Your ERP Tells You You Need an RFQ Add-On — Why It’s Costing You More Than You Thin

Some ERPs relying on email parsing and plug-ins are costing aviation companies more than they realize — in time, money, and lost RFQs. This article breaks down the signs your ERP is underperforming and shows how direct API integration with ERP.Aero helps you quote faster, cut costs, and capture more business.

The Quick Fix That’s Quietly Failing You

At a glance, "extracting" your RFQ data from marketplace emails sounds like a clever shortcut. Instead of building a true integration with aviation marketplaces like Inventory Locator Service,® LLC , PartsBase Inc. , or Locatory.com , many ERP systems suggest using a parser — a service or plugin that scans your inbox, extracts RFQ details, and injects them into your workflow. It’s often pitched as “automation.”

But this method isn’t automation. It’s improvisation.

Why It Doesn’t Work

This data extraction method relies on unstructured data — subject lines, body text, inconsistent formats — to identify and extract critical information like part numbers, quantities, and deadlines. And because every marketplace structures its emails differently (and updates them frequently), parsers are inherently brittle. One formatting change, one email routing issue, one misread line — and your system either misses the RFQ entirely or scrambles it beyond usability.

Worse yet, parsing marketplace RFQs is reactive. It only works after an email lands, meaning your team is always one step behind. There’s no guaranteed capture, and no real visibility. You can’t prioritize RFQs you don’t know about — and you can’t fix errors you never catch.

For aviation businesses dealing in narrow response windows, global demand, and regulatory pressure, this isn’t just inefficient — it’s dangerous. RFQ extraction add-ons turn your procurement process into a guessing game, while competitors with real integrations are already quoting, closing, and fulfilling.

Legacy ERPs may lean on these add-ons because it’s easier to bolt a pseudo solution on than to build the right one properly — but easy for them means risky for you.

The Real Cost – You Can’t Win RFQs You Never See

Every missed RFQ is more than a missed email — it's a missed deal, a missed relationship, and a missed opportunity to grow your revenue. The harsh truth is that many companies relying on 3rd party add-ons for their marketplace RFQs don't even realize how much business is slipping through the cracks.

Why? Because you can’t track what you never saw.

Simply extracting values from marketplace RFQs introduces blind spots. If an email gets routed to the wrong inbox, if the parser fails to read it correctly, or if a format change breaks the script, that RFQ vanishes without a trace. There’s no system alert, no SLA breach, no follow-up prompt. It’s simply gone — and your competitor likely picked it up while your team stayed in the dark.

ERP.Aero customers have seen the impact of this firsthand. One aviation parts supplier, after switching from a parsing-based system to ERP.Aero’s direct API connections, discovered they were capturing nearly 90% more RFQs. That’s not just better visibility — that’s real, quantifiable revenue sitting in your blind spot.

Speed and Scale

And it’s not just about volume — it’s about speed. Banner Aircraft International, after switching to ERP.Aero, reduced its RFQ response time from 30+ hours to mere minutes, and saw quote-to-sale conversion rates jump from 15% to 55% — a 267% increase in conversion efficiency. These aren’t soft gains — they’re bottom-line game-changers.

Relying on data extraction methods doesn’t scale with you. It doesn’t grow with your business. It fails quietly, costs you silently, and limits your ability to compete in one of the fastest-moving industries in the world.

The Marketplace Connection Bottleneck – Why Other ERPs Charge You Twice

Paying Twice for the Same Access

You already pay for access to Inventory Locator Service,® LLC , PartsBase Inc. , and Locatory.com — they’re the essential gateways to global aviation demand. But here’s the trap: your ERP vendor knows that too. And instead of empowering your business, they see it as an opportunity to nickel-and-dime you.

Most legacy ERPs charge thousands — sometimes tens of thousands — just to “connect” to these marketplaces, despite already charging you thousands to manage your core business. And even then, they’re not offering real integration. They’re giving you access to an email feed or a basic import tool that still depends on data extraction to function.

So you end up paying the marketplace, then paying your ERP, and then potentially paying a third-party service just to parse the emails and inject them into your quoting flow. That’s not innovation. That’s what we call the ERP Tax — the hidden toll you pay for using a system that wasn’t designed with aviation in mind.

ERP.Aero’s Built-In Approach

This is where ERP.Aero takes a fundamentally different stance. We believe that direct API access to ILS, PartsBase, and Locatory isn’t a premium — it’s a basic business requirement. That’s why our platform includes these connections. No RFQ add-ons. No extra middleware. Just real-time visibility into every RFQ, the moment it’s posted.

With API-level connections, your team sees the full scope of incoming demand — automatically routed, tracked, and ready to quote inside your ERP system. No blind spots, no delays, and no hidden costs. Because we believe the technology you need to compete shouldn’t come with a surcharge.

The Add-On Trap – When Your ERP Becomes a Tax Collector

If you've ever tried to scale your aviation operation using a legacy ERP, you've likely felt this: the moment you try to do something specific to your industry — quoting faster, managing RFQs better, integrating with a new marketplace — your ERP suddenly needs help. But not from itself. From an add-on.

-Need to capture marketplace RFQs? Buy an RFQ plug-in.

-Need better quote management? Buy a quoting module.

-Need to analyze data? Buy a reporting engine.

-Need support for all this? Pay for a premium support tier.

This is the add-on trap, and it’s all too common. Legacy ERP vendors sell you a stripped-down base system, then piece by piece, charge you to make it usable, essentially a hub. Before long, your business is running on a patchwork of tools — disconnected apps, middleware services, bolt-on CRMs, and spreadsheet workarounds — all duct-taped together and prone to failure.

Every extra component adds complexity and slows things down. Instead of focusing on customers, your team ends up managing disconnected systems — and when something goes wrong, it’s hard to know who’s actually responsible.

All-In-One with ERP.Aero

ERP.Aero takes the opposite approach. We’ve built an aviation-specific platform where everything you need is already included:

• A world-class RFQ and quoting module (included)

• Direct API connections to marketplaces like ILS, PartsBase, and Locatory (included)

• Integrated shipping via EasyPost and risk management via Flycovr (inlcuded)

• Out-of-the-box accounting sync with QuickBooks and Xero (included)

• Advanced tools like for intelligent search and pricing (included)

You don’t need a web of workarounds. You need a system built to work — end to end, from day one.

Why ERP.Aero Chose a Different Model

By now, the pattern is clear: most traditional ERPs are built to charge you more as you grow. From marketplace integrations and RFQ plug-ins to storage fees and support tiers, the ERP Tax shows up at every turn.

ERP.Aero was built to flip that model.

No Tax. Just Tools That Work.

We’ve removed the friction and fees:

• Marketplace APIs come standard

• RFQ and quoting tools are built-in

• Support is unlimited, not tiered

• Your data and users scale with you

• Transparent pricing. No surprises.

The result? Customers save 52% or more in total ERP-related costs, while gaining visibility, speed, and a system that actually accelerates growth.

Next, let’s take a closer look at one of the biggest differentiators: ERP.Aero’s real-time, API-based approach to RFQ capture.

Direct API Integration – The Only Future-Proof Way to Capture Marketplace RFQs

Real-Time = Real Advantage

In aviation, milliseconds matter. The faster you respond to a Request for Quote, the more likely you are to win the deal. Email parsing delivers a band-aid approach but can’t deliver that edge — but direct API integration can.

ERP.Aero’s API-based connections to Inventory Locator Service,® LLC , PartsBase Inc. , and Locatory.com give your business real-time visibility into every RFQ — no delays, no decoding, no missed opportunities. The moment a buyer posts a request, it flows directly into your ERP system, routed to the right person, with the right part info, instantly.

Here’s how that changes the game:

• Instant Access

• Automated Routing

• Full Visibility

• Error Reduction

• Scalability

Proven Performance

This isn’t theory — it’s proven. ERP.Aero customers have:

• Increased RFQ volume by up to 90%

• Cut quoting time by 80%

• Achieved 300%+ automation ROI in less than a year

Legacy ERPs with marketplace RFQ email extraction weren’t built for the demands of today’s digital aviation marketplace. Direct API connections aren’t a nice-to-have — they’re the only way to operate at the speed of modern business.

What Makes ERP.Aero Different – Aviation-Native by Design

Most ERP systems weren’t built for aviation — they were adapted for it. That’s a critical difference. General ERPs often lack the nuance, speed, and compliance controls aviation companies need to thrive. So they tack on industry-specific features after the fact. The result? Complexity, compromises, and costly workarounds.

ERP.Aero took a different route, it is purpose-built, not retrofitted.

From day one, it was purpose-built for aviation parts suppliers, MROs, and distributors. It doesn’t “support” your processes — it was engineered to optimize them.

The Things You Need? Included

Here’s what sets ERP.Aero apart:

• Native RFQ and quoting tools

• Direct API connections to the marketplaces, ILS, PartsBase, and Locatory

• Integrated shipping & logistics via EasyPost

• Built-in accounting sync with QuickBooks and Xero

• Flycovr risk management

• Unified data across inventory, sales, compliance, and finance

The result? Aviation companies scale without friction. Banner Aircraft International, for example, doubled revenue while maintaining headcount — all because ERP.Aero unlocked speed, visibility, and precision across their business.

You’re Not Falling Behind. You’re Being Parsed Behind

The aviation marketplace is moving faster than ever. RFQs come in waves, expectations are rising, and the companies that win are the ones who respond first, quote accurately, and execute without delay. If you’re relying on email parsing as your marketplace revenue capture  strategy, you’re already behind.

ERP.Aero was built for scale and to end that cycle.

With direct marketplace API connections and out of the box access, an aviation-native RFQ engine, integrated logistics, accounting, and access to risk management, ERP.Aero replaces the patchwork with a platform. The result is simple: more RFQs captured, faster quoting, fewer mistakes, and no hidden fees. Just a system that performs at the speed your business demands.

The future belongs to companies that stop patching and start performing. It’s time to cut the parser, drop the ERP Tax, and take control of your pipeline.

💬 Ready to see what 90% more RFQs looks like? Let’s show you the difference real integration can make

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If your ERP is making it harder to quote, respond, and grow, it’s time to stop patching and start performing. ERP.Aero is built for aviation from the ground up — with direct marketplace API connections, built-in quoting, and no hidden fees. The result? Faster RFQs, smarter operations, and measurable ROI. Don’t let outdated systems hold your team back. Let us show you what real integration looks like.