What is AS9100:2016/AS9100D?
The standard for organizations that design, develop, or provide aviation, space, and defense products and services including parts, components and assemblies.
Prepared by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), with representatives from aviation, space, and defense companies in the Americas, Asia/Pacific and Europe, AS9100:2016/AS9100D standardizes quality management system requirements. It can be used at all levels of the supply chain by organizations around the world, to improved quality, cost, and delivery performance.
This is accomplished through the reduction or elimination of organization-unique requirements, effective implementation of the quality management system, and wider application of good practices.
Helps you with
- Global recognition
- Access to large OEM's
- Proving business credentials
- Process effectiveness
- Customer satisfaction
- Product improvement
- Supply chain access
- Entry onto the IAQG Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS database)
Benefits of Aerospace Certification
Global recognition as a reputable supplier
Certification is recognized internationally and accepted throughout industry supply chains, setting industry benchmarks for sourcing suppliers.
Access to large OEM’s
All companies registered to an Aerospace standard are listed in the OASIS database.
Improved stakeholder relationships
Improve the perception of your organization with staff, customers and suppliers.
Customer satisfaction
Deliver products that consistently meet customer requirements and a service that is dependable and can be relied on.
Ability to win more business
Procurement specifications often require certification as a condition to supply, so certification opens doors.
Reduced operating costs
Continual improvement of processes and resulting operational efficiencies mean money saved.
Proven business credentials
Independent verification against a globally recognized industry standard speaks volumes.
Is AS9100 Certification Right for My Organization?
While primarily developed for the aviation, space and defense industry, this standard can also be used in other industry sectors when a quality management system with additional requirements over an ISO 9001:2015 system is needed. EN9100:2018 includes all ISO 9001:2015 quality management system requirements along with additional aviation, space, and defense industry requirements and definitions.
All of the AS9100 series of standards underwent significant change in late 2016. Though a number of those changes were necessitated by a change in the base standard, ISO 9001:2015, many of the aviation, space and defense industry requirements were also modified and enhanced. Following the structure of ISO 9001:2015, EN9100:2018 includes requirements specific to:
- Context of the organization
- Leadership
- Planning
- Support
- Operation
- Performance Evaluation
- Improvement
Though earning AS9100 certification does take work, the effort is worth it for many businesses. You may want to consider implementing systems outlined in the AS9100 standard if you:
- Want to expand your ability to do business in the aerospace sector
- Hope to improve your quality management systems and lower risk
- Are already certified to ISO 9001 standard
Because AS9100 and related standards are built around ISO 9001, implementing the systems needed to meet AS9100 requirements may be faster and simpler for businesses that already adhere to ISO 9001's basic rules for quality management. If you do choose to pursue certification, you can feel confident that your decision is a step in the right direction for your aerospace company.
A starting point to AS9100D certification would be to obtain a copy of the AS9100D standard and the supporting standard AS9101 (Quality Management Systems - Requirements for Aviation, Space, and Defense Organizations) from SAE. These standards provide the detailed requirements that your management system must comply with. After reviewing the standards, you'll also need to select a certification body. As an accredited certification body, NQA can help you understand the requirements of the AS9100 certification process and perform rigorous, improvement-focused auditing. To get started with NQA, fill out our online contact form today.
What's New With AS9100?
Within these sections of the EN9100:2018 standard, new requirements above and beyond those specified in the previous revision AS9100C address:
Risk Based Thinking - The concept of risk has always been implicit in ISO 9001 but EN9100:2018 makes it more explicit and builds it into the whole management system. It ensures that risk is considered from the beginning and throughout and makes “prevention” part of strategic and operational planning.
Clause 6.1 - Is related to risks in the quality management system such as new customers, new market, company partnerships, business localizations etc. Unlike clause 6.1, operational risk in 8.1.1 is applicable to the risks within the operational processes needed for the provision of products and services such as contract review and signature, new technologies introduction, external providers selection etc.
Concept of Change - Provides a framework which evolves to enable organizations to adapt to their changing environments or circumstances. The benefits of a robust process to control change is that business continuity is maintained and potential consequences of change are appropriately considered.
Organizational Knowledge - Knowledge specific to the organization is gained by experience and conveyed through lessons, identification of experts and the implementation of succession planning. AS9100:2016 can help you safeguard the organization from loss of knowledge, (e.g., through staff turnover; failure to capture and share information) and encourages your organization to acquire (e.g., learning from experience, benchmarking) and share knowledge (e.g. mentoring of newcomers).
Product Safety - Including requirements to address product safety considerations throughout the product lifecycle.
Counterfeit Parts Prevention - Provides requirements to mitigate the effects of the growing threat of counterfeit / fraudulent product while recognizing the emerging counterfeit/fraudulent statutory/regulatory requirements on AQMS processes.
Awareness - EN9100:2018 now requires employees to be aware of their contribution to product or service conformity, to product safety and the importance of ethical behaviour.
Human Factors - Requires the consideration of human factors in the root cause analysis for nonconformities. To do that you must understand the interactions between people, machines and each other and their impact on human performance. Human factors could include physical fitness, physiological characteristics, personality, stress and fatigue to name just a few.
Obsolescence - In the planning and design processes, you must consider the consequences of product obsolescence.
Steps to Certification
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Step 1
Complete a Quote Request Form so that we can understand your company and requirements. You can do this by completing either the online quick quote or the online formal quote request form. We will use this information to accurately define your scope of assessment and provide you with a proposal for certification.
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Step 2
Once you’ve agreed your proposal, we will contact you to book your assessment with an NQA Assessor. This assessment consists of two mandatory visits that form the Initial Certification Audit. Please note that you must be able to demonstrate that your management system has been fully operational for a minimum of three months and has been subject to a management review and full cycle of internal audits.
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Step 3
Following a successful two stage audit, a certification decision is made and if positive, then certification to the required standard is issued by NQA. You will receive both a hard and soft copy of the certificate. Certification is valid for three years and is maintained through a programme of annual surveillance audits and a three yearly recertification audit.
