What shops in Wichita make and for whom
The local supply chain is built around a few large buyers. A tier one shop may hold long term agreements for machined structural details, while a ten person shop may run first article and short runs for several customers in the same week.
Because of that mix, customer concentration is a real business risk. Shops that keep clean job costing by customer, program and part family can see which work actually pays after setup, inspection and special process outside services.
Quoting and estimating realities
Aerospace quotes rarely start from a clean drawing. Revisions, specification callouts, material certifications, special process lists and first article requirements all change the price, and estimators often rebuild the same routing from memory or from old quotes in spreadsheets.
The most common estimating loss is outside processing: anodize, heat treat, NDT and plating have long lead times and minimum charges that never made it into the original quote. Pulling actual vendor cost history into the estimate is more valuable than adding more machining detail.
- Capture drawing revision and specification list on every quote
- Carry outside process lead time and minimum charge into the routing
- Compare quoted hours to actual hours by part family each quarter
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Nadcap Compliance Checklist
A 36-point Nadcap audit-readiness checklist: what you need in place before the audit, by commodity (heat treat, chemical processing, NDT, coatings), and how to close findings.
ERP and systems commonly seen
Small and midsize aerospace shops here commonly run JobBOSS, E2 Shop System, ProShop ERP, Global Shop Solutions, Epicor Kinetic or Infor SyteLine, with a quality system for nonconformances and corrective action on top. Larger suppliers use SAP or Oracle based systems chosen by their parent organizations.
The recurring pain is lot and serial traceability across revisions, certificate of conformance handling, and keeping the inspection plan, router and drawing revision in step. Spreadsheets fill the gap wherever the ERP does not model it.
Compliance and data handling
Drawings, models and specifications for defense work are controlled data. Many shops cannot send them to a public cloud AI service, and some contracts prohibit it. Controlled unclassified information has to stay inside systems that meet NIST SP 800-171 controls.
A private model running on the shop's own hardware, reading the ERP and document stores behind existing role permissions, is one way a customer can use AI without moving controlled data outside its boundary. The shop remains responsible for ITAR, DFARS and CMMC compliance, and should verify the setup with its own compliance lead.
Where private AI on ERP helps, and where it does not
Useful and low risk: asking the ERP plain questions such as which open orders are past due by customer, what the actual versus quoted hours were on a part number, or which lots are missing certificates. Searching procedures, past nonconformance reports and customer requirements is another strong fit.
Less useful: shops with a clean, well configured ERP and few users may be fine with built-in reports. AI also should not approve first articles, dispositions or release product. Anything that writes to the ERP should keep human approval.
Frequently asked questions
What aerospace companies are in Wichita, Kansas?
The best known are Textron Aviation, which builds Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft, and Spirit AeroSystems, a large aerostructures manufacturer. Around them is a supply base of machine shops, sheet metal and composites fabricators, special process houses, tooling shops and engineering firms. Wichita State University's NIAR also supports testing and research.
Do Wichita aerospace suppliers need AS9100?
Most primes expect AS9100 certification or an equivalent quality system from their suppliers, and special process suppliers usually need Nadcap accreditation for the processes they perform. Smaller shops sometimes begin with customer approval and work toward AS9100. Check the purchase order flow-downs for the exact requirement.
Which ERP is used by Wichita aerospace machine shops?
There is no single standard. Small and midsize shops commonly use JobBOSS, E2, ProShop, Global Shop Solutions, Epicor Kinetic or Infor SyteLine, and larger suppliers often use SAP or Oracle systems from their parent company. The choice usually depends on traceability, job costing and quality module needs.
Can aerospace shops use AI on ITAR controlled drawings?
Only inside a setup that keeps controlled data within the shop's own compliant boundary. Public cloud AI services are generally a poor fit for ITAR data. A model hosted on the shop's own servers with access limited to authorized US persons can work, but the shop must confirm it with its compliance officer.