Ensuring the Success of Subcontracting and Technical Assistance: Our Operational Challenges at AAA Canada

AAA Canada offers its customers the flexibility and confidence to subcontract aircraft and ground transportation assemblies and sub-assemblies to highly specialized teams with operational responsibility for industrial, production and maintenance processes.

In general, assemblies and sub-assemblies require teams of skilled and certified workers who assemble parts that have already been machined or welded. AAA Canada provides skilled workers certified to AS9100 global standards for the aeronautic industry.

The company provides administrative and industrial engineering support to help with work overloads or establish assembly or production lines.

AAA Canada focuses on three main areas: on-site manufacturing support, technical assistance and in-house training. 

AAA Canada's Expertise in On-Site Support for Aeronautical and Ground Transportation Manufacturing

AAA Canada's specialized or multidisciplinary teams can manage all or part of a customer's industrial processes, production and maintenance. Based on the customer's needs, processes and operational reality, we ensure operations' efficiency, quality and profitability.

As a rule, the price is fixed in advance for contracts lasting one or two years. Subcontracting also offers customers greater flexibility and responsiveness.

The company can manage large-scale local, national and international projects. Relying on an international network in nine countries, its professionals can get to customer sites quickly and cost-effectively, depending on the governance of the countries visited.

Specialized Technical Support: Competence and Flexibility

We provide the knowledge, technical skills and abilities of our knowledge workers. These employees are seconded to customers on an annual short- or long-term contract basis.  

Our specialized teams offer versatility and flexibility to companies wishing to maintain industrial production on-site, thereby tightening the supply chain and reducing operating costs. The range of knowledge and skills our experts can bring is very diverse, thanks to their expertise gained across a wide range of customers and platforms.

In-House Training: Strengthening Structural Assembly Skills

Our teams stay abreast of the industry-specific knowledge and skills required to meet the needs of our target sectors, thanks to mandatory involvement in an in-house skill monitoring and continuous training program.

The AAA Academy is an in-house training centre where our employees can certify and standardize their structural, mechanical, and electrical assembly knowledge. Certified and qualified trainers provide workers with training sessions based on theory and practice. 

The Academy enables the company to guarantee the use of best practices in managing the skills of its assemblers while ensuring that new employees have the desired level of knowledge.

Recruitment Challenges in a Competitive Market: AAA Canada's Response

The main challenge we currently face is recruiting qualified and competent employees. This challenge is essential. As Éric Dion (Vice-President and COO) points out, today's job market for skilled assemblers, technicians and operators is more than competitive.  

"As a result of this intense competition, wages and pay rates are starting to rise. The subsequent impact on profitability means we have to look for practical and innovative ways to adapt and react intelligently."

Current market conditions are such that we find ourselves competing with our clientele for qualified candidates. All recognize this phenomenon.  

However, by recognizing the need for cooperation to benefit both parties, the aeronautic and transportation sectors participate in the generally orderly management of recruitment and hiring from the skilled labour pool.

Customer Testimonials on AAA Canada's Flexibility and Performance

"We need your flexible staff to adapt to the demands of our business so we can increase or reduce our production more easily than if we had more permanent employees."

AAA Canada offers its employees to customers at a fixed price based on one- or two-year contracts. This type of agreement offers a good mix of stability and flexibility. It provides customers with a stable team for some time without tying the client company to the increased ongoing overheads associated with adding full-time employees as business needs grow. This flexibility allows customers to adapt to production schedules and new projects.

Overcoming Operational Challenges: Effective Talent at AAA Canada

Despite a highly competitive job market, employers are offering increasingly higher salaries to attract top talent.

We, therefore, find ourselves in the tricky position of having to offer qualified candidates a better overall work experience. An experience that leads to greater mutual satisfaction for both employee and employer. For example, assisting with immigration and settlement in Ontario or Quebec, and encouraging involvement as a member of the work community.

Our response to complex market conditions has become essential to our corporate strategy and profile.

An important aspect of a more satisfying work experience is welcoming employees and helping them feel at home in our inclusive corporate culture.  

The company's culture is integral to its retention strategy, as it values loyalty and constantly emphasizes this inclusive culture. As the company is the regular reference point for employee performance and capabilities, operations management has prioritized developing and supporting an open, community-oriented corporate culture.

AAA Academy Support and Competitive Advantages

AAA Academy's expertise becomes a competitive advantage in recruiting qualified talent, as potential candidates know that working for us means acquiring up-to-date knowledge with a view to professional certification. They also know that the Academy offers modern training methods, including e-learning and course delivery, and a growing range of forms of virtual training.  

The recent massive shift to distance working has also become a way for us to respond positively to competitive pressures. It offers a full range of possibilities, from fully remote to hybrid off-site working, while some jobs require total presence (assembly, inspection, technical and operator jobs, for example).

Moreover, our operations management is well suited to various work formats. Depending on the role and job requirements, it uses multiple formats, from remote to face-to-face work. The need to adapt is reflected in our open corporate culture, nurtured by an orientation towards coaching and mentoring.

As Éric Dion enthusiastically remarked, "We're open and accessible, and we invite conversation.  It's like a Google office here." Our main operational challenges and opportunities today are to ensure the continuous supply of qualified and certified professionals to support the assembly or other industrial processes of its customers.  

To face future challenges and significant competition, we will continue to offer our customers the flexibility to contract certified workers with up-to-date skills and qualifications managed according to modern open working methods.