This is what a buyer checks before they shortlist a automotive, rail, marine and aerospace supplier.
What does an aerospace buyer check before adding a supplier?
They check aerospace quality certification, approvals for the special processes involved, and full material traceability. Aerospace supply is a documentation discipline: a part without a complete, auditable paper trail is not a part that can be fitted.
A supply chain engineer is qualifying a source for a part where the audit trail matters as much as the geometry.
Reviewed 4 August 2026 · Written for aerospace and defence manufacturers selling to business buyers
What does an aerospace buyer check before adding a supplier?
What a buyer needs to identify the product
These are the fields a buyer scans before deciding whether you are worth contacting. Missing one of them usually ends the visit without an email.
- 1
Products and processes
Machining, sheet metal, composites and assembly are different approvals.
- 2
Aerospace quality certification
The sector quality standard, with certificate details.
- 3
Special process approvals
Heat treatment, plating, non-destructive testing and welding each need approval.
- 4
Materials worked
Titanium, nickel alloys and aluminium require different capability.
- 5
Size and tolerance capability
The technical filter.
- 6
Traceability system
Material and process traceability to the individual part.
- 7
Customer approvals held
Prime contractor approvals shorten qualification.
The documents buyers ask for
Not all of them belong on a public page. Naming the ones you can issue is what separates a supplier who can be audited from one who cannot.
| Document | What it proves | Where it belongs |
|---|---|---|
| Aerospace quality certificationAsked at: supplier approval — mandatory | The aerospace quality management standard, with certificate number and body | Publish it |
| Special process approvalsAsked at: before those processes are performed | Approval for each controlled process, by the recognised scheme or the customer | Publish it |
| Material certificationAsked at: every part | Full traceability of material to its source and specification | Per shipment |
| First article inspection reportAsked at: before series release | Full verification of the first part against the drawing | Per shipment |
| Certificate of conformityAsked at: every shipment | Formal declaration that parts meet the requirement | Per shipment |
| Non-destructive testing approvalsAsked at: where required by drawing | Approval and operator qualification for the methods used | Name it, share on request |
| Export control and counterfeit prevention policyAsked at: onboarding | Handling of controlled data and prevention of counterfeit material | Publish it |
Where aerospace and defence sites lose the enquiry
Each of these is common, cheap to fix, and costs an enquiry that never arrives — so nobody ever reports it.
Special process approvals not listed individually
Each controlled process needs its own approval. A general quality certification does not cover them, and buyers check them one by one.
Traceability described loosely
Aerospace traceability is to the individual part and its material heat. Anything less means the part cannot be accepted.
No export control statement
Aerospace and defence work carries controlled data. A supplier who has not addressed it cannot be given drawings.
What the enquiry form should ask
A form that collects these can be answered properly the first time. A form that collects a name and a message cannot.
Enquiry form — aerospace and defence
Enough to reply usefully, short enough that a buyer finishes it.
- Part drawing and specification
- The basis of any quote.
- Material and special processes required
- Determines whether you hold the approvals.
- Quality and certification requirements
- Frequently customer-specific.
- Volume and delivery schedule
- Aerospace volumes are low and schedules firm.
- Export control classification
- Determines what can be shared and with whom.
- First article and delivery dates
- Qualification takes time and must be planned.
Questions suppliers ask
Why list special process approvals separately?
Because they are approved separately and buyers verify them separately. A part requiring heat treatment and non-destructive testing needs approvals for both, held either by you or by an approved subcontractor. Listing them individually, with sources, is how a buyer confirms you can actually make the part.
How much does prior prime contractor approval matter?
Considerably, because it demonstrates that your quality system has already survived an audit by a demanding customer. Where confidentiality permits, stating which primes have approved you, even generically, materially shortens a new qualification.
What most often disqualifies a new aerospace supplier?
Documentation rather than capability. Parts that are dimensionally correct but arrive without complete material certification, process records and a certificate of conformity cannot be accepted. Showing what your paperwork package contains addresses the real risk.
Documents and standards named here are the ones buyers in this industry commonly ask for; requirements vary by market, customer and contract, so treat this as a starting checklist rather than a compliance list. Clearer pages can help discovery and evaluation. They do not guarantee rankings, AI citations, enquiries or revenue.
Illustrative
An enquiry from this search looks like: Part drawing and specification · Volume and delivery schedule · Material and special processes required · Quality and certification requirements
Related buyer questions
- Auto componentsWhat does a Tier 1 or OEM buyer check before sourcing a new part from you?
- TyresWhat does a distributor check before taking on a tyre range?
- Railway equipmentWhat does a railway buyer check before approving a supplier?
- Marine and shipbuildingWhat does an owner check before selecting a marine supplier?