Soaring High: How CBAIC Built a World-Class Digital Foundation in Just 2.5 Months

Founded in 2023 in the Yangtze River Delta Integration Demonstration Zone, CBAIC is a deep-tech startup specializing in the R&D and manufacturing of advanced aviation composite structures. The company provides lightweight, high-strength composite components for drones, low-altitude manned aircraft, and commercial airliners, with a commitment to driving the sustainable and efficient application of carbon fiber composites in China’s aviation sector.

Capitalizing on the rapidly growing low-altitude economy, CBAIC aims to build its competitive edge by pairing core technological innovations with refined operational management. The founding team recognized early on that entering the global aviation supply chain requires more than just technical superiority and hard work. To achieve exponential growth, they needed a world-class management foundation capable of handling the extreme complexities of aviation manufacturing.

This realization paved the way for our partnership.

1. Manufacturing Aircraft Components is Not a Game of Blocks

During our initial scoping phase, it became clear that developing aviation composite components is exceptionally complex. As a startup where R&D and production are deeply intertwined, CBAIC faced significant operational bottlenecks during its rapid expansion.

During our initial scoping phase, it became clear that developing aviation composite components is exceptionally complex. As a startup where R&D and production are deeply intertwined, CBAIC faced significant operational bottlenecks during its rapid expansion.

The most prominent challenge was product structure complexity. A complete Bill of Materials (BOM) for a single composite component often spans up to 8 levels and involves roughly 10,000 raw materials. Managing these materials requires coordinating shop-floor production, specialized tooling manufacturing, outsourced processing, and complex procurement. Initially relying on manual tracking and spreadsheets, the team suffered from inefficiencies, often resulting in production delays or inventory backlogs.

Furthermore, with R&D and production operating concurrently, high-frequency “non-standard” modifications are the norm. Engineering blueprints constantly evolve based on test data, demanding rapid cross-functional collaboration and data synchronization.

Additionally, aviation composites require intricate sheet metal and fabric processing. The difficulty in standardizing material waste made yield calculation and precise cost control a persistent headache. Consequently, instead of focusing on core R&D, employees were bogged down by manual data reconciliation—a major roadblock for a company aiming for global expansion.

2. A Decisive and Strategic Choice: SAP Cloud ERP

Faced with these highly complex operational dynamics, CBAIC made a bold decision for an early-stage startup: they resolutely invested in an SAP system to build a digital framework tailored to aviation manufacturing.

This move was driven by a clear long-term strategy. Having already secured partnerships with overseas clients, CBAIC knew that the aerospace industry demands stringent quality management and end-to-end production traceability. SAP’s globally recognized compliance and manufacturing capabilities act not just as an IT tool, but as a critical credential for international market entry.

Moreover, because SAP is the gold standard among leading aviation manufacturers, its embedded best practices enabled CBAIC to quickly establish a standardized operational framework. This mitigated early-stage management risks and ensured seamless synergy across R&D, production, procurement, and finance.

Understanding these specific needs, Acloudear recommended and designed a rapid deployment plan utilizing SAP Cloud ERP.

3. A 2.5-Month Sprint to Reshape the Corporate Core

The project launched with a clear scope, covering all core operational modules: project management, sales, production, planning, procurement, quality control, warehousing, and finance. Thanks to the seamless collaboration between both teams, CBAIC’s SAP Cloud ERP system went live in just over two months.

The transformation was immediate. The previously daunting 8-level BOMs and 10,000-piece material lists are now fully transparent. Every material’s journey is easily traceable. The system’s agility ensures that frequent R&D modifications instantly sync with backend planning and procurement, eliminating information silos. Furthermore, the complex material yield calculations for sheet metal and fabrics are now accurately managed through system quotas, driving effective cost control.

Most importantly, the integration of finance and operations has unlocked significant employee productivity. Front-end operations—like inventory receipts and material issuances—now automatically generate back-end financial entries. Freed from tedious manual data entry, the team can refocus its energy on technological breakthroughs and strategic business analysis.

Today, a coherent, standardized set of business processes is deeply rooted in CBAIC’s daily operations.

As an SAP Platinum Partner, we witnessed CBAIC transition from being “dragged along by chaotic operations” to having “operations guided by a systematic digital framework.” Supported by this robust management foundation, this young deep-tech enterprise is primed to spread its wings in the low-altitude economy, and Acloudear will proudly remain their dedicated digital ally on this journey.

About Acloudear

As an SAP Platinum Partner, 2020 Pinnacle Award Winner, and United VARs member, Acloudear specializes in SAP Cloud ERP solutions. Powered by the twin engines of “AI + Globalization,” we deliver one-stop cloud solutions—from process reconstruction to AI innovation—for over 300 customers across industries like Automotive, High-Tech, and Life Sciences. Acloudear is a pioneer in China’s cloud-native services. By combining SAP Best Practices with our unique “1+X” innovation matrix, we reshape corporate digital DNA and empower enterprises to unlock the full potential of the cloud. Our commitment to excellence has earned us multiple recognitions as the SAP Best Cloud Partner.

This article "Soaring High: How CBAIC Built a World-Class Digital Foundation in Just 2.5 Months" by AcloudEAR. We focus on business applications such as cloud ERP.

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