A tailored ERP transformation for aerospace operations
Our client, a precision manufacturer serving the aerospace industry, engaged Turnberry Solutions to lead a comprehensive transformation of its legacy ERP environment. The goal: to migrate from an inflexible, paper-based system to a modern, cloud-native platform tailored to their unique manufacturing needs.
Client challenge
Our client’s legacy ERP system, a commercial off-the-shelf solution, lacked the flexibility to support its unique inventory-free manufacturing model and highly regulated aerospace requirements. The platform relied heavily on manual processes, offered minimal automation, and had poor integration with essential business systems such as accounting software, CAD tools, and quality assurance platforms. These limitations created inefficiencies throughout their core workflow—Quote, Build, Invoice, Collect (QBIC)—and hindered their ability to innovate and scale.
Additionally, the absence of modern DevOps practices resulted in long development cycles, extensive system downtime during updates, and a lack of agility in responding to evolving business needs. After evaluating other off-the-shelf solutions and finding none adequate, our client recognized that a custom, cloud-native solution was essential to meet their goals and support ongoing growth.
Our solution
Migration: We conducted a detailed assessment of the client’s legacy ERP system and developed a customized data model for their QBIC workflow. Using a phased migration strategy, we transitioned business-critical data to a purpose-built AWS environment with minimal operational disruption. Systems ran in parallel during cutover to ensure data accuracy and process continuity.
Modernization: Our team replaced paper-based workflows with intelligent digital processes and real-time analytics. The new architecture utilized AWS Lambda for event-driven microservices, ECS Fargate for container orchestration, and Aurora RDS with multi-AZ deployments for high availability. Integrated systems included QuickBooks, CAD tools, QA platforms, and manufacturing equipment, all connected through a flexible event-driven backbone. A new web-based customer portal was also introduced to enhance customer experience and self-service capabilities.
DevOps Enablement: Infrastructure was fully defined as code using CloudFormation, Terraform, and the Serverless Framework, enabling consistent environment provisioning. CI/CD pipelines were built using Azure DevOps and AWS CodeBuild, supporting blue/green deployments with zero downtime. Automated testing, security scanning, and alerting were built into the process to ensure quality and compliance. Federated authentication with Microsoft 365 and IAM-based security policies ensured robust access control and audit readiness.
Results
The transformation delivered measurable improvements across all facets of the client’s operations:
- Operational efficiency: Digitized workflows and real-time visibility improved manufacturing efficiency by 40%, reducing manual effort and errors.
- Deployment velocity: Release cycles decreased from quarterly to biweekly, with automated CI/CD reducing deployment times by 80%.Platform Reliability: System availability increased to 99.99%, supported by fault-tolerant, scalable AWS infrastructure.
- Security and compliance: Modern authentication and audit logging ensured compliance with aerospace industry regulations.
- Cost optimization: A comprehensive TCO analysis revealed a 35% lower total cost of ownership over three years, driven by eliminated licensing fees, reduced infrastructure costs, and DevOps-driven efficiency.
- Customer satisfaction: A new customer portal increased visibility and engagement, contributing to a 35% improvement in customer satisfaction scores.
- Business growth: The flexibility of the platform enabled a 10%+ year-over-year revenue increase without significant headcount growth, empowering the client to respond quickly to market opportunities.
