At Brigham we have been converting ISO9001 to AS9100 to help us open new market sectors. In May 2023 we became AS9100 compliant by building on our existing systems. However, many suppliers to industrial supply chains don’t realise just how close their current ISO9001 quality system is to an Aerospace Quality Management System.
AS9100 is not an entirely different system, it is fundamentally ISO9001 with some additional requirements that the Aerospace, Defence and Space sector need to minimise risks to supply. With this in mind you should realise that your current ISO9001 system is really valid in your pursuit of AS9100, and with minor tweaks and a few additional procedural requirements and training, you can meet the standard.
Converting ISO9001 to AS9100 Requirements
Converting ISO9001 to AS9100 does not delete any existing ISO9001 requirements, but does require the following additional requirements,
- Production Control
- Verification of production equipment and processes
- Control of changes to equipment and processes
- Post-delivery support and controls on production equipment
- Product preservation and shelf-life control
- Planning for Product Realization
- Project management, risk management, configuration management
- Control of work transfers between facilities, to suppliers or between suppliers
- Pervasive risk identification and risk assessment
- Design and Development
- Verification and validation
- Testing
- Documentation
- Purchasing and Purchased Product
- Supplier control
- Information sent to suppliers
- Product purchased for use in a controlled or limited way
- Non-conforming processes
- Product monitoring and measurement
- Criteria for rejection and special measurement instructions
- Corrective action, including flow down of corrective action to suppliers
So what’s the catch?
This said, it’s not quite that easy. AS9100 is scrutinised to a level you might expect of an industry that helps people literally sit in the skies. Where your ISO9001 certification and surveillance audits may be one day long now, it is likely that AS9100 will require an audit of three to four days. This gives you a pretty clear indication of the difference between maintaining your ISO9001 certificate compared to the expectation of an AS9100 certificate.
I guess that the real question is – Do you manage your current system properly? If like us, you do, an uplift to AS9100 will need some understanding of the industry and its specific risks, and some specialist training in the areas of Counterfeit Parts Control, and things like First Article Inspection, but it is relatively straight forward.
If you don’t manage your 9001 certificate as well as you should, and find audits stressful, reinvigorate your management system, and make it more about what you really do. The chances are that this is an ideal chance to refurbish your systems and if that is the case, why not go all the way with an opportunity to move into new markets of aerospace, defence and space? This could be just the excuse you are looking for.