Managing the supply chain in the aviation industry is a complex task, with strict regulatory demands, critical timing constraints, and high-value assets involved at every step. At ASA Software, we understand these challenges and that’s why our aircraft maintenance system, SAM, includes a fully integrated Supply Chain Management (SCM).
Here’s how SAM supports your team throughout the entire supply chain lifecycle:
🔍 Inquiries: Evaluate Multiple Offers with Accuracy
The process begins with the ability to issue inquiries to multiple suppliers simultaneously. SAM empowers procurement teams to gather and compare quotations based on vital metrics including price, lead time, available quantity, condition, and discounts. This comparison functionality enables smarter, data-driven decisions, helping you select the most cost-effective and reliable sourcing options for every part requirement.
🧾 Purchasing: Generate Orders with Confidence
Once the best offers are identified, SAM facilitates purchase order creation. Procurement professionals can pick items from multiple supplier quotes and generate consolidated or individual purchase orders directly within the system. Orders can be tracked from the moment they’re issued. Once a delivery note is provided by the supplier, SAM allows users to track shipments effortlessly using tracking numbers, giving real-time visibility over the logistics flow.
📦 Receiving: Organize and Document Incoming Goods
When shipments arrive at your facility, the receiving process is handled within SAM’s dedicated Receiving sub-module. Much of the relevant data is automatically pre-filled based on the supplier’s delivery note that was previously punched in SAM, minimizing receiving delays. During this stage, users can create a Goods Receiving Note (GRN), upload associated digital documents, and verify or input additional critical information like condition, quantity, station, location, batch number, and more. This ensures inventory accuracy and regulatory compliance.
🧮 Invoicing: Capture Financials with Accuracy
The financial aspect of procurement is managed with equal precision. Depending on the agreement, invoices may arrive before or after goods are received. Regardless of timing, SAM ensures that all financial data such as unit prices, shipping and handling fees, taxes, and discounts are accurately recorded. This structured approach supports consistent accounting practices and helps prevent invoice mismatches and payment delays.
🗂️ Inventory: Full Visibility and Control
Once items are received, they’re automatically reflected in SAM’s Inventory sub-module, where users gain a comprehensive overview of all parts. Each item includes essential metadata such as serial numbers, condition, pricing, fees, batch numbers, and exact storage location. From here, parts can be used across a wide range of operational needs, including sales orders, exchanges, and work orders, supporting continuous operations and minimizing aircraft downtime.
Why It Matters
By consolidating all stages of the supply chain from inquiry to invoice under one platform, SAM reduces labour intensive manual labour, improves data accuracy, and supports regulatory traceability. More than just a logistics tool, the SAM supply chain management modules act as the central nervous system for your procurement and inventory management operations.
Fun fact:
Every aircraft part, no matter how small, has a full traceability record. In aviation, even something as minor as a bolt or washer used in maintenance must be traceable—where it came from, when it was installed, its condition, and when it needs to be replaced. This is why supply chain systems like SAM are designed with meticulous detail, enabling users to maintain cradle-to-grave tracking for each component. This level of oversight not only supports safety and compliance—it’s what keeps aircraft flying reliably every day.
