What shops in Puget Sound make and for whom
Most of the supply base sells to Boeing directly or through tier one and tier two suppliers. A single shop may make hundreds of part numbers across several programs, each with its own drawing revisions, process approvals and delivery schedule.
Because primes change build rates, the supply chain feels demand swings sharply. Shops that plan capacity from live open order data, rather than monthly spreadsheets, handle these swings with less overtime and fewer late shipments.
Quoting and estimating realities
Quoting for long term agreements involves multi-year price commitments with material, labor and tooling assumptions. A weak estimate for one part family can carry through years of production.
Estimators should track actual cycle times and scrap by part and by machine, separate setup from run time, and reflect special process outside costs and lead times. Material price swings in aluminum and titanium are a recurring risk worth building into agreements.
- Compare quoted and actual cycle time by part number each quarter
- Carry raw material price assumptions and expiry on each quote
- Include special process lead time in delivery commitments
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Counterfeit Parts Prevention Plan Template
A fill-in plan document covering approved sources, purchasing controls, receiving inspection, suspect part handling, reporting, training and records.
ERP and systems commonly seen
Smaller suppliers commonly run JobBOSS, E2, ProShop, Global Shop Solutions or Epicor Kinetic. Mid-size and tier one suppliers run Infor SyteLine, Plex, DELMIAworks, SAP or Oracle systems, often with separate quality, MES and scheduling tools.
Common problems include schedules that do not reflect real machine capacity, traceability gaps between lot and serial records and customer certificates, and manual re-keying of purchase order changes from prime portals into the ERP.
Compliance and data handling
Prime supplied drawings, specifications and process documents come with usage and confidentiality terms. Defense and space related data adds ITAR and DFARS obligations. Many suppliers are not permitted to put these documents into public cloud AI tools.
A private model running inside the supplier's network, with access following existing ERP and file permissions, lets staff search specifications, past nonconformances and corrective actions without exporting documents. The supplier stays responsible for meeting its contract terms and should confirm the design with its own compliance and IT leads.
Where private AI on ERP helps, and where it does not
Helpful: asking plain questions of the ERP about late orders by customer, inventory against a long term agreement forecast, or parts missing certificates; and searching procedures and corrective action history.
Not helpful: replacing the prime's approved process controls, deciding product acceptance, or substituting for a scheduling engine in a plant that needs finite capacity planning. Keep human sign-off on any write-back to the ERP or quality system.
Frequently asked questions
What aerospace manufacturing is in the Seattle area?
Boeing builds commercial airplanes at Everett and Renton, and a large regional supply base provides machining, sheet metal, composites, special processes, electronics and services. Space and defense companies also operate in the region. Training comes from the University of Washington and local technical colleges.
What certifications do Boeing suppliers in Washington need?
Most need AS9100 certification, and special process suppliers need Nadcap accreditation and Boeing approval for the processes they perform. Boeing publishes supplier quality requirements that flow down by contract. Exact requirements depend on the part, so confirm them in the purchase order and quality clauses.
Where can small Washington manufacturers get help?
Impact Washington is the state's NIST MEP center and offers consulting and training to small and midsize manufacturers. The Aerospace Futures Alliance of Washington and the Washington State Department of Commerce also support the aerospace industry with workforce and business programs.
Can aerospace suppliers use private AI on their ERP data?
Yes, when the model runs on the supplier's own servers or in a private environment it controls. Staff can ask questions of ERP data and search procedures inside the network, with existing access rules applied. Public cloud tools may violate customer or export control terms, so check contracts first.