ILS and Component Control Launch New Digital Aftermarket Tools

Credit: Lindsay Bjerregaard/Aviation Week

Inventory Locator Service (ILS) and Component Control are launching a suite of new digital solutions for the aviation aftermarket this year aimed at helping customers “win in the new normal” via insights from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML).

According to ILS president John Hermann, the solutions focus on complete end-to-end transactions to embrace and expedite parts procurement, “taking sales productivity for our customers to a whole new level.”

The first solution, SalesEdge, is an intelligent request for quote (RFQ) and smart quoting management tool that is designed to help sellers prioritize and quote incoming requests from potential buyers. It consolidates RFQs from multiple parts marketplaces such as ILS, PartsBase and StockMarket.aero using AI and ML to help customers identify the highest value RFQs quickly. SalesEdge will be available later this month through ILS and Component Control’s Quantum ERP software. It will be integrated with CORRIDOR aviation maintenance software this fall.

ILS' SalesEdge tool
Screen views from the new SalesEdge tool. Credit: ILS

Available now are the companies’ AutoQuote and IPC Analyzer Library tools. AutoQuote enables sellers to automatically quote anything they set a price on while allowing customers to establish their own pricing limits, which ILS says frees up valuable time to focus on more complex sales opportunities.

According to Lisa Garcia, director of product and operations at ILS, IPC Analyzer Library is “a complete breakdown of an airframe or engine illustrated parts catalog.” The tool uses AI and ML-driven market intelligence to find the most valued and in-demand parts, which ILS says helps customers substantiate their aircraft or engine part-out purchase decisions. The tool provides a variety of parts insights, such as whether parts have cross-model applicability on various aircraft types and whether older parts still have relevancy on newer models, as well as data on the number of searches conducted on a specific part number or the number of suppliers listing it.

Meanwhile, the companies are in the process of developing a handful of solutions such as an Aircraft on the Ground (AOG) app to help airlines find parts from nearby trusted suppliers during AOG situations. They are also developing solutions within Quantum Control for automating management of responses within the system and supporting warehouse personnel in areas such as receiving, physical inventory counting, stock movements and stock picking.

Lindsay Bjerregaard

Lindsay Bjerregaard is managing editor for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio. Her coverage focuses on MRO technology, workforce, and product and service news for AviationWeek.com, Aviation Week Marketplace and Inside MRO.