Two supply chains in one metro
St. Louis shops often straddle two worlds. One is aerospace and defense, with low volume, heavy documentation and strict special process control. The other is food and industrial equipment, with higher repeat volumes, sanitary design and fast maintenance response.
A fabricator might weld flight hardware fixtures in the morning and stainless guarding for a food line in the afternoon, which means one ERP has to support very different traceability and costing rules.
Quoting and estimating realities
Aerospace quotes need to include special process vendors, inspection and certification time. Food equipment quotes depend on stainless surcharges, finishing requirements such as weld polish, and often fast turnaround for line-down repairs.
- Separate costing templates for certified aerospace work and standard commercial work
- Track material surcharge changes for stainless and aluminum by lot
- Capture rush and repair work as its own job class so margins are visible
- Keep quote history searchable by customer, part family and process
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Supplier Food Safety Approval Questionnaire Template
An onboarding questionnaire for ingredient and packaging suppliers covering certification, allergens, traceability and recall readiness.
ERP and systems commonly seen
Smaller shops often use JobBOSS, E2, ProShop or Global Shop Solutions. Mid-size manufacturers may run Epicor Kinetic, Infor SyteLine or CloudSuite Industrial, Plex, DELMIAworks or NetSuite. Food plants frequently pair an ERP with separate quality and recall systems.
Disconnected spreadsheets for certs, calibration and supplier approvals are common, and are the usual first target for automation.
Compliance and data handling
Defense suppliers should confirm with their compliance lead whether any AI use touches controlled technical data or CUI. Food producers have a different concern: lot traceability and mock recall speed under FDA rules, which depends on how quickly staff can trace ingredients and finished goods through the ERP.
Where private AI helps and where it does not
Private AI on the ERP can answer questions such as which finished lots used a given ingredient lot, which jobs are waiting on a special process vendor, or what a customer paid last year for a part family. Document retrieval across specs and procedures also saves time.
It will not fix poor item master data or missing receiving records. Cleaning those up often delivers more than any model, and write actions should stay behind human approval.
Frequently asked questions
What aerospace manufacturing is in St. Louis?
Boeing Defense, Space and Security is the main anchor, with military aircraft programs such as the F-15EX, F/A-18 Super Hornet, T-7A and MQ-25. A network of machine shops, fabricators and electronics suppliers in the metro supports those programs.
Is there help for small manufacturers in Missouri?
Missouri Enterprise is the state's NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership center. It provides consulting and training for small and mid-size manufacturers, covering areas such as lean, quality systems and workforce development.
Which ERP do St. Louis machine shops use?
There is no single standard. Small shops commonly use JobBOSS, E2, ProShop or Global Shop Solutions, and larger firms use Epicor, Infor SyteLine, Plex, DELMIAworks or NetSuite. The right choice depends on size, traceability needs and integration with quality tools.
Does the NTMA have a St. Louis chapter?
Yes, the National Tooling and Machining Association has had a St. Louis chapter that supports precision machining and tooling companies in the region. Check the NTMA site for current events, training and membership details.