Aerospace giant invests in ‘supply chain of the future’

Pattonair has joined forces with two innovative companies to create a new cloud-based service for the aerospace industry.

The project, which will see the Derby-based firm work alongside complex part machining company Advanced Manufacturing (AML) and technology start-up Parts Pedigree, has won a grant of €120,000 from the EU’s Internet of Things (IoT) Commission.

The Parts Pedigree digital platform will help to minimise the loss of millions of pounds that parts manufacturers and customers incur every year through outdated paper-based tracking systems.

Using blockchain technology to notarise part certificates, the platform will allow businesses to track and view aviation parts and the related paperwork throughout their supply chain.

Earmarked as the “supply chain of the future,” the venture is set to bring a wide range of benefits to both suppliers and customers by making manufacturing and certification processes more visible.

Pattonair CEO Wayne Hollinshead said: “For some time the aerospace industry has needed a shared approach to the documentation of the critical parts it uses.

“While some companies were working from paper, others may have made the move to digital, but across different systems. Having to navigate this path increased the risk of costly delays, quality issues and ultimately unhappy customers and their suppliers.

“We expect to see a tenfold efficiency improvement with the introduction of this new system. It will play a huge role in our commitment to keeping the world flying.”

Tristan Whitehead, former Deloitte aerospace partner and founder and CEO of Parts Pedigree, added: “There’s an enormous amount of paperwork attached to aircraft parts.

“Paper builds up in organisations, creating ‘data islands’ across the supply chain that are difficult to turn into actionable information.

“Sometimes there are problems with paperwork and, in most circumstances, the best practice has been to lock that part in a quarantine area, so that it doesn’t end up being installed on an aircraft without proper documentation. This ties up working capital and adds friction to the supply chain.

“The industry is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in inventory write-downs, as they end up with a long list of parts they can’t sell due to loss of documentation.

“The most expensive part is one that can’t fly.

“What this does is fully automate the traditional paper certification process, create an electronic advanced shipping notice and completely automate the receiving process which ultimately connects ‘data islands’, providing a digital thread of data that is hugely beneficial to planning and risk management.”

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