Pretty much everyone in industry at some level have heard of ISO 9001, it is the world's benchmark for Quality Management Systems, not as many however have heard of AS9100D or AS9100:2016 Rev D to give it it's full title. So, what exactly is it and why talk about it alongside ISO9001? AS9100D is the Quality Management Systems - Requirements for Avi...

When you read through AS9100 D you will notice that where ISO9001:2015 may hint at something or assume you understand what it means, AS9100D is far better at being explicit in what it's talking about. Right off the bat in the scope of the standard for example it states "If there is a conflict between the requirements of this standard and customer o...

The interesting thing about the leadership clause of any standard is that it is one many organisation do not pay enough attention to. It tends to be an area where people still believe it is the quality or the safety or the compliance manager's role and so the senior management team take a hands-off approach leaving things to the person they have ha...

As we have mentioned before AS9100 REV D is very much focused on understanding the Risks in your Quality Management System and to your organisation plus how you will handle them. It makes sense, working in the aviation, space and defence industries is risky and the products that come out of those industries are perhaps the some of the highest risk ...

The AS9100 rev D standard for Quality Management Systems for Aviation, Space and Defence organisation's Clause 6.2 is all about setting your quality objectives for the organisation. It is another of the sections which is a "shall" i.e. you must do this to comply with the standard. Interestingly this clause doesn't say "Top Management" will … it say...

It is important to remember that your AS9100D Quality Management System (QMS) is a living and evolving system. That means that over time you and your team will make changes to the system either because of a new idea, a client requirement, a business change, a new system, new staff or as a result of a management review of a process, the list of reas...

AS9100 REV D Section 7, Support, is probably a little bit more detailed than the clause in rev C, and that's a good thing. Clause 7.1 – Resources especially, has a chunk more detail than the previous version. Resources required around your Quality Management System have always been a bit poorly defined in the past and varied wildly, now, however, t...

AS9100 REV D Section 7.1.5 is all about the how you look after measuring devices, calibration and measurement traceability. It's not a massive change from the previous standard but what does it mean and what do you have to do? The Clause is essentially the same as the ISO9001:2015 clause it is based on but does carry some useful additional clarific...

AS9100 REV D Standard Clause 7.1.6 – Organisational Knowledge can be a bit of a challenge for some to get their heads around. Organisations can have differing views internally about what organisational knowledge is, add in the external auditor's 3rd viewpoint and you can have some very interesting discussions about it. Getting clear about clear wha...

Within the AS9100 REV D standard Competency (Clause 7.2) and Awareness(Clause 7.3) are split into 2 separate clauses, that makes sense if you look at competency as purely skill or knowledge based but you do have to ask if it is to have any Competency without Awareness (or Communication!). As an organisation it';s for you to decide how you manage it...

Although AS9100 REV D requirements for your Quality Management System (QMS) is built on top of the ISO9001:2015 standard, there are a few areas where the requirements of the Aerospace standard are different or there are additional requirements, AS9100D Clause 7.3 for Awareness is one oof those areas.   Clause 7.3 - Awareness  This section...

AS9100 clause 7.4 Communication is a small and innocuous clause, there really doesn't seem too much to it on the face of it. This clause in Rev D of the AS9100 standard for Aviation, Space and Defence organisation is all about ensuring that those within your organisation and outside of it get the right level of communication about your quality mana...

If you think about the first 7 clauses of the AS9100 REV D as building the framework of your Quality Management System, then section 8 - Operation is very much about putting some substance on that framework and as a result it's quite in depth in its requirements. Section 8.1 - Operational Planning and Control, that we will discuss here, gives the r...

Throughout the whole AS9100D standard, risk-based thinking is an important thread. In clause 6.1 you are required to look at the risks (and opportunities) linked to the quality management system of the organisation, now AS9100D wants you to focus on even further. The whole point of the 5 points in clause 8.1.1 of AS9100 is to get you to understand ...

Clause 7.5 - Documented Information within the AS9100 REV D standard highlights what is required when creating and controlling documentation that is required to support your Quality Management System for Aviation, Space, and Defence Organisations. The requirements for how you manage and control your documented information have changed since technol...