Aerospace

The aerospace sector faces a number of requirements and constraints:

• The trend towards reduced operating costs, causing maintenance contracts to become increasingly complex (contracts based on flight time or number of cycles, integrated or non-integrated inventory management, variable number of exclusions)
• Increasing pressure to renew fleets with the latest generation of more fuel-efficient aircraft
• Introduction of new technologies that are changing the balance of power between suppliers

The short-term challenge for the industry remains the effective implementation of complex production systems:

• Steering: control of all critical parameters, optimising performance/productivity
• Supply chain: business continuity, minimising inventory costs and intermediaries
• Production system: interfaces with partners, including new low-cost airlines (Northern Africa, Eastern Europe, Far East) and the sharing of standards, tools and best practices

In the longer term, the growing determination of Original Equipment Manufacturers to capture value downstream by offering services and maintenance can profoundly alter the value chain. For instance, Maintenance Repair and Operations companies need to prepare their response by aiming to reach critical mass, improving their cost position and capitalising on their independence and expertise. Meanwhile, Original Equipment Suppliers need to protect their negotiating power by packaging their own offers to end clients.