Mapping the aerospace component supplier ecosystem

What is shaping aerospace

Aerospace brings together airlines, airports, MRO providers and component suppliers, with safety, reliability and certification at the centre of every decision.

• Passenger experience is a key differentiator for airlines and airports
• MRO and component buying depends on certification and turnaround
• Skilled talent is in short supply

An industry development agency, working in Karnataka & Telangana. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation

An industry development agency

Sector

Aerospace

Team engaged

Market Research

Services

Research consultancy, Business panel, Data analytics & dashboards

The agency wanted to attract global aerospace manufacturers but lacked an up-to-date view of local suppliers’ capabilities, certifications and capacity.

• Deliver on the brief: mapping the aerospace component supplier ecosystem.
• Understand the views, needs and behaviour of small.
• Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
• Give the client evidence it can act on within 10 weeks.

The work focused on 180 small.

• small180

Audiences we typically reach in aerospace

PassengersAirline and airport managersMRO providersComponent suppliersEngineers and technicians

Coverage: Karnataka & Telangana. Market: India.

• India

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

1. 1Brief
2. 2Supplier census
3. 3Capability interviews
4. 4Insight

We compiled a list of suppliers from associations and directories, then interviewed owners and quality heads about machining capabilities, materials, certifications, capacity and export experience. Results were mapped in a searchable database.

Research consultancyBusiness panelData analytics & dashboards

small

180

• Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
• Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
• Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

• The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
• Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

• Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
• Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
• Review of open-ended answers
• Recordings and transcripts for every session
• Re-screening of qualitative recruits
• Logic and range checks on the final data
• Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

• Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
• Significance testing on the differences that mattered
• Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
• Journey and decision mapping
• Interactive dashboard for ongoing tracking

• The agency could present investors with a credible picture of the supplier base and identified which suppliers needed certification support.

A capability map turned scattered knowledge into an investment-promotion asset.

• Build on the core insight: a capability map turned scattered knowledge into an investment-promotion asset.
• Share the findings with the teams closest to customers so they can act quickly.

• It launched a certification assistance programme for promising firms.

Impact is described qualitatively.

• Insight report and management presentation
• Cleaned data file and data tables
• Interactive dashboard

• Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
• A natural follow-on question: what shapes the passenger experience?