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Aerospace

Increase visibility and traceability across aerospace supply networks

Fueled to fly with speed and control

In aerospace and defense, every part must be connected to a trusted history of manufacturing, certification, and movement. BarTender combines Labeling and Track & Trace to help streamline compliance, coordinate supplier operations, and protect against theft, counterfeiting, and undocumented parts across the supply network, from OEM production to MRO operations.

Trusted by aerospace & defense companies worldwide

What is integrated labeling and tracking for aerospace?

In aerospace and defense, every part must be connected to a trusted history of manufacturing, certification, and movement. BarTender combines Labeling and Track & Trace to help streamline compliance, coordinate supplier operations, and protect against theft, counterfeiting, and undocumented parts across the supply network, from OEM production to MRO operations.

Compliance built into the label — not checked after the fact

BarTender embeds aerospace labeling requirements directly into governed templates, so RFID encoding and format rules are applied before a label reaches a part. Template governance, version control, and support for MIL-STD-130 UID, GS1-128, GS1 DataMatrix, and ATA Spec 2000 standards help reduce manual verification, encoding errors, and rejected shipments. Once labeled parts reach receiving or installation, Track & Trace records each scan as part of a serialized chain of custody.

Scan-based receiving that compresses dock-to-stock from hours to minutes

Track & Trace replaces manual receiving with barcode and RFID-based verification that keeps aerospace parts moving with speed and accuracy. As shipments arrive, scanned items are automatically matched against advance shipping data, with shortages and discrepancies flagged in real time and synchronized back to ERP systems. Faster receiving, fewer keying errors, and real-time inventory updates help manufacturers and suppliers remove a constraint that can otherwise cascade into production delays, detention fees, and missed delivery windows.

Counterfeit prevention through a serialized chain of custody

BarTender helps aerospace manufacturers and suppliers strengthen chain-of-custody visibility from labeling through receiving, storage, and shipment. Barcode validation and template governance help ensure serialized labels remain accurate, compliant, and aligned with ERP at every step. Track & Trace records every receiving scan and status change as part of a continuous digital thread—helping teams isolate affected serial numbers quickly during recalls without broad, costly sweeps of entire product lines.

customer success

FedEx: Simplified, streamlined tracking of every item, from the facility to the final destination

FedEx saved $13 million in inventory since implementing Track & Trace

FedEx Fleet was losing vital maintenance and manufacturing parts for its aircraft carriers due to ineffective inventory management. This resulted in lengthy repair times, costly incidents, and frequent overstocks and stockouts.

After implementing a Track & Trace solution, FedEx streamlined its maintenance tracking process to locate and implement necessary repair parts quickly. Item-level RFID tags trace missing parts, preventing costly repair delays and real-time data supports FedEx asset management, forecasting, and more.

Maintain traceability across suppliers, MRO, and compliance operations

Enabling multi-tier supplier networks at scale 

BarTender helps OEMs deploy compliant labels across hundreds of suppliers, including Tier 2 and Tier 3 shops that often lack enterprise-grade systems. Adding a new supplier or spec means adding a template, not redesigning a process. BarTender Cloud reduces IT overhead further, enabling smaller suppliers to print approved labels from a browser.

Faster part location for MRO and field operations

RFID-enabled labels from BarTender make serialized aerospace parts immediately searchable across warehouses and maintenance operations. Teams can use handheld RFID readers to complete cycle counts in minutes with 95%+ accuracy and locate critical components in seconds—helping keep operations moving and reducing costly AOG delays.

Audit-ready traceability across sites 

BarTender Enterprise provides complete audit trails and role-based access controls, while Track & Trace adds full item movement history, live dashboards, and one-click export. Teams can provide answers in seconds, not days, when an AS9100 auditor, FAA inspector, or DoD contract reviewer asks for chain of custody on a specific serial number.

Better together

Keep production moving—with full visibility, built in 

When labeling and tracking are disconnected, errors multiply and visibility disappears. BarTender brings them together—so every label becomes the start of a complete, traceable record. 

  • One source of truth 
    Label data flows directly into tracking—no duplicate entry or mismatched records
  • Instant traceability 
    Track items from creation through production, storage, and shipment
  • Faster audits and recalls 
    Access a complete history of every item, label, and movement
  • Simplified operations 
    One platform, one system, one partner for labeling and tracking

Modernize your aerospace operations with BarTender 

Simplify your labeling. Gain real-time visibility. Improve accuracy across every stage of production. 

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Labeling and tracking for aerospace FAQs

Yes. BarTender supports MIL-STD-130 UID and IUID labeling, including Construct 1 and Construct 2 unique item identifiers, encoding CAGE code, part number, and serial number into a 2D Data Matrix. This meets DoD requirements for certain items, as well as mission-critical and serially managed items under DFARS 252.211-7003. Template governance helps ensure consistent compliance across facilities and suppliers.

BarTender supports RFID tag encoding aligned with ATA Spec 2000 data exchange standards. Labels can encode barcode and RFID data simultaneously, and the same structured data is consumed by Track & Trace for downstream receiving, tracking, and reporting.

BarTender Labeling is used to design, manage, and print compliant aerospace labels and RFID tags. Track & Trace records receiving scans, item movements, location changes, and shipment events across the supply chain. Together, they help aerospace organizations form a single workflow that maintains serialized traceability and chain-of-custody visibility from label creation to shipment reconciliation.

Yes. Track & Trace can validate incoming shipments against Advance Ship Notices in real time using barcode or RFID scans at receiving. When a supplier transmits an ASN, Track & Trace pre-stages the expected shipment. At the dock, items are scanned and validated against the ASN in real time. The system immediately reports matches, shortages, and overages back to ERP systems, simplifying supplier reconciliation and reducing manual processing.

BarTender helps strengthen serialized traceability from labeling through receiving and inventory tracking. Print-time barcode validation, ERP data serialization, and template governance prevent unauthorized label modification. Track & Trace records a complete chain of custody for each serialized component (including who, what, when, and where for every item event), helping teams isolate affected parts quickly during recalls, investigations, or counterfeit alerts. For DoD contractors, this supports detection and avoidance systems required under DFARS 252.246-7007.

BarTender is available as on-premises software, cloud-based software, or a hybrid deployment. Aerospace organizations with strict data residency or air-gapped environments typically choose on-premises. BarTender Cloud suits multi-site operations and supplier enablement. Hybrid deployments allow on-prem teams to maintain centralized design control while enabling suppliers to access approved labeling workflows through the cloud.

Customer Success

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