configuration, and cost.

Inventory records may include:

Part number and revision
Inventory location
Available quantity
Allocated quantity
Inspection quantity
Quality status
Lot, heat, batch, or serial number
Manufacturer
Supplier
Purchase Order and receipt
Certificate links
Expiration or shelf-life date
Customer ownership
FIFO cost layer
Actual unit cost

Inventory Status	Use
Available	Accepted and eligible for normal allocation and production.
Awaiting Inspection	Received but not yet accepted.
Allocated	Reserved for a customer, Work Order, or requirement.
Quality Hold	Temporarily unavailable pending review.
Rejected	Unusable without an approved disposition.
Customer-Owned	Restricted to the applicable customer or program.
Expired	Requires evaluation before use or disposition.

Learn more in our Manufacturing Inventory Management guide.

Lot, Heat, Batch, and Serial-Number Traceability

Aerospace manufacturers may need detailed forward and backward traceability throughout purchasing, inventory, production, inspection, and shipping.

Approved Supplier
and Purchase Order

➜

Receipt, Certificate,
Lot or Heat

➜

Work Order Materials
and Operations

➜

Finished Product
Lot or Serial

➜

Customer
Shipment

Traceability can help answer:

Which supplier provided the material?
Which Purchase Order and receipt created the inventory?
Which certification applies?
Which material lot or serial number was consumed?
Which Work Order used the material?
Which employees and machines performed the operations?
Which inspections and tests were completed?
Which finished products contain the material?
Which customers received the affected products?

Learn more in our Lot and Serial Number Traceability guide.

Forward and Backward Product Genealogy

Traceability Direction	Purpose
Backward Traceability	Starts with a finished product and identifies the materials, suppliers, employees, operations, inspections, and certifications used to manufacture it.
Forward Traceability	Starts with a material lot, supplier receipt, process, or defect and identifies affected Work Orders, finished products, shipments, and customers.

Complete genealogy supports quality investigations, customer inquiries, supplier issues, recalls, containment, warranty evaluation, and audit response.

Material Requirements Planning

MRP calculates purchased and manufactured requirements using customer demand, product structures, inventory, Purchase Orders, Work Orders, and lead times.

Aerospace MRP may evaluate:

Customer Sales Orders
Delivery schedules
Forecasts
Multi-level Bills of Materials
Available and allocated inventory
Inventory awaiting inspection
Open Purchase Orders
Open Work Orders
Approved suppliers
Purchasing and production lead times
Minimum order quantities
Safety stock
Customer-owned material

The planning system can recommend new Purchase Orders and Work Orders, as well as expediting, deferring, increasing, reducing, or cancelling existing supply.

Learn more in our MRP Software for Manufacturers guide.

Aerospace Work Order Management

The Work Order provides the central production record authorizing the manufacture, repair, rework, or processing of a product.

An aerospace Work Order may include:

Product part number and revision
Customer and Sales Order
Quantity required
Due date
Bill of Materials
Material allocations and issues
Manufacturing routing
Outside-processing operations
Drawings and work instructions
Inspection and testing requirements
Customer quality clauses
Employee labor
Machine and equipment records
Lot and serial-number requirements
Completed, rejected, and scrapped quantities
Actual manufacturing cost

The Work Order should preserve the approved product configuration and the complete as-built manufacturing history.

Learn more in our Manufacturing Work Order Management guide.

Manufacturing Routing and Operation Control

Manufacturing routings define the sequence of production, inspection, testing, and outside-processing operations required to manufacture the product.

Routing records may define:

Operation number
Operation description
Work center
Required employee qualification
Required equipment
Setup and production time
Inspection requirements
Work instructions
Special-process supplier
Required documentation
Completion and acceptance criteria

Material
Preparation

➜

Manufacturing
Operations

➜

In-Process
Inspection

➜

Outside Special
Processing

➜

Final Inspection
and Acceptance

Learn more in our Manufacturing Routing Software guide.

Outside Processing and Special Processes

Aerospace production may require processes performed by external suppliers.

Examples include:

Heat treatment
Plating
Anodizing
Painting and coating
Welding
Nondestructive testing
Laboratory testing
Calibration
Specialized machining

Outside-processing control may include:

Approved processor
Purchase Order
Applicable specification and revision
Work Order and routing operation
Quantity sent
Lot or serial numbers sent
Date shipped and expected return date
Certification requirements
Quantity received
Receiving inspection
Actual processing cost

Maintain Traceability While Product Is Outside the Facility

The ERP system should preserve ownership, quantity, status, lot or serial identity, supplier, documentation, and routing information throughout outside processing.

Aerospace Production Scheduling

Production scheduling coordinates Work Orders, routing operations, employees, machines, materials, inspection resources, outside processors, and customer dates.

Scheduling may consider:

Customer priority
Contract delivery date
Material availability
Operation sequence
Work-center capacity
Qualified employees
Machine availability
Tooling and fixture availability
Inspection capacity
Outside-processing lead time
Planned maintenance
Production risk

Learn more in our Manufacturing Production Scheduling guide.

Shop Floor Tracking and Production Visibility

Shop floor tracking records manufacturing activity as work is performed.

Employees and supervisors may record or review:

Released Work Orders
Current operation
Setup and production labor
Employees performing work
Machines and equipment used
Completed quantities
Rejected and scrap quantities
Downtime
Inspection requirements
Material usage
Production holds
Operation completion

Current Production Status Supports Better Decisions

Real-time Work Order information helps Production Planning, Quality, Shipping, and management identify delays, shortages, bottlenecks, and delivery risks.

Learn more in our Shop Floor Tracking Software guide.

Employee Training and Competency

Employees performing aerospace manufacturing, inspection, testing, special processes, and quality-system activities may require defined qualifications and documented competency.

Training-management controls may include:

Training requirements by job title
Training requirements by work center
Product- and customer-specific training
Equipment qualifications
Inspection qualifications
Document-revision training
Competency levels
Certification expiration
Automatic notifications
Training evidence and test results
Workforce gap analysis

The system can help prevent an employee from beginning a controlled operation when required training or competency has expired.

Learn more in our Employee Training Management guide.

Equipment, Tooling, and Calibration Management

Manufacturing and inspection depend on machines, tools, fixtures, gauges, and measuring equipment that must be available and suitable for use.

Equipment records may include:

Equipment ID
Description and type
Department or location
Calibration requirements
Calibration due date
Calibration results
Maintenance schedule
Current status
Repair history
Certificates and reports
Associated Work Orders or inspections

Do Not Assign Unavailable Equipment

Production and inspection systems should identify equipment that is out of calibration, under maintenance, damaged, or otherwise unavailable.

Inspection and Test Management

Inspection and test requirements should be connected with receiving, Work Orders, routing operations, product characteristics, and customer requirements.

Inspection types may include:

Receiving inspection
First-piece inspection
First Article Inspection
In-process inspection
Final inspection
Functional testing
Nondestructive testing
Source inspection
Customer inspection
Certificate review

Inspection Information	Purpose
Requirement	Defines the characteristic, specification, or acceptance criteria.
Actual Result	Records the observed or measured value.
Equipment Used	Identifies the measuring or test equipment.
Inspector	Identifies the person performing the inspection.
Lot or Serial Number	Connects results with the inspected product.
Disposition	Records acceptance, rejection, rework, or authorized disposition.

Nonconforming Material Control

Nonconformance records identify products, materials, processes, or documents that do not meet applicable requirements.

A nonconformance record may include:

Part number and revision
Work Order or Purchase Order
Operation
Quantity affected
Lot or serial number
Requirement
Actual condition
Defect category
Immediate containment
Disposition
Approvals
Rework instructions
Reinspection results
Supplier relationship
Corrective-action relationship

Material placed on quality hold should remain unavailable for production or shipment until an authorized disposition is completed.

Corrective Action Management

Corrective action provides a controlled method for investigating significant or recurring problems, implementing actions, and evaluating effectiveness.

Problem or
Nonconformance

➜

Containment

➜

Root-Cause
Analysis

➜

Corrective
Action

➜

Effectiveness
Verification

Corrective-action records may include:

Problem statement
Affected products and customers
Containment activity
Root-cause analysis
Assigned actions
Responsible employees
Due dates
Supporting documents
Implementation evidence
Effectiveness review
Closure approval

Learn more in our Corrective Action Management guide.

Supplier Corrective Action

Supplier corrective actions connect purchased-product issues with the responsible external provider.

The record may connect:

Supplier
Purchase Order
Receipt
Rejected quantity
Material lot or serial number
Inspection results
Containment requirement
Supplier response
Root cause
Corrective action
Effectiveness verification
Supplier-performance rating

This integration allows supplier problems to affect reevaluation and future sourcing decisions.

Document Control and Revision Management

Aerospace manufacturers must control the documents used to define, manufacture, inspect, and accept products.

Controlled documents may include:

Quality manuals
Policies and procedures
Engineering drawings
Manufacturing work instructions
Inspection plans
Specifications
Forms
CNC programs
Customer documents
Supplier documents
Packaging instructions

Document-control software should support:

Unique document identification
Revision history
Approval workflows
Effective dates
Distribution and access control
Obsolete-document protection
Training requirements
Linked records
Electronic audit history

Learn more in our Document Control Software guide.

Operational Risk Management

Aerospace manufacturing risks may affect product conformity, delivery performance, product safety, customer satisfaction, and business continuity.

Operational risks may include:

Single-source material
Long-lead components
Supplier performance
Material shortages
Equipment failure
Insufficient qualified employees
Outside-processing delays
Configuration errors
Inspection capacity
Quality escapes
Counterfeit-part exposure
Obsolete components

Risk Information	Purpose
Risk Description	Explains the condition or potential failure.
Potential Impact	Identifies possible product, schedule, customer, financial, or compliance consequences.
Probability and Severity	Supports consistent risk evaluation.
Mitigation	Defines actions intended to reduce exposure.
Responsible Owner	Assigns accountability.
Review Date	Ensures ongoing monitoring.

Product Safety and Critical Requirements

Some aerospace products and processes may include safety-related characteristics or requirements that require additional control.

ERP and quality records may identify:

Critical items
Key characteristics
Special inspection requirements
Qualified personnel
Controlled suppliers
Special-process certifications
Additional approvals
Escalation requirements
Traceability and record-retention requirements

These requirements should remain visible throughout planning, purchasing, production, inspection, and shipment.

Actual Aerospace Work Order Costing

Integrated manufacturing costing accumulates the actual expenses associated with each Work Order.

Cost Component	Transaction Source
Direct Material	Actual FIFO inventory layers consumed during production
Direct Labor	Employee setup, production, inspection, and rework time
Machine Cost	Equipment usage and applicable machine rates
Outside Processing	Supplier Purchase Orders and received processing services
Inspection and Testing	Internal labor, equipment time, and outside laboratory services
Scrap and Rework	Additional material, labor, processing, and inspection
Manufacturing Overhead	Burden allocated according to company policy

Actual cost history supports quoting, profitability analysis, inventory valuation, Cost of Goods Sold, and continuous improvement.

Learn more in our Actual Work Order Costing guide.

Shipping, Certification, and Delivery Records

Before shipment, the ERP system can verify that required production, inspection, certification, documentation, and approval activities are complete.

Shipment documentation may include:

Packing list
Certificate of Conformance
Material certifications
Special-process certifications
Inspection and test reports
First Article documentation
Lot and serial-number lists
Customer labels
Export or shipping documentation
Customer-specific forms

Do Not Release Incomplete Product

Shipment controls should prevent delivery when required inspections, certifications, nonconformance dispositions, customer approvals, or documentation are incomplete.

Audit Readiness and Compliance Visibility

Aerospace manufacturers may undergo internal audits, certification audits, customer audits, supplier audits, regulatory reviews, and quality investigations.

Auditors may request evidence involving:

Contract Review
Customer requirements
Approved suppliers
Supplier evaluations
Purchase Orders and flowdown
Receiving and inspection
Material certifications
Traceability and genealogy
Work Orders and production records
Employee qualifications
Calibration records
Nonconformance and corrective action
Document revisions
Internal audits
Management Review

Audit readiness improves when evidence is created during normal operations and retained with the transactions, products, employees, suppliers, and customers it supports.

Electronic Audit Trails

Electronic audit history can identify who performed a significant action and when it occurred.

Audit trails may record:

Record creation
Original and revised values
User making the change
Date and time
Approval
Status changes
Revision changes
Inventory transactions
Inspection decisions
Nonconformance dispositions
Work Order completion
Shipment release

Historical transactions should remain available even when the current business record changes.

Management Review and Quality Metrics

Integrated ERP and quality data can provide management with current information regarding operational and quality-system performance.

Management Review information may include:

Customer delivery performance
Customer complaints
Internal and external audit results
Supplier quality and delivery
Nonconformance trends
Corrective-action status
Training and competency gaps
Calibration status
Production performance
Scrap and rework
Material shortages
Operational risks
Improvement opportunities

Aerospace Manufacturing ERP KPIs

KPI	What It Measures
On-Time Delivery	Customer shipments completed by the committed date.
Supplier On-Time Delivery	Supplier receipts completed by confirmed dates.
Supplier Defect Rate	Rejected supplier quantity compared with total receipts.
Inventory Accuracy	Recorded inventory compared with verified physical inventory.
Material Shortage Rate	Work Orders delayed by unavailable material.
First-Pass Yield	Products accepted without rework.
Scrap Rate	Quantity or value permanently lost during production.
Rework Rate	Quantity requiring additional controlled processing.
Corrective-Action Closure	Corrective actions completed within defined due dates.
Training Compliance	Required employee qualifications that remain current.
Calibration Compliance	Required equipment remaining within calibration.
Audit Finding Closure	Audit findings completed by agreed dates.
Actual Cost Variance	Estimated or quoted cost compared with actual Work Order cost.

Why Generic ERP and Accounting Systems May Fall Short

Many business systems focus primarily on accounting, purchasing, sales, and basic inventory. Aerospace manufacturers may then rely on spreadsheets and standalone databases for quality and traceability.

Missing Capability	Common Workaround	Potential Risk
Detailed Product Genealogy	Spreadsheets and paper travelers	Incomplete or slow traceability investigations
Supplier Qualification	Separate Approved Vendor List	Purchasing from an unapproved source
Quality Management	Standalone QMS database	Quality records disconnected from orders and products
Document Control	Shared folders and manual revision lists	Use of obsolete instructions
Training Control	Human Resources spreadsheets	Expired qualifications and incomplete evidence
Corrective Action	Documents and email	Missed due dates and weak effectiveness verification
Actual Costing	Manual spreadsheets	Incomplete product-cost and profitability information

Disconnected Systems Create Multiple Sources of Truth

Engineering, Purchasing, Inventory, Production, Quality, and Accounting may make decisions using different revisions, quantities, statuses, and dates.

Aerospace ERP Software Selection Checklist

Evaluation Area	Questions to Ask
Contract Review	Can customer, product, quality, delivery, certification, and documentation requirements be captured and flowed down?
Configuration Management	Can revisions, BOMs, drawings, routings, documents, and effective changes be controlled?
Supplier Management	Can purchasing be limited to approved providers and approved products or processes?
Traceability	Can the system trace materials from supplier receipt through Work Orders and customer shipment?
Inventory	Can it manage lots, heats, serials, status, ownership, certifications, locations, and costs?
Work Orders	Can it preserve configuration, materials, routings, employees, equipment, inspections, and genealogy?
Quality Management	Can it manage inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, training, and calibration?
Document Control	Can employees access current approved documents while obsolete revisions remain protected?
Audit History	Can significant changes, approvals, users, dates, and transactions be retrieved?
Costing	Can actual materials, labor, processing, scrap, rework, and overhead be calculated?
Reporting	Can management retrieve current operational, quality, traceability, and financial information?
Integration	Are purchasing, production, quality, shipping, and accounting connected in one system?

Aerospace Manufacturing ERP with SimpleManufacturing™

SimpleManufacturing™ connects customer requirements, Item Master data, Bills of Materials, MRP, suppliers, purchasing, receiving, inventory, Work Orders, routings, production scheduling, shop floor tracking, quality management, product genealogy, shipping, costing, and accounting.

SimpleManufacturing™ Capability	Business Benefit
Contract Review	Records customer, product, delivery, quality, certification, and documentation requirements.
Item and Configuration Control	Maintains part numbers, revisions, classifications, documents, and customer relationships.
Bill of Materials	Controls multi-level product structures, components, revisions, and approved alternatives.
MRP	Calculates purchased and manufactured requirements using current demand and supply.
Approved Supplier Management	Controls qualified suppliers, products, processes, certifications, and performance.
Purchase Order Flowdown	Communicates item, revision, certification, quality-clause, and delivery requirements.
Receiving and Inspection	Records material identity, certifications, lots, serials, inspection results, and acceptance.
Inventory Management	Controls quantities, locations, status, ownership, FIFO cost, lots, and serial numbers.
Work Order Management	Connects materials, routings, employees, equipment, quality, genealogy, and completion.
Production Scheduling	Coordinates customer priorities, Work Orders, materials, resources, and due dates.
Shop Floor Tracking	Provides current labor, quantities, operations, holds, and production status.
Quality Management	Connects inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, training, and calibration.
Document Control	Provides approved revisions and complete document history.
Product Genealogy	Connects suppliers and material receipts with finished products and customer shipments.
Actual Work Order Costing	Accumulates materials, labor, outside processing, machine, rework, and overhead cost.
Accounting Integration	Connects inventory, WIP, Finished Goods, COGS, revenue, receivables, and payables.

One Connected Record from Customer Requirement Through Shipment

SimpleManufacturing™ provides one database connecting customer requirements, approved product configurations, purchased materials, production history, quality records, certifications, genealogy, cost, and delivered products.

Frequently Asked Questions About Aerospace Manufacturing ERP

What is aerospace manufacturing ERP software?

Aerospace manufacturing ERP integrates customer requirements, product configuration, suppliers, purchasing, inventory, MRP, Work Orders, production, quality, traceability, costing, shipping, and accounting.

What ERP capabilities do aerospace manufacturers require?

Common requirements include Contract Review, configuration control, supplier management, lot and serial traceability, Work Orders, production routings, quality management, document control, training, calibration, audit history, and actual costing.

Can ERP software support AS9100 processes?

Yes. ERP software can support approved organizational processes by maintaining controlled records, workflows, approvals, traceability, supplier controls, training records, inspections, corrective actions, and audit evidence.

Does ERP software make a company AS9100 compliant?

No. Compliance depends on the organization’s quality-management system, procedures, implementation, employee competency, leadership, and retained evidence. ERP software supports those processes.

Why is traceability important in aerospace manufacturing?

Traceability connects source materials, suppliers, certifications, Work Orders, operations, inspections, finished products, and customer shipments for investigations, containment, recalls, audits, and customer inquiries.

What is product genealogy?

Product genealogy is the complete manufacturing history connecting the materials, suppliers, employees, operations, equipment, inspections, and documentation associated with a finished product.

What is forward traceability?

Forward traceability identifies the Work Orders, finished products, shipments, and customers affected by a material lot, receipt, supplier, process, or quality issue.

What is backward traceability?

Backward traceability begins with a delivered or finished product and identifies the materials, suppliers, production records, inspections, and certifications used to create it.

How are aerospace suppliers controlled?

Suppliers can be evaluated, approved for defined products or services, monitored through performance metrics, audited, reevaluated, and restricted from purchasing when no longer approved.

How are customer quality clauses managed?

Quality clauses are identified during Contract Review and flowed into purchasing, Work Orders, inspection plans, production instructions, shipping, and certification records.

How are material certifications managed?

Certifications can be attached to supplier receipts and linked with lots, heats, serial numbers, Work Orders, finished products, and customer shipments.

What is configuration management?

Configuration management controls product identity, revisions, BOMs, drawings, specifications, routings, software, changes, and the configuration used for each production build.

How are outside special processes controlled?

Outside processes can be linked with approved suppliers, Purchase Orders, routing operations, specifications, quantities, serial numbers, certifications, receipts, inspections, and Work Order cost.

How does an ERP system control employee qualifications?

Training requirements and competency records can be connected with job titles, work centers, equipment, products, and routing operations to verify qualification before work begins.

How does ERP support calibration management?

ERP can maintain equipment identity, calibration frequency, due dates, results, certificates, status, and relationships with inspections or production operations.

How are nonconforming products controlled?

Nonconformance records identify the affected product, quantity, requirement, actual condition, lot or serial number, containment, disposition, approvals, rework, and reinspection.

What is corrective action management?

Corrective action manages containment, root-cause analysis, assigned actions, implementation evidence, effectiveness verification, and closure.

Why do generic ERP systems fall short for aerospace manufacturers?

Systems designed mainly for accounting and basic inventory may lack configuration control, detailed genealogy, quality management, supplier qualification, document control, and connected audit records.

What should aerospace manufacturers consider when selecting ERP software?

They should evaluate configuration management, customer-requirement flowdown, supplier control, traceability, production, quality, document control, training, calibration, audit history, costing, reporting, and integration.

How does SimpleManufacturing™ support aerospace manufacturing?

SimpleManufacturing™ connects Contract Review, Item Master data, BOMs, MRP, suppliers, purchasing, inventory, Work Orders, routings, scheduling, shop floor tracking, quality, document control, genealogy, costing, shipping, and accounting.

Connect Aerospace Production, Quality, and Traceability

Aerospace manufacturing ERP must support the complete product lifecycle from customer requirements and approved product configuration through purchasing, production, quality acceptance, product genealogy, shipment, and financial reporting.

When operational and quality information is integrated, manufacturers can improve requirement flowdown, supplier control, material visibility, production status, traceability, audit readiness, and management decision-making.

One Source of Truth for Aerospace Manufacturing

Integrated aerospace ERP provides Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Quality, Shipping, Accounting, and management with a shared record of the product, its requirements, its manufacturing history, and its current status.

SimpleManufacturing™ provides aerospace manufacturing ERP for small and mid-sized manufacturers requiring AS9100 process support, product configuration, approved suppliers, MRP, Work Orders, production scheduling, quality management, document control, genealogy, actual costing, and integrated accounting.

Schedule an Aerospace Manufacturing ERP Demonstration