We're headed to the MRO Americas Show to talk about flexible contract logistics solutions for aviation parts sellers.

Addressing systemic aviation supply chain issues

The global pandemic may be old news for some industries, but not for aviation. A recent article by McKinsey & Company explores the lingering effects of COVID, saying, "... the aviation value chain still shows significant post-pandemic losses, and the industry faces a shortage of almost everything but passengers." 

2023 has been a year of growth and expansion for Cura Group, and we're grateful for everyone who helped make it happen.

2023 has been a highly successful transitional year for Cura Group. We have been working hard to transform our business from a local distribution specialist to a global just-in-time logistics partner for businesses that require reliable round-the-clock access to fast-moving inventory. Fortunately, we haven't had to do it alone.

Building and managing a well-run point-of-use parts center comes with its fair share of challenges, but the results are worth it.

Efficient distribution of new and replacement parts at their point of use is crucial for any industry with operations relying on complicated equipment or machinery. Think aviation, transit, HVAC, or automotive, for example.

Direct-to-consumer and direct-selling retail brands also benefit when popular products are held close to where they are sold. 

In general, ready access to replacement parts and fast-moving inventory reduces costly downtime. And less waiting and more reliable fulfillment improves customer satisfaction. These outcomes can lead to more sales, higher customer retention, and increased profitability. 

However, being good at point-of-use fulfillment can be a lot harder than it looks. Here are our Top 10 reasons why you might need some assistance to get your inventory closer to where it's needed: 

There are risks associated with keeping inventory offshore, but bringing it home is not a decision to make lightly.

Keeping inventory offshore exposes your business to various risks that can disrupt your supply chain, including geopolitical instability, natural disasters, transportation slow downs, and even port closures – all of which can result in significant delays in getting products to customers.

When inventory is held overseas, it can also be harder to manage quality control, which can lead to customer complaints and product recalls.

A smart reverse logistics solution can reduce costs and improve profitability.

There are many reasons to return an item to where you bought it. Maybe it doesn’t fit, it’s not what you expected, or it needs repair. Since COVID, we’ve all become more accustomed to “buying and trying” with the knowledge that we can always send back the things we don’t need or want, with no questions asked.

That’s why flexible return policies became a critical sales tool for many companies that switched to e-commerce or buy-online-pickup-in-store strategies during the pandemic. But now it looks like the era of free returns is coming to a close.

Here are the top 5 supply chain issues that were top of mind for business aviation companies at this year's NBAA conference.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make them more efficient and successful. According to their website, the vast majority of businesses in this community – 97 percent – are small- to midsize operations.

Last week, the NBAA held its annual business aviation convention in Orlando, FL. Even though Hurricane Ian blew through town just days earlier, it wasn't enough to knock the show off course. 

Cura Group was there to meet some of these smaller companies and find out what's keeping their aviation supply chain professionals up at night.

Or, what to do when slow-moving inventory takes up too much valuable space in your warehouse.

Inventory is like electricity: you can't run your business without it, but it's rarely top of mind. However, unlike electricity, inventory takes up physical space, it's expensive to store, and someone has to actively organize and track it even when it's not needed.

“Build, operate, manage” lets small and medium-sized companies access big-company logistics at affordable prices.

Cura Resource Group started as a disruptor in the last-mile delivery business. Our turnkey package pick-up centers filled a gap for e-commerce retailers who need to provide a distributed sales force with better customer service in hard-to-serve markets. 

Today a large part of our success is derived from our "Build, Operate, Manage" approach to local distribution services. By putting warehousing and fulfillment services where our clients need them, we make it possible for small and medium-sized businesses to enjoy all the advantages of bringing products and parts closer to where they are ultimately used without the need to invest in real estate, construction, or costly third-party logistics arrangements.

Wayne Trzeciak Joins Cura Resource Group

In April, we attended our first Aviation Week MRO Americas trade show to educate ourselves about the industry, and to see if CRG's turnkey parts distribution centers could help fleet operators, aircraft manufacturers, and parts suppliers bounce back from the catastrophic supply chain disruptions caused by COVID.

We came home convinced that brick-and-mortar fulfillment centers close to busy airports can give parts sellers more distribution capacity and the ability to generate revenue faster without the traditional investment in real estate and internal support systems.

How smarter distribution models can help MROs overcome aviation supply disruptions.

Aviation was one of the industries hit hardest by the worldwide COVID pandemic. More than half of the world's aircraft fleets were stored, or flew less often in the past year. As a result, aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) spending was 31% less in 2021 than it was in 2019. Global aviation analysts at OliverWyman predict that MRO demand will return to pre-pandemic levels by 2023, but they also say it's unlikely to achieve pre-COVID growth rates for decades to come.