TL;DR
At this year’s MRO, eCommerce wasn’t just a trend — it was a turning point.
Everyone’s talking about quoting speed, real-time storefronts, and zero-fee selling — and for good reason.
But behind the buzz, most teams are still juggling disconnected systems, draining margin, and duct-taping workflows just to keep up.
This article breaks down what buyers now expect, why bolt-on tools fail, and how aviation eCommerce actually works when it’s built right — from Day 1.
As I've previously shared with you, there was a noticeable shift in the air last week at MRO Americas.
While AI and supply chain visibility dominated plenty of conversations, another term kept resurfacing across panels, booths, and bar tables alike — eCommerce. Not just as a marketing checkbox, but as a strategic lever. For the first time in years, it felt like aviation was waking up to a simple truth: digital sales aren’t optional anymore.
Parts distributors, MROs, and even freight-forwarding execs were asking pointed questions:
- “How are others listing inventory so fast?”
- “Why are we paying 3.5% fees to sell?”
- “What’s the right way to modernize quoting without breaking ops?”
It wasn’t hype — it was hunger. Buyers want frictionless digital access to parts. Sellers want to protect margins and scale without adding complexity. And operators across the board are realizing that aviation’s eCommerce moment isn’t just coming — it’s here.
But like any big shift, the devil is in the details. Because while eCommerce might’ve been the buzzword of MRO 2025, what most companies consider "eCommerce" is still riddled with costs, confusion, and compromise. Too many are racing to launch storefronts or plug in add-ons without considering what actually works at scale in aviation.
The Hidden Costs of Doing eCommerce the “Old Way”
In the rush to “get digital,” many aviation businesses unknowingly walk straight into a trap: the illusion of eCommerce progress.
You launch a storefront, maybe integrate Shopify or Wix. You add inventory by hand, upload a few PDFs, and connect to marketplaces through middleware. It looks like you’ve modernized — but behind the scenes, your team is buried in double entry, disconnected systems, and rising overhead.
Let’s break that down:
- Every time your pricing changes but doesn’t sync to your storefront — that’s a risk.
- Every time certs or trace are missing from a marketplace listing — that’s a delay.
- Every time you rekey a PO because your quoting tool isn’t connected — that’s labor you shouldn’t be paying for.
And it adds up — fast.
Fact: Marketplace fees often cut 3% – 5% from every sale. On a $100K order? That’s $3,000 – $5,000 gone.
Fact: The average quoting cycle in legacy systems takes 3 – 5 days, with most deals lost to faster competitors long before the PDF gets out.
Fact: Manual listing errors and missing documentation are the #1 reason RFQs get ignored or delayed.
And here’s the kicker: most of these issues aren’t "eCommerce" problems — they’re systems problems. They happen because the ERP and the storefront aren’t truly connected. Because it is treated like marketing, not operations. Because quoting, certs, compliance, and fulfillment are spread across 5+ tools that don’t speak the same language.
That’s why the companies winning online today have stopped trying to “bolt on” eCommerce — and started rethinking it from the inside out.
What Buyers Expect Today (and Why You’re Probably Behind)
Buyers in aviation — whether they're sourcing parts for a regional jet or managing a fleet of A320s — aren't just comparing your prices. They’re comparing your experience.
And here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: Most aviation sellers are failing that comparison before the quote even lands.
Buyers now expect:
- Real-time inventory — with trace, certs, and photos already attached
- Transparent pricing and lead times
- Click-to-request quotes and instant confirmations
- Self-service visibility with real-time order status
- Online payment options — via credit card, ACH, or net terms
- Seamless documentation and cert download access
- Active and live management of all inventory, supplier catalogues, consignment stock, managed meticulously with minimal effort.
These aren’t fantasy features. They’re standard expectations across nearly every other B2B sector.
“If I can pay for a $30K turbine bracket on their storefront faster than I can buy from a supplier I’ve used for five years… something’s broken.”
And for companies still juggling a mix of outdated ERP systems, various add-ons, and third-party quoting tools, it's even worse.
They can’t provide a single source of truth. They can’t guarantee pricing visibility or order accuracy. And they certainly can’t offer a buyer one login to manage quoting, POs, payments, and compliance.
Without centralization, real-time integration, or payment processing built-in, it becomes impossible to deliver the buying experience modern customers demand.
Most Solutions Aren’t Really Solutions — They’re Workarounds
Let’s be honest: most eCommerce setups in aviation aren’t scalable. They’re stitched together workarounds — designed to show progress, not enable it.
If your quoting engine, inventory system, payment gateway, and storefront all require different logins, sync schedules, or manual intervention… that’s not a solution. That’s a risk multiplier.
And these workarounds cost you more than just money:
- They introduce downtime.
- They create errors.
- They exhaust your team.
- They stall deals.
Real eCommerce transformation means connecting quoting, certs, fulfillment, inventory, and customer communications in one system. One dashboard. One flow.
Because the only thing worse than no eCommerce… is fake eCommerce that slows you down.
What eCommerce Looks Like When It’s Actually Built for Aviation
When aviation eCommerce is built natively into your ERP, everything changes:
✔️ Live in Weeks — Not Months No custom development. No six-figure projects. Native eCommerce launches in weeks — fully connected to inventory, quoting, certs, photos, and order flow.
✔️ Zero Transaction Fees. Built-In Payment Gateway. Keep 100% of your revenue — no per-sale cuts, no middleware. Integrated payment options facilitate transaction to give you full command from quote to cash.
✔️ Instant Sync Across All Channels List once, publish everywhere. ILS, PartsBase, Locatory, and your storefront — all updated in real time. Inbound RFQs and emails flow into the same system.
✔️ Centralized Ops Management Quotes, POs, invoices, inventory, and compliance — all in one place. Fewer clicks. Fewer errors. Total visibility across your workflow.
✔️ Margin Control & Dynamic Pricing Set rules by customer, region, urgency, or condition. Protect floor pricing, automate discounts, and run promotions without manual edits.
✔️ Support That Speaks Aviation 24/7/365 help from teams who know cert chains, RFQ urgency, and trace logic. No outsourcing. No hand-holding required.
Aviation eCommerce Is a Growth Engine — If You Let It Be
When eCommerce is done right:
- Companies quote 3x more RFQs with the same staff
- Online sales grow almost immediately
- Win rates increase thanks to speed and transparency
- Ops costs drop from fewer errors and less manual work
- Margin protection improves with automation and control
And most importantly, eCommerce becomes self-sustaining. It sells for you. It scales with you. It runs 24/7.
eCommerce in aviation isn’t optional anymore — and it doesn’t have to be painful.
When it’s built into your ERP — not taped on top — it turns into your most efficient sales channel.
ERP.Aero was built for exactly this:
- Live in weeks
- Zero transaction fees
- Fully integrated with quoting, inventory, certs, payments
- Real-time sync across marketplaces and your storefront
- One login. One system. One source of truth.
You’re not just modernizing. You’re reclaiming control.
👉 Want to see what your quoting and eCommerce setup could look like live in weeks, not months?
Because aviation doesn’t need more tools. It needs platforms that actually work. And when that happens, you journey from pain points, to profit center.
Aviation needs a foundation — a system that connects everything from quote to cash, without fees, friction, or workarounds.
You shouldn't be paying to sell your own inventory. You shouldn't be waiting days to respond to RFQs. And you definitely shouldn't be rebuilding workflows every time am add-on changes its API.
The companies pulling ahead right now aren’t the biggest — they’re the ones with the cleanest operations. The tightest response times. The most accurate data. The fewest moving parts.
That doesn’t happen with bolt-ons. It happens with native eCommerce — fully integrated, ERP-driven, and ready on Day 1.
Because eCommerce done right isn’t an upgrade. It’s your competitive edge. And now — it’s built in.
Streamline, Scale, Succeed ©.
