Why No One Is Listening To You

How does it feel, being ignored? You pick up the phone and get voicemail. You email and get no reply back. You text only to be ignored. In the world of fast paced jets, communication moves at the speed of idle dirt. Dealing with aircraft maintenance supply chain partners is a chore.

It's like babysitting a child that doesn't listen.

Nowadays, we have social communication mediums like Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, and the ancient phone, text and email. Yet, listening and communication skills are at an all time low. It's a mind numbing epidemic.

So why are people not listening to you? Why does it seem like nobody cares?

It's Not A You Problem, It's a Who Problem

When supply chain partners don't actively engage you in a conversation, it's not a you problem, it's a who problem.

It's very common to have a need and to have to pull teeth to work through a problem and find a solution. The person you should be relying on most is out to lunch with their phone turned off. They say "I-care-a-lot-about-you" but actions speak louder than words.

I'll give you a quick checklist to identify the who problem:

• They don't reply to your email for hours
• You don't have a cell phone number for them
• You leave voicemails and they never return your call
• You leave voicemails and it takes days to get a call back
• They don't accept your social media requests so you can build trust a rapport with them
• They are hard to find on the internet
• You have no way to text them
• They're never on Skype
• They don't have Whatsapp
• You can't call them after hours or on the weekends
• Every time you talk to them it always sounds like they have something more important to do

This is why we have 24/7 dedicated Account Managers.

You can contact them personally any time you want. People who we can create the greatest value for and who benefits from our solutions has entire access to their Account Manager. It's about creating a "WOW" experience.

When you're not being heard and you identify it's a who problem, look at your options and figure out another way.

The Downfall of Demands

Another big issue it the constant pressure of demands, it could be you doing the demanding or the other party.

Constant demands will have the other party running. Communicating and listening together is entirely different.

Here's a great example. We had a new customer contact us and every time we engaged them in a solution for their rotable RFQ needs, they would demand a "cheaper" price. It was never good enough and pretty soon we became disengaged. With the prices we were quoting they got 100% logistical support, 24/7 access to a dedicated Account Manager and unparalleled service.

They know that they can trust us and we do as we say. There's no having to babysit us. In this particular situation it was a matter of $100 that they demanded we come down to. It was a constant demand of lowering prices and a constant demand of shipping things faster than agreed upon.

Every time we worked with this client it was a demand. It was never collaborative.

Are demands sometime necessary? Yes, of course, but doing more demanding and less communication and collaborating gets most people nowhere.

Listening is much more productive than talking and it's a critical flaw in a lot of supply chain partners communication style. Know the who and watch out for the constant demands.

Do you feel like your constantly ignored? Do your supply chain partners have a listening problem? Well fear no more my friend. Fill out the form below and let's show you how good listening skills is done.

Skylink Teams Up With Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

This week we invited the prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to come in and take some retired spare parts off our hands for their classrooms. We were delighted to donate these parts as it provides a great hands on learning experience for the prospecting students attending the University. Moreover, it was great to team up with a well known university that has grown its roots from the first flight of the Wright Brothers back in 1903.

In The News: Air Force Rebuilds C130 Wings, The Rebirth Of The Middle Seat, And The Reason Behind The Window Hole

Air Force Rebuilds The Wings Of A C130

Watch this video of the United States Air Force completely rebuilding the wings on a C130 Hercules. Click here for the original video.

Original video by The United States Air force

The Rebirth Of Sitting In The Middle seat

Thompson Aero Seating has re-invented the middle seat. No longer will passengers have to fight over who gets the window or isle seat. This is truly an amazing design. Check it out here!

Original article by Erika Owen

The Reason Behind The Small Hole In Airplane Windows Revealed

I know every time I have sat in a window seat, at some point during the flight that tiny hole comes into my view. I always wondered what it was there for, but never took the time to read about it. Click here to find out what it does!

Original article by Robbie Gonzalez

27 Reasons Why We Love Aviation

The lives we live are vastly different than what most people are use to. We live and breathe aviation. We love the products, we love the people, and we love the challenges. Here is a very short list of why we love this industry:

1. Aviation never sleeps. Which in a weird way is...awesome?
2. We have our own language, like AOG. If someone doesn't know what it means they belong on another planet.
3. We have our own Aviation Alphabet:

4. If you don't know Alpha, Bravo, Charlie please don't talk to us. 5. You critique every airline's operational efficiency. 6. We get to meet so many great people from various cultures and backgrounds. 7. We oddly love the smell of aircraft tires. 8. Jet fuel smells like roses. 9. Some of us have experienced bouts of Skydrol on the wrong parts of our body. Burn! Wash your hands people. 10. Most take flying for granted, we don't. 11. Serenity is achieved 30,000ft above. 12. 

13. We can touch any continent in a days time. 14. We work with the smartest people and products outside of Silicone Valley. 15. The supply chain is complicated. 16. The challenge is fun. 17. Aviation brings people from varying backgrounds to work together. 18. 

19. Overcoming an AOG can save thousands of dollars for our partners. 20. Watching planes takeoff and land is therapeutic. 21. The sky is no longer the limit. 22. We wake up early to work on these:

23. The toys are awesome. 24. The tools we use beat the cheap car junk. 25. You can hold a $150,000 component in your hand and it's not a diamond. 26. The scenery always changes.

27. Lives are at stake and quality is paramount.

In The News: New B/E Aerospace Seats, Bird Damaging An Airplane, And Electronics During Flight

A New Seat Made By B/E Aerospace

Southwest is going to introduce a brand new seat designed by B/E Aerospace. These will be the widest economy seats on a 737. Click here to read more.

 Original article by The Cranky Flier

See What A Bird Can Do To An Airplane

A bird flew into the nose of a Turkish Airlines flight, and completely caved in the front. Luckily planes are built to take hits like this and be just fine. No one was injured and the plane landed safely. Click here to see the full article.

 Original article by Stan Schroeder

You Can Leave Your Electronics On During Flights!

A recent ruling states that passengers can keep their electronics on during takeoff and landing. Even though the FAA approved electronics, not all airlines are allowing this just yet. Click here to read more.

 Original article by Fiona Mcdonald

Skylink's Journey To India

Recently a couple of our Skylink team members were invited to travel to India to meet with some of our clients and close friends to celebrate their wedding. They started off flying from Newark to Mumbai where they spent a few nights sightseeing. This is a picture in Mumbai of the central laundry facility. For hotels that do not have in house laundry, they send their linens here. They arrived too late in the day to see the washing process, but this is how they dry all the linens. It’s interesting how each area is color coded.

A couple days later they took a three hour car ride to Nashik for the wedding. Below is Nate at the ring ceremony standing with the Groom.

Here is Nate and Nicky celebrating with the Bride and Groom during the ring ceremony.

The next day they attended the wedding ceremony in the their traditional Indian attire. Look how incredible the flower arrangements are!

Here is Nicky posing with another wedding guest during the wedding reception.

After the wedding, Nate and Nicky did some more sightseeing around India. First stop was riding an elephant in Jaipur, towards the Amber Fort!

They were also able to spend some time in Agra were the Taj Mahal is located. Isn’t this picture Nicky took amazing?!

Nicky and Nate were honored to be a part of all the wedding festivities, and getting to see such a beautiful country.

In The News: Airbus And Boeing Have New Patents, Electric Airplane, And Top Airline Amenities

  Airbus And Boeing’s New Patents That Will Change The Way We Fly

Airbus and Boeing have filed for multiple patents recently. I don't want to spoil them, but one involves a touch screen window. Check the original article here.

Original article by Daisy Carrington

An Electric Airplane Exists?

Airbus will begin producing the first electric airplane. There are two models coming out and they will be available in late 2017 or 2018! See the original article here.

Original article by AirInsight

Top 10 Airline Amenities You Didn't Know About

Have you ever wanted to see your favorite band, or sip on Turkish coffee while flying? Find out the top 10 things airlines have to offer. Click here to see the original article.

Original article by Huffington Post

How To Properly Manage Aircraft Component TATs

There is nothing more frustrating than your aircraft component being delayed. It’s a pull your hair out moment.

Your TAT(turnaround time) is 21 days but 30 days later you still have nothing. You’re more stressed than ever and your blood boils with every passing day.

Supply chain delays are a common stressor. Both time and money are on the line. How do you eradicate this problem? Or can you at all?

It's very difficult to eliminate completely, but with a few steps we can reduce common TAT issues.

Now there is no magic fairy dust and to fix this it takes effort from all supply chain partners.

Follow-up schedule

You're probably thinking, duh, I know I have to follow-up, but this step often gets overlooked.

When an order is placed whether it be a PO or RO, you'll inevitably have to follow up in some form or fashion. Think of this as effective communication, staying engaged and friendly.

Go a step further and create a follow-up schedule leading up to your predetermined ship date. This will help alleviate stress and unnecessary thinking.

On time delivery alerts and reporting

With every order you place you must track your on time deliveries.

This will give you a well needed overview of your supply chain health. Are orders being delayed because of supplier lead times or is there something else holding up delivery? This could be your freight forwarder, customs, or various other things.

Tracking your on time deliveries will help you pinpoint issue areas.

You should also have a visual report so it’s easier to see and manage. Your ERP system may have this within it’s platform, or you can just export it to excel.

Dedicated support for 24/7 updates

Babysitting supply chain partners is a common theme. You can avoid this by having dedicated support.

If you work with a company who has various sales people managing your account or you’re working with someone who's unresponsive, your service will suffer.

When you have dedicated account managers you can be sure you'll have a partner that will help you work through any issues you may be having.

Contingencies

It is not your responsibility to have contingencies. You have plenty more things to worry about.

Your supply chain partner should have contingencies in place if any issues arise. Ask them, if something happens, do you have backups in place so I receive what I want, when I want it?

Sometimes scarcity plays a role, but at least you'll know that there's no contingencies in place and you can prepare on your end as well. Being prepared is a much needed asset.

Choose the right supply chain partner

The next and most overlooked step is choosing the right supply chain partner. If price is your only concern then you're going to lack in service.

When service suffers and more issues arise, you spend more money over time. Focus your attention on overall value being created. When you work with supply chain partners who create "wow" experiences you'll be much happier and see your TAT issues decline.

As you can see, reducing your TAT is about having a simple follow up plan backed by issue reporting and supported by a trustworthy supply chain partner.

Do you have TAT issues? Do you need to make your supply chain more efficient? We can help. Fill out the form below and we'll start making you a TAT rockstar.

In The News: Flying More Economical Than Driving, BER Parts To Art, And A Personal 747 Manson

 Flying Is More Economical Than Driving

It is official that flying is more efficient than driving a car. Moving one person 1 mile consumes 2,465 BTU's in a plane, VS. 4,211 BTU's in a car. Click here to read more.

Original article by Shane Ferro

Turn Your BER Parts Into Art

You probably have a warehouse full of BER aircraft parts that are useless.  Well why not dress up your office with some of those old parts. Click here to get some ideas. I like number 9 the best!

Original article by Julian on Business Pundit

Boeing 747 Refit To Be Personal Plane

We all wonder what it would be like to be wealthy and buy anything we wanted. Well check out what this mystery man did to a 747 he turned into a flying 400 million dollar home! Check it out here.

Original article by Hugo Gye

The Poor Communication Epidemic

As the world shrinks through our ability to connect with one another via the vast webs of the internet, our communication skills begin to suffer.

It's a poor communication epidemic. It’s a virus that's plaguing every industry and felt in our hyper connected yet incredibly misunderstood aviation world.

The people affected most are the heart of the industry, airlines, yet they too are guilty of such an epidemic.

Our VP Nate Anglin, attended the MRO Americas conference and during one of the sessions, Alex Gorinsky from Southwest Airlines mentioned that we’d be surprised that poor communication exists even with their supply chain partners.

From big airlines to small, poor communication bleeds through the pores of every supply chain.

Most supply chain complexities are hard to fix yet communication is the easiest to overcome. It requires a little human focus.

It’s all about the win / win

In every relationship creating win / win relationships has positive long term effects. Ken Newton from Alaska Airlines puts it well when he says he doesn’t want to put all the burden on the supplier. It’s creating a winning relationship, and if the supplier makes money then Alaska Airlines makes money by being able to keep it’s fleet in the air. It’s not a complicated thought but it’s so important and yet still misunderstood.

Many times the supplier cares more about the financial gain than the long term relationship. This has detrimental effects both on trust and on an airline's operating objectives. The same is true for airlines and MROs putting burden onto their suppliers, stripping margins, and focusing on the “Everyday Low Cost” Wal-Mart special pricing, yet they still demand high quality and short TATs. Cheap does not create value. With cheap prices comes cheap service and solutions. This reduces the long term value being created and in the end more time and money is being spent.

The most effective collaboration is one with efficient communication that is focused on a win / win relationship, both for the airline and supply chain partners.

Listen then talk

When you talk with your aircraft component supplier, who does most of the talking? It shocks me that most of the time, suppliers would rather talk than listen. They talk about their services, the part numbers, the prices, and don’t forget to come back to them if you find anything better.

I’ll now be blunt…it’s stupid.

Rarely is someone in purchasing asked, you seem to have problem x? I can imagine this affects your operation in x ways. How does this affect you personally? You would then explain to them your deepest darkest concerns while they listen. They would absorb, translate, and comprehend your situation. They would then suggest possible ways to resolve your issues. Not once was selling a part mentioned. It’s about the resolution of problems and inefficiencies were the greatest value is created.

Listening is the start of effective communication. If someone doesn't listen, you might as well talk to the wall, your dog, or possibly your spouse? Kidding of course.

Hire partners slow, fire partners fast

Most of our supply chain partners love working with our team. MROs have said “everyone I talk to at Skylink from purchasing to A/P is an absolute pleasure to work with” and “The owners of Skylink must have an amazing HR department, everyone I speak to is top notch and respectful.”

Isn’t this the point?

Our HR policy is rather simple and so is working with suppliers. We hire slow and fire fast. If we have a toxic team member who doesn’t embody our core values, they won’t be on our team for long. We don’t care about the temporary disruption, toxic personalities bleed through our organization. We have the same principles with suppliers which is why we follow a preferred vendor system. We’ll hire slow and fire fast. If it creates a tempororay supply chain issue, we’ll figure something out so we can continue to create “WOW” experiences for our customers.

If you have a toxic supply chain partner who doesn’t listen, fire them. I assure you there’s someone who can replace them.

In a world that’s hyper connected, in an industry that never sleeps, poor communication continues to plague the industry.

Remember, in order to overcome the epidemic, create win / win relationships and your partners must listen more than they talk. Fire fast and hire slow.

P.S. Are you looking to replace your supply chain partners who care more about themselves than they do for you? We listen and we listen a lot. Fill out the form below and get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.