Tailwind RFQ
A parts RFQ platform: one request fanned out to approved suppliers, responses ranked by price, condition and lead time.
Tailwind is an internal concept build, not a client deployment. We built it to prove an approach to structured RFQ handling before asking a parts trader to fund one.
- Type
- Concept build — no client deployment
- System
- Sales platform + supplier portal
- Built
- 2025, internal
- Surfaces
- Trader console · supplier portal
- Status
- Available as a starting point for a client build
| RFQ | Part | Suppliers | Best offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFQ-8841 | Actuator assy | 7 sent · 5 in | $4,180 · SV · 3d |
| RFQ-8842 | Brake unit | 9 sent · 9 in | $11,900 · OH · 1d |
| RFQ-8843 | APU starter | 4 sent · 1 in | Awaiting |
| RFQ-8844 | Nav display | 6 sent · 4 in | $7,450 · SV · 2d |
The commercial problem
A part number typed twelve times is a margin problem, not an admin problem.
Parts desks answer requests by copying one part number into a dozen supplier emails, then chasing each thread. Responses arrive in four different shapes and get compared by eye. The trader who replies first usually wins, whether or not their offer is the best one.
Typical desk: 2–4 hours per RFQ
System strategy
How the system was shaped.
01
Structure the request once
Part number, condition acceptable, certification required and urgency captured in a single record.
02
Fan out, do not retype
One action sends the structured request to every approved supplier for that part family.
03
Make responses comparable
Suppliers answer in a fixed shape, so price, condition, lead time and certification rank automatically.
04
Treat AOG as AOG
A separate queue with its own SLA, escalation and visibility, rather than the same inbox as routine work.
Two journeys, one system
- 01Request receivedFrom an operator, an MRO or the trader’s own public request form.
- 02Structured capturePart, condition, certification and urgency recorded once.
- 03Supplier fan-outApproved suppliers for that part family notified in a single action.
- 04Ranked quoteThe requester receives a shortlist with condition and lead time explicit.
- 05Purchase orderAccepted response converts to a PO on the same record.
- 01Queue by urgencyAOG requests separated from routine, each with its own response clock.
- 02Supplier list assembledApproved suppliers matched to the part family and certification required.
- 03Responses land structuredSupplier portal enforces the fields needed to compare offers.
- 04Ranking appliedWeighted on price, condition, lead time and certification, adjustable per request.
- 05Margin checked before sendThe trader’s own margin rules applied before an offer leaves the desk.
Key capabilities
What the system actually does.
- Structured RFQ captureOne record covering part, condition, certification and urgency.
- Supplier fan-outApproved suppliers notified in a single action, with response tracking.
- Supplier portalA phone-first response form that takes seconds to complete.
- Weighted rankingPrice, condition, lead time and certification scored together.
- AOG priority queueSeparate SLA, escalation path and visibility for grounded aircraft.
Architecture snapshot
Four layers, one source of truth
Nothing exotic. A boring, well-drawn architecture is what keeps a system cheap to extend three years later.
- Target first response
- 12 min
- Supplier form completion
- Under 30s on mobile
- Access model
- Role-based · supplier scoped
- Public surfaceRequest form, supplier response portal, status pagesStatically delivered
- Application layerRFQ engine, ranking weights, SLA clocks, margin rulesCore logic
- Data layerOne RFQ record, supplier response history, approved supplier registerPostgres
- Integration layerEmail and SMS delivery, parts inventory feeds, accountingRelay
Accessibility
- Supplier portal designed for one-handed phone use with 44px minimum targets.
- Ranked results are readable as a table by screen readers, not only as a visual chart.
- Urgency is communicated by label and position, never by colour alone.
Commercial value
What this is built to achieve
Tailwind is a concept build. These are the targets the design is engineered against — not results measured in a client business.
- 12 mintarget first response on an AOG requestTarget
- 1entry of the part number, instead of twelveTarget
- 4ranking factors applied automaticallyTarget
Future expansion
Where it goes next.
If commissioned
Inventory-aware routing
Check owned stock and consignment before an external RFQ is sent at all.
If commissioned
Supplier performance history
Weight ranking by how reliably each supplier has delivered on promised lead times.
Concept
Certification capture
Attach and verify trace documentation at response time rather than at PO time.
Related systems
Other systems
Aviation & charter · Lead generation
Live systemMeridian Air
Win more charter trips by quoting first, with pricing the brokers trust.
Construction & renovation · Quotation software
Live systemHalcyon Estimating
Turn one estimator’s knowledge into software the whole team can price with.
Same problem, different sector?
The pattern behind Tailwind RFQ — answer aog requests in minutes instead of hours, without losing margin — transfers to most businesses selling complex, high-value work.