AEROSPACE AS9101
The ISO Pros
One of the most used and the most recognized standards in Aviation, Space, and Defense (AS&D) is the Aerospace AS9101. There are tons of different versions, standards, and measures that are recognized but among the most famous are in the family of the AS9100 family.
So what is AS9101? How is it different than the other standards in the same camp? How can this standard be used by the aerospace and the aviation industry?
What is the Aerospace AS9101?
As opposed to what many other people believe in, the Aerospace AS9101 is the procedure or the process that is being used to certify a certain organization or body to be able to define the report that would be presented in any certification.
Basically speaking, the AS9101 is the checklist of the requirements that would be needed in order to get the Aerospace AS9100 certification. Furthermore, the AS9101 checklist is included and involved in the Online Aerospace Supplier Information System (OASIS) database of the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQC).
History of AS9101
In case you’re not in the know, the original AS9101 version was first published in the year 2000 with the content first aimed to be able to identify and present Assessment Reports from companies – it was originally based on the AS9100:1999 standard. It then went on to evolve and be updated, up to the current and the latest version – the Aerospace AS9101F.
AS9101 Audit
So if the AS9101 is a checklist needed to be able to get the certification needed for the Aerospace AS9100, what is the purpose of the audit? How will an audit improve the current state or the existing processes, services, and products of a certain company?
Each and every step in the AS9101 procedure has the following questions to answer:
- Is the process able to achieve better and effective results?
- Are the responsibilities defined and detailed properly and appropriately?
- In terms of the processes that were identified, were they defined?
- Are the procedures duly implemented? If so, are they maintained enough?
Is This Standard Important?
Most companies, especially organizations in the AS&D industry, believe that the AS9101 standard is not an important part of their business – they think of it like this because getting an AS9100 certification is like being approved by an organization or a body that tackles overall quality and management auditing in the aerospace industry.
When it comes to the certification, the score that a specific organization or a body gets would depend on the checklist of the AS9101.