AS9110: We are certified but problems persist!

 

Often the expectation of implementing an AS9110 Aerospace Quality Management System is that quality service will be guaranteed, non-conformities will cease to exist, customers will be delighted, operating costs will come down and productivity will increase. Achievement of external validation by a certification body delivers a sense of attaining just this. Voila! Nonconformities do cease to exist …. at least temporarily until the first customer complaint comes in or a breakdown occurs. Perhaps these really are opportunities, for the lucky ones get by with an AS9110 certified system, gaining new business (in good years). Customer feedback forms come in with satisfactory reviews, but the changing customer base goes unnoticed.

The dichotomy

Leadership should be concerned when they stop receiving non-conformities from their personnel. However, often they question how internal audits are raising non-conformities when they have an AS9110 certificate issued by an accredited registrar. Surely if the experts have not identified any issues how can the internal auditors? This culture percolates and permeates throughout the organization and soon auditors are viewed as policemen, as those who are here “to poke their nose in our business”, as those who are out to find fault in what we do. Internal auditors received pushback and the audit program fails. Management get reports of no nonconformities in the management review and praise the quality department on their excellent performance which further perpetuates the cultural and system breakdown.

If it ain’t broke why fix it?

At QMII, we have heard this often enough in consulting projects we have undertaken; and we agree! There is however a caveat. Sometime, if it ain’t broke it may indeed be working well, in other cases if it ain’t broke it may just be because no one reported it (so management does not know). Personnel do report nonconformities for a variety of reasons. They feel intimidated, they do not know how to, it may affect their performance or “if you identify it you fix it”. People already are busy enough and do not want to add an additional burden to an already full plate.

The resistance to change is another reason. When implementing the AS9110 system, the implementers fail to account for the existing system, inputs from the users of the system, and/or the feasibility of providing the stated resources/controls. Stretch objectives are set that are not achieved and demoralize the workforce.

Going beyond certification

While certification is good as it demonstrates to customers that an organization meets a certain baseline for quality, AS9110 only provides a framework and does not guarantee the outputs of the system. This is for the leadership to determine what they expect from the system and then to resource it to meet their objectives. They should appreciate nonconformities raise by the team and expect quality from every individual. The internal auditors should be trained on an AS9110 Lead Auditor training and then the audit should add value to the system. The benefits of an AS9110 system as stated in the introduction are achievable but only when the system is vigorously used in daily business and embraced at all levels.