Supply Chain

Supply Chain interview prep.

The library content Coach uses to tailor reports for this role. Generated reports personalise this against the candidate's CV + the firm's context.

Behavioural questions to expect

  1. Walk me through your background + your path into aerospace + defense supply chain.
  2. Tell me about a supply chain project you've owned end-to-end.
  3. Why aerospace + defense supply chain vs commercial industrial, consumer, or pure consulting / finance?
  4. Why supply chain specifically vs programme management, engineering, contracts, or operations?
  5. Why the firm?
  6. What's your read on our programme portfolio and supply chain footprint?
  7. Tell me what you understand about our supply chain organisation and recent strategic moves.
  8. Walk me through how you'd run or improve a programme SIOP - tying programme demand to supplier capacity, rate-readiness, and EVM.

Technical concepts to master

  • A+D SIOP + programme demand fundamentals

    SIOP vs IBP in A+D context · Programme-of-record demand · Rate-readiness · EVM integration · LRIP -> FRP transition

  • Supplier strategy + long-lead aero materials + AS9100 / AS9102

    Long-lead material capacity constraints · AS9100 / AS9120 / Nadcap · AS9102 First Article Inspection (FAI) · Should-cost in A+D context · PPV + VAVE + supplier-development in A+D

  • DMSMS + obsolescence + LTB mechanics

    DMSMS - Diminishing Manufacturing Sources + Material Shortages · LTB (Lifetime Buy) economics · Form-Fit-Function (FFF) substitute · Counterfeit parts in DMSMS context · Multi-decade governance

  • A+D regulatory overlay - DPAS + FAR / DFARS + counterfeit + CMMC + ITAR

    DPAS - Defense Priorities + Allocations System · FAR / DFARS clause flow-down · Counterfeit-parts regime - DFARS 252.246-7007 / AS5553 / AS6174 · CMMC - Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification · ITAR / EAR + foreign person access

Practical drills

  • You manage forgings + microelectronics for a programme transitioning from LRIP (24 ships/yr) to FRP (60 ships/yr) over 18 months. Forging unit cost $80K, lead time 52 weeks, single-source mill at 80% utilisation on this part. Microelectronic FPGA unit cost $15K, EOL announced by supplier in 12 months, remaining lifetime demand 25 years x 60/yr after FRP. Size the LTB on FPGAs at ~95% confidence on remaining demand. Quantify the rate-readiness gap on forgings + the working-capital impact of a capacity-reservation deposit at 10% of 3-year forward demand. Show your numbers.
  • A $3B revenue defense prime running 4 programmes (2 LRIP, 1 FRP, 1 sustainment) has a poorly-functioning SIOP - demand review skipped, programme demand sandbagged by PMOs, supply review focused on weekly fire-fighting, no executive SIOP teeth, ECP-driven baseline shifts not flowed to MRP. OTD stuck at 84%, supplier OTD 78%, ~30% of long-lead POs are expedites, EVM SPI 0.86, inventory 95 DOS. CSCO asks you to redesign. Walk me through your approach and 12-month roadmap.
  • Your programme sources structural titanium forgings from a single US mill that is now capacity-constrained at the sub-tier (ingot supply); programme is in late LRIP with FRP ramp in 18 months. Customer recently exercised DPAS DX rating on a competing programme at the same mill, pushing your delivery slot back 12 weeks. Specialty-metals DFARS clause limits sourcing to US + qualifying-country mills. ITAR controls the design data. CSCO asks whether to dual-source domestically, vertically integrate (insource forge), pursue qualifying-country source, or accept the slip + replan. Walk me through how you'd structure the decision and what additional data you'd need.

Smart-question anchors

  • Programme portfolio + phase mix - LRIP / FRP / sustainment balance + recent programme awards
  • SIOP / IBP maturity - cadence, executive SIOP teeth, EVM integration, tooling roadmap (Kinaxis / o9 / OMP / enterprise ERP IBP)
  • Long-lead supplier strategy - titanium / forgings / electronics rate-readiness, dual-source programme, supplier-development
  • DMSMS + sustainment posture - LTB cadence, customer-funded ECP queue, multi-decade governance
  • Regulatory + compliance - AS9100, CMMC certification level, counterfeit-parts programme maturity, recent DCMA / FAA audits

Sourced from

APICS / ASCM CPIM + CSCP body of knowledge · SAE Aerospace Standards - AS9100 + AS9102 + AS5553 + AS6174 + GEIA-STD-0016 · DFARS + FAR + DPAS regulations (acquisition.gov, 15 CFR 700) · Defense Acquisition University (DAU) DMSMS + EVM + supply chain materials · Aviation Week + Defense News + Breaking Defense + Air & Space Forces Magazine trade press · GIDEP - Government-Industry Data Exchange Program

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