GrayCyan — AI for Regulated Manufacturers
Aerospace ERP and Inventory

Aerospace ERP and Inventory Management Systems: On Premises, ITAR-Conscious and AS9100 Ready

Runs fully on premises, or air gapped when the program requires it.

GrayCyan builds inventory, warehouse, and document systems for aerospace and defense suppliers. The system connects to the ERP already in use.

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Why Standard Falls Short

Why a Standard WMS Falls Short in Aerospace Manufacturing

Aerospace inventory management has to do more than show what is in stock. It must show where a serialized part came from, which revision was used, who inspected it, which special processes it passed through and which records belong in the final shipping package.

A standard WMS is designed to receive, store, pick and ship material. Aerospace and defense work adds a deeper recordkeeping layer. A receipt may carry a material certificate, a heat number, an approved supplier record, a shelf life limit and customer specific handling instructions. Those details must remain connected as material moves into production.

Some ERP warehouse modules can support parts of this process after careful configuration. When the gap is a workflow or training issue, fixing that is usually cheaper than building software.

Configure First, Build Second

Custom aerospace warehouse management becomes useful when the physical transaction and compliance record cannot be connected reliably inside the current system.

Serial number record covering material, work orders, inspection and shipment
Serial History

Serial Level History

Each required serial number needs a retrievable record.

Covering material, work orders, operations, inspection, outside processing, assembly and shipment.

Certificate of conformance linked to received lot and heat number
Certification

Material Certification

The certificate of conformance (C of C) and, where required, the material test report (MTR) must be linked to the received lot or heat number.

And traced forward to the parts made from it.

Heat treatment, NDT and plating records linked to parts and processors
Special Processes

Special Process Records

Heat treatment, NDT, welding, anodizing, plating, and chem film records need links to the relevant parts.

Along with processor details, specification revision and supporting certification.

ITAR controlled technical data held on facility owned hardware
Data Control

Controlled Data Handling

ITAR-controlled technical data may require on-premises storage and access limited to authorized personnel.

And an air gapped configuration for programs that prohibit external connectivity.

What We Build

Aerospace Inventory Management Services: What GrayCyan Builds

GrayCyan maps the required audit trail first, then builds the warehouse and integration layer around it. The scope depends on the ERP, customer contracts, AS9100 Rev D procedures, ITAR controls, NADCAP related processes and the way work actually moves through the facility.

Serial identifier connected to raw material lot, routing and inspection results
01 · Traceability

Serialized Parts and Material Traceability

A serial record can be created at the required production stage and carried through each operation. GrayCyan connects that identifier to the raw material lot, C of C, work order, routing, inspection results, outside process records, dimensional reports, nonconformance status and shipment.

Forward trace from a material lot or heat number to every affected part. Backward trace from a serial number to its complete manufacturing history.

Links to existing lot traceability software where lot and serial controls must work together.

First Article Inspection and AS9102 documentation tied to part revision
02 · AS9100

AS9100 Rev D and Inspection Records

First Article Inspection (FAI) and AS9102 documentation can be tied to the part number, revision and work order.

Material under Material Review Board (MRB) control receives a status that prevents issue or shipment while disposition is pending. Shelf life and storage condition records can be included for sensitive material.

Outside processor approval, specification revision and returned inspection documents
03 · NADCAP

NADCAP Special Process Traceability

For work sent to approved outside processors, the record can connect each part or lot to the purchase order, processor, approval details, process specification, revision, certification and returned inspection documents.

The goal is to retrieve the evidence from the production history instead of searching through email and separate quality folders.

Application, database and document store running on facility owned hardware
04 · On-Premises

ITAR-Conscious On-Premises Deployment

The application, database, document store, and search tools can run on facility-owned hardware. Role based permissions control who can view technical records.

Programs requiring no external network connection can use an air gapped system. The final design should follow the manufacturer's export control assessment, contracts and data classification rules.

Client Result

Aerospace Inventory Management in Practice: An Air-Gapped Deployment

A defense adjacent manufacturer had 40 years of engineering drawings, specifications and revision history across physical and digital archives. Engineers had no single way to connect a current part or ERP record with the correct historical document. ITAR restrictions ruled out cloud based document search.

GrayCyan built an on premises retrieval system over the engineering drawing library and ERP linked part history. Engineers could ask a natural language question and retrieve the relevant drawing revision, manufacturing specification and associated production record. The entire system stayed inside the facility boundary with no external data connection.

30-45 min → Seconds
Lookup Time
Engineering and manufacturing lookup time dropped from 30 to 45 minutes to seconds
0 Decades
Of Drawings Traceable
Current production could be traced through four decades of drawings, specifications and revisions
Zero
Data Left the Facility
The entire system stayed inside the facility boundary with no external data connection

This deployment shows how manufacturing AI solutions can support technical work inside a controlled environment. It also shows that the ERP can remain in place. Its part and project history becomes part of the solution rather than a migration target.

Let's
Talk

Can you retrieve a serial number's full history in one place?

Tell us which ERP you run and which AS9100, ITAR or NADCAP requirements are in scope. We will start with what can be configured.

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ERP Integration

Aerospace ERP Integration: Where the Warehouse Connection Matters

Epicor Kinetic, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor, and Acumatica include inventory and production functions that can support aerospace operations when configured correctly.

The common gap sits between the screen and the physical transaction: what arrived, what was inspected, what was issued and which compliance evidence followed it.

GrayCyan's independent ERP consulting and integration work can cover:

  • Purchase order receiving with C of C and MTR capture against the receiving record
  • Serial assignment during production picking, linked to the work order, operator, date and revision
  • CMM results, dimensional reports, FAI documents, and inspection evidence connected to the relevant part and work order
  • Shipment confirmation and certificate of conformance preparation using records captured during production

The integration may use APIs, middleware, database connections or controlled file exchange, depending on the ERP and security environment. If the existing ERP can close the gap through configuration, GrayCyan will recommend that path before proposing a custom build.

ERPs GrayCyan has integration experience with
Epicor KineticJob costing, manufacturing orders, serial and lot control
SAPBusiness One and S/4HANA: batch management, goods movements, quality records
Microsoft Dynamics 365Manufacturing module, production orders, inventory management
InforCloudSuite Industrial and SyteLine: production management, inventory control
AcumaticaManufacturing module, lot and serial tracking, document links
Who This Is For

Who This Aerospace Inventory Management Service Is For

01

Tier 2 and Tier 3 Suppliers

Aerospace or defense suppliers with roughly 50 to 500 employees.

02

AS9100 Certified Manufacturers

Producing machined parts, processed components or assemblies.

03

ITAR-Controlled Articles

Operations that cannot place technical data in a standard cloud WMS.

04

Disconnected Compliance Records

Suppliers whose ERP does not connect receiving, special processes, inspection, and serialized traceability in one record.

Usually a weaker fit for:

  • Prime contractors with mature internal compliance systems
  • Aerospace MRO operations with maintenance specific records

Manufacturers with a broader warehouse requirement can review GrayCyan's WMS for manufacturing service.

Frequently Asked Questions: Aerospace ERP and Inventory Management

What is AS9100 traceability in inventory management?−
AS9100 Rev D requires identification and traceability where applicable to the product and contract. In inventory management, this can involve linking a part or lot to material certifications, purchase orders, work orders, inspection results, special process records, nonconformance history and shipping documents so the required history can be retrieved.
Can an aerospace WMS run fully on premises for ITAR requirements?+
Yes. GrayCyan can deploy the application, database, and document store on facility owned hardware without a cloud dependency. Air gapped deployment is also available when required. Compliance depends on data classification, access controls, contracts, and export control procedures, so the technical design must reflect the manufacturer's specific obligations.
What does NADCAP traceability mean for an inventory system?+
NADCAP applies to accreditation for defined special processes. The inventory and production record should connect the processed parts to the supplier, relevant approval details, process specification and revision, work order, certification and supporting records. This allows quality teams to retrieve evidence without rebuilding the history from separate files.
How does GrayCyan manage aerospace parts traceability?+
GrayCyan connects serial and lot records to the ERP transactions and production events that create the audit trail. Depending on the operation, the record can include raw material certificates, routing steps, inspection results, special processes, MRB status and shipping documents, captured as work happens rather than assembled later.
Which aerospace ERP platforms can GrayCyan integrate with?+
GrayCyan has integration experience with Epicor Kinetic, SAP Business One and S/4HANA, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Infor CloudSuite Industrial and SyteLine, and Acumatica. A project may cover receiving, serial and lot control, work orders, quality records, document links and certificate of conformance preparation.
What is the difference between lot and serial traceability?+
Lot traceability follows a group of parts linked to the same material lot or production run. Serial traceability follows each individual unit through its operations, inspections and special processes. The required level depends on the part, customer and program, but serialized items need an individually retrievable manufacturing history.
Let's
Talk

Ready to Discuss Aerospace Inventory and Traceability?

Tell GrayCyan which ERP you run, the AS9100, ITAR, NADCAP, DFARS or customer requirements involved and whether the system must be on premises or air gapped.

We will explain what can be configured, what needs integration and where a custom build makes operational sense.

Book a Discovery Call→

Start with our AI Readiness Assessment →