Do you feel beat up with the frequent stress of your aircraft component repair process?
I'm with you, but the good news is...
You've made it! You're on part 3 of our repair management series. If you've missed part 1 and 2, go take a look:
1: Does Aircraft Component Repair Keep You Up At Night?
2: 7 Ways Repair Management Can Simplify Your Life
Remove the complications for your component repair processes before it even starts and eliminate any probability of vendor carelessness. This is your goal, right?
It's not always easy, but it's imperative for a clean ride through the MRO world.
Always start out with the basics by knowing your vendor well and remove any problems before they even start. You'll spare yourself the trouble of finding out too late that your vendor might not have the capabilities you thought, or the personalities you would like to deal with. And this is all right, it just might not be the right fit for you.
This simple checklist can help you avoid committing to a repair management partner before you know them.
1) Ask them to tell you what they do over the phone
This step is REALLY easy, but it can tell you a lot about a person. If most of their conversation is about them and they sound like a used car dealer, that may be a red flag.
2) Ask them to explain their history
If they have no history, they may not have enough experience to handle your needs.
3) Tell them to describe their colleagues
If they can't talk about their colleagues, they may have internal conflict, which is a bad team environment.
4) Have them fill out a quality control audit
This will ensure that all the material you're sending will be accounted for and stored properly. If you don't have an audit for them to fill out, they should have a pre-made one.
5) Get to know your account manager through video chat
This will build a stronger relationship, and you will get to know them on a much deeper level. Trust isn't a commodity.
6) Have a brief conversation with an executive
If upper level management doesn't have time for a paying customer, you shouldn't have time for them either.
7) Have them send you a video of their warehouse
Since distances can be so vast between one another, this will ensure you're working with a clean facility that will ensure your material is taken care of.
8) Review their receiving / shipping checklist
This simple document will show you that your vendors double check what's incoming and outgoing, keeping quality consistent.
9) Take a look at their quality control manual
If they don't have one, enough said.
10) Call or text your account manager after hours
There doesn't need to be a reason for your call or text. By doing this you'll understand if they respond or answer after hours. This is for peace of mind above all else.
11) Visit their facility
If they welcome you with open arms, they're a relationship based organization.
This checklist is a resource for you to use to understand your aircraft repair management partner and to ensure your relationship will work. If it doesn't, thats fine but you'll be able to know this well before you start spending money. Use this checklist for piece of mind and to build a strong relationship with your partners.
Enjoy!