How To Get Efficient Support For A 50+ Aircraft Part RFQ List
Has your maintenance and engineering team ever sent you a 50 part requisition list? Of course they have.
These long lists are daunting. You have to review the list, send out RFQs, and then eventually cut POs. It get’s even worse when you try to manage all the POs you’ve cut, making sure the aircraft parts get to you on time and on budget (not just the PO price but the overall cost of the order).
It’s time consuming and stressful.
You start by sending your long aircraft part list to 20+ suppliers. In reality, it makes sense. You test the market and see who has the best price and send POs from there. Right?
No, wrong.
This is inefficient and counterproductive. Sending out the email is the easy part. What happens when you start processing RFQs and sending POs?
Are you going to send POs to 20 different suppliers? If so, your costs now have doubled once you factor in processing and transit costs.
This mindset gets expensive. Sit back and think about it. Really dig deep on all of the cost associated with cutting so many POs.
What if there was a better way? What if you cut 1 PO and saved thousands of dollars on freight and time, and nothing else changed (i.e. delivery time, quality, etc.)?
It’s possible…
Streamline your RFQ process
In an industry where time is money, creating strategies to expedite operational processes is integral to any airlines success.
What if you could send a 50 part list, have it quoted by one supplier in 5 days, and at your facility in another 5 days? Imagine the cost savings associated with this streamlined focus.
Instead of sending out mass emails (I know, I know, this is tough since it’s a way to price market) send out several RFQs to your top suppliers. If they're your top supplier, they’ll be able to support 90% of your RFQ list.
Once you have your quote, you process the order. We like to call this “$ave By Consolidating.” It’s as simple as that.
When you mass email, you receive hundreds of quotes and no quotes that you have to process. Who has the best price, who’s approved, where is it shipping from, who has what, and when can they get it to us? It get’s chaotic fast.
When you process long lists through one trusted supplier you benefit from efficient communication and price conscious consolidations.
Meet my 1 list aircraft part RFQ strategy & it starts with trust
This is the time when you put your trust into an honest partner.
If they haven’t or can’t prove they’ve supported such a long list requirement, I caution you now. Quoting is the easy part. It’s the coordination of having stock availability and close ties with OEM networks and MROs to getting your material on time and on budget.
It’s not your responsibility to play babysitter to 50 suppliers. It’s your responsibility to keep your aircraft in the air, reducing downtime, and increasing up-time.
When a 50 part requirement comes across your desk, do the following:
- Send this 50 part list to a trusted partner.
- Have them quote it in a timely manner, typically 3 - 5 days for a 50 part list.
- Review the quote and notice the lead times. The majority of the spares should ship within 3 - 10 business days depending on the requirement. More rotables might extend lead times if they have to get repaired. But communication is key so tell them your exact requirements.
- Cut 95% - 100% of the RFQ list to one trusted partner and let them work their magic.
- Upon completion review how they communicated through this process.
Once you receive your material, review their performance. If there was minimal errors and they were super responsive, you found your trusted long list preferred partner.
P.S. We work hundreds of long lists every week and often times they’re apart of our maintenance check program. We are no strangers in coordinating our $ave by consolidating mindset and supporting airlines with 20 - 160 component shipments. We can prove it. Send your list today and start by filling out the below form.