About APEIRON Aerospace
APEIRON Aerospace is a subsidiary of a rapidly growing aerospace group based in Canada. The company specializes in manufacturing high-precision aerospace components for global industry leaders such as Boeing and Airbus.
Operating in a highly regulated aerospace and defence environment, APEIRON places strong emphasis on:
· Quality assurance
· Regulatory compliance
· End-to-end traceability
· Precision-driven manufacturing
Their operations demand robust systems capable of handling complex documentation, strict quality standards, and dynamic product engineering requirements.
Business Challenges
1. Fragmented Data Storage
APEIRON’s legacy ERP system was limited to basic project tracking and lacked advanced manufacturing capabilities. Critical data such as Bills of Materials (BoMs) were managed externally through spreadsheets.
This resulted in:
· Limited visibility across projects
· Data duplication and inconsistencies
· Manual and error-prone data migration
· Inefficient collaboration between teams
2. Lack of System Integration
Different departments—including sales, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, and quality—operated on separate systems and workflows.
This created:
· Operational silos
· Poor cross-functional collaboration
· Data inconsistencies
· Delays in decision-making
3. Complex Compliance & Documentation Requirements
As part of the aerospace and defence sector, APEIRON must comply with strict regulatory standards requiring:
· Certification tracking
· Document version control
· Approval workflows
· Full traceability from raw materials to final delivery
Managing these requirements manually was time-consuming and prone to compliance risks.
4. Dynamic Product Structures (Unique BoMs)
Each project at APEIRON involves unique part numbers and custom-built components, requiring a new BoM every time.
Challenges included:
· Manual creation of BoMs for each project
· Increased engineering workload
· Higher chances of errors
· Delays in project initiation
5. High Quality Control Standards
Maintaining stringent quality control across all manufacturing stages was difficult due to:
· Lack of standardized QC workflows
· Limited traceability
· Inconsistent inspection processes
6. Dependency on BoMs for Cost Estimation
Accurate cost estimation depended heavily on finalized BoMs. Without a structured system:
· Quotation generation was slow
· Costing lacked accuracy
· Sales cycles were delayed
7. Outsourcing & Vendor Coordination Challenges
APEIRON relies on multiple vendors for outsourced manufacturing processes.
Key issues included:
· Lack of structured subcontracting workflows
· Poor visibility into vendor progress
· Difficulty tracking quality and timelines
· Limited accountability
Shopfloor Challenges
One of the critical gaps identified during implementation was at the shopfloor level.
Unlike typical ERP users, shopfloor personnel are primarily machine operators and technicians—not system-oriented users. This created several practical challenges:
· Difficulty in filling Quality Check (QC) data accurately
· Resistance and inconsistency in timesheet entries
· Limited visibility into the latest BoM versions
· Lack of a simple communication mechanism between operators and internal teams
Additionally, the standard ERP interfaces were not optimized for quick, real-time shopfloor usage, leading to delays and incomplete data capture.
Manufacturing Challenge: Handling High-Volume Production Orders
Problem with Standard Odoo Flow
In Odoo’s default behavior, when producing large quantities under a Manufacturing Order (MO), the system tends to split them into multiple backorders.
However, in the aerospace manufacturing context:
· Production quantities are significantly high (e.g., 10,000 – 50,000 units)
· Products are manufactured in controlled batches/lots
· Deliveries are made in partial shipments (chunks) based on readiness and approvals
The default backorder-based approach was not aligned with this requirement.
Post-Production Challenge: Consolidated Documentation Package
Requirement
After completing a Manufacturing Order, APEIRON is required to provide a comprehensive documentation package to customers.
This package includes multiple documents generated across different stages of the process, such as:
· Customer Purchase Order (PO)
· Quality Check (QC) reports
· Material traceability details (e.g., heat numbers)
· Heat-wise Certificate of Conformance (CoC)
· Finished lot-wise CoC
· Customer NCR (Non-Conformance Reports)
· Packing List
· Delivery documents
· Additional compliance and inspection records
Manually compiling these documents was time-consuming and prone to errors.
Solution: Odoo-Based Digital Transformation
To address these challenges, a fully integrated and customized Odoo ERP system was implemented, tailored specifically for aerospace manufacturing needs.
1. Centralized Document & Compliance Management
A structured document management system was implemented within Odoo, featuring:
· Defined folder hierarchy for each project
· Stage-wise document requirements
· Mandatory document uploads at critical checkpoints
· Version control for certifications and approvals
Impact:
· 100% document traceability
· Improved compliance adherence
· Reduced risk of missing or outdated documents
2. AI-Based Auto Generation of BoMs
A custom AI-driven solution was developed to automatically generate Bills of Materials based on product specifications and historical data.
Key Features:
· Automatic creation of unique BoMs for each part number
· Reduced dependency on manual engineering inputs
· Improved accuracy and consistency
Impact:
· Significant reduction in engineering effort
· Faster project initiation
· Minimized human errors
3. Standardized Quality Control Process
Odoo’s native Quality module was enhanced and optimized to align with aerospace-grade standards.
Enhancements included:
· Multi-stage quality checkpoints
· Inspection triggers during manufacturing
· Real-time quality tracking
· Complete traceability of defects and approvals
Impact:
· Consistent QC processes
· Improved product quality
· Better audit readiness
4. Custom Estimation Module
A dedicated estimation module was developed to calculate accurate project costs based on BoMs.
Capabilities:
· Automated cost calculation using material, labor, and overhead
· Quick generation of quotations
· Scenario-based estimation
Impact:
· Faster quotation turnaround
· Improved pricing accuracy
· Enhanced sales efficiency
5. Fully Integrated ERP Across Departments
All business functions were unified into a single Odoo platform, including:
· Sales
· Engineering
· Manufacturing
· Quality
· Procurement
· Finance
Impact:
· Seamless data flow across departments
· Elimination of silos
· Real-time visibility into operations
· Better decision-making
6. Streamlined Outsourcing & Subcontracting Flow
A structured outsourcing workflow was implemented to manage vendor operations efficiently.
Key Features:
· Subcontracting management within manufacturing orders
· Vendor assignment and tracking
· Real-time status updates
· Quality checks for outsourced work
Impact:
· Improved vendor coordination
· Enhanced visibility and control
· Better adherence to timelines and quality standards
7. Our Solution: Shopfloor-Centric Customization
To address these challenges, we developed a set of custom shopfloor modules and usability enhancements:
· Simplified QC & Timesheet Interfaces
Designed operator-friendly screens with minimal input fields and guided workflows to make QC data entry and timesheet logging faster and more intuitive.
· BoM Version Accessibility
Enabled operators to directly access the latest BoM versions from the shopfloor interface, ensuring they always work with correct specifications.
· Operator-Based System Access
Configured role-based access for shopfloor users, allowing them to interact with only relevant features without overwhelming complexity.
· Internal Communication via Discuss Channel
Leveraged Odoo’s Discuss module to enable user-wise communication, allowing operators, supervisors, and internal teams to collaborate in real time on specific jobs or issues.
Impact:
· Improved data accuracy on the shopfloor
· Higher adoption of ERP among operators
· Real-time communication and issue resolution
· Better production traceability
8. Our Solution: Custom MO Handling Logic
We customized the Manufacturing workflow to:
· Prevent automatic splitting of MOs into multiple backorders
· Allow production teams to:
o Produce quantities in controlled batches
o Perform operations and quality checks at batch level
o Manage inventory and stock updates progressively
· Enable partial deliveries directly from a single MO without breaking it into multiple orders
Impact:
· Better alignment with aerospace manufacturing practices
· Improved control over batch-wise production
· Simplified tracking and reporting
· Reduced operational complexity
9. Our Solution: Automated Document Compilation
We implemented a custom document consolidation system within Odoo:
· Automatically collects all relevant documents linked to:
o Manufacturing Orders
o Lots / Serial Numbers
o Quality Checks
o Deliveries
· Generates a final packaged document set for each completed order
· Ensures:
o Proper document sequencing
o Version control
o Complete traceability
Impact:
· Significant reduction in manual effort
· Faster document submission to customers
· Improved compliance and audit readiness
· Enhanced customer confidence
Business Impact
· 100% traceability across the entire production lifecycle
· Significant reduction in manual work (BoMs, documentation, QC entry)
· Improved compliance with aerospace standards
· Faster quotation and project initiation
· Enhanced product quality and audit readiness
· Better shopfloor adoption and data accuracy
· Efficient handling of high-volume production
· Streamlined vendor and outsourcing operations
Conclusion
The implementation of Odoo transformed APEIRON Aerospace from a fragmented, manually-driven operation into a fully integrated, digital-first manufacturing organization.
By addressing core challenges around data management, compliance, BoM complexity, and process integration, APEIRON is now equipped with a scalable system that supports growth, ensures regulatory compliance, and maintains the high standards required in the aerospace industry.