Does my company need AS9100 certification?

 

Certification has become quite the norm when it comes to dealing with ISO standards including the AS9100 and AS series of standards published by SAE. Many companies choose not to opt for a management system aligned to AS9100 for the additional costs that will be incurred until such time that a customer requirement demands certification. Oddly enough nearly all the ISO standards allow companies to self declare conformity. Few companies recognize that management systems aligned to AS9100 ill enable continual improvement of the system with fewer non-conformities (with a well-used system) and more satisfied customers over time. Add to this lower operating cost from better use of resources, reduced turnover as a result of improved morale, and less rework/repair.

AS9100 is an internally recognized standard for aerospace quality management systems. The standard provides the framework for a process-based management approach or a systemic approach to managing quality. In the aerospace and defence industry the smallest defect can have disastrous consequences. The AS9100 standard requires the organization to control all outsourced providers. The method used to do this is not prescribed. As such many large contractors in order to avoid the burden of having to assess all their suppliers via audits at periodic intervals opt to have their subcontractors/suppliers accredited. The audits are then done by the accreditation bodies and the companies certified.

If you are an organization looking to becomes a supplier to large aerospace contractor then you will probably need to be AS9100 certified. However, this may not always be the case depending on the product/service being delivered. In some cases, ISO 9001 certification may also be accepted. AS9100 Rev D is built on the framework of ISO 9001 with additional requirements for the aerospace industry. As a result, AS9100 includes all the requirements for 9001 within it. Some additional specific requirements such as operational risk assessments, documentation requirements and requirements for obsolescence include in AS9100.

AS9100 in following the plan do check act approach, asks leadership to determine the business environment (context of the organization), the needs of relevant stakeholders and determine the risks that can impact their business and operations. They must then incorporate controls within the system to address these risks to enable conforming products and services. The system must be adequately resourced to allow the requirements (objectives) to be met. The resources include competent personnel and some companies achieve this through AS9100 training.

A review of the system then leads to improvements. AS9100 asks leadership to get involved in the system and that quality is really everyone’s responsibility. It cannot only be the quality manager championing the cause. AS9100 certification may be useful to win contracts but should not prevent the standard from being used to improve the way things are done.