If you don’t register to “C” before July 1, 2012, your “B” certification will expire
The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) has released a revision to AS9100, the quality management system (QMS) standard for the aviation, space and defense industries.
The AS9100 quality standard is based on ISO 9001, adding requirements specific to the aviation, space and defense industry, while striving to meet the needs of stakeholders and move forward the IAQG strategy.
Manufacturers in the aerospace industry should have already marked July 1, 2023 on their calendars. That’s the last day they must complete the process of obtaining certification to the AS9100 Revision C standard, which was released in January 2009.
Until then, audits can still be conducted for meeting the AS9100 B standard. But after July 1, 2012, the B standard will be cancelled.
AS9100 B and AS9100 C Differences
AS9100C adds many new requirements and introduces a number of new terms that weren’t in AS9100B. Some of the changes are:
expansion of scope to include land and sea based systems for defense applications
risk management
project management
configuration management
critical items and special requirements
AS9100C also omitted some requirements like the requirement for an organization to “periodically validate test reports for raw material.” This requirement is no longer required by revision C of the standard and for those AS9100B registered organizations that want to get a head start on revision C of the standard, these omissions can be problematic.
Many companies that are currently registered to revision B of the standard have begun the process of implementing the additional requirements of revision C. Revision C upgrades should not only address what was added but also what was removed and changed from AS9100B. Those requirements omitted from revision C must still be adhered to until your company has successfully passed an AS9100C audit by the registrar. Only then can you drop these requirements if you so desire.
Going forward and at your earliest convenience you should let your registrar or auditor know your intentions regarding an upgrade to AS9100C. In the interim, most registrars recommend that you begin familiarizing yourselves with the requirements of AS9100C.
Purpose of AS9100C
The purpose of Revision C was to address the aerospace industry’s goal of expanding its scope.
The goals and objective of the revision were to add emphasis on product and process improvement and expand the scope to include aviation, space and defense. It also provides additional focus on the IAQG objective of on-time and on-quality deliveries.
AS9100 C also includes eight new requirements. Consider ISO 10006, which refers to project management. Every product that’s manufactured must now be managed as a project. ISO 10007 relates to configuration management. From product design to production to delivery, any changes that occur must now be documented, which leads to better control. Then there’s ARP 9134, or risk management.
Companies must now take into account all of the risks within their processes that would make a product not perform up to customer requirements.
Manufacturers need to sit down as part of production pre-planning and determine the risk level or possibility within any process step that could lead to a product not being in conformance. When the supplier knows that there is a possibility of failure, that the risk of failure is high and the product will not meet requirements they must put steps in place that would decrease or prevent failures to acceptable levels. They need to preplan production in a way that will consider all the risks of failure and have actions in place to prevent them from happening.
The consequences of just one part not performing up to par can be severe, damaging and costly. If a key part fails on a space shuttle that’s orbiting the Earth or on an airplane that’s flying at an altitude of 30,000 feet and carrying 250 passengers, the impact can be deadly. Not to mention the high cost of aircraft and loss of lives.
These new standards for risk management will also instill confidence in suppliers. They can now observe a check and balance system that relies on measurements and uses hard data to drive critical decisions.
Other changes focus on new standards for work transfers. Take a manufacturer that sends a part out to another company to complete a process. Whether that part returns to the manufacturer or is sent directly to the customer, it is now a controlled process. Everyone involved must follow the new requirement that also helps mitigate any possible risks associated with that product.
A big change involves the purchasing process where more information about the product or service must be provided to suppliers. Buyers must also know the processes sub-suppliers use and the skill level and experiences of all employees who will be responsible for the quality aspect of the product.
Three key reasons not to wait too long to upgrade to AS9100 C:
Since there is a limited number of both training oversight auditors and accreditation auditors, your company may need to wait in line. Likewise, certification bodies won’t be able to upgrade all of their auditors for some time, perhaps until next year. This will also impact your company’s ability to upgrade on its desired timeline.
If you don’t register to “C” before July 1, 2012, your “B” certification will expire.
During the certification process, if your auditor issues findings for corrective actions, your company will need enough time to close those out before the July 1, 2023 deadline.
There’s a small supply of auditors who are getting booked up. If you delay, you may not get your revision certification in time for you to continue your current qualification for doing business with current or new aerospace industry customers. So the earlier you do this, the better.
MassMEP is offering an AS9100 Collaborative so the manufacturing companies can become registered at a reasonable cost. The collaborative will begin in October and Information session are now being offered. Contact MassMEP to find out how you can meet this deadline or view the sessions online. Our programs help companies upgrade or for an initial registration to Rev. C.
