What is AS9100D certification?
AS9100D is the company-level international standard for quality management system requirements for aviation, space, and defense organizations including manufacturers, contractors, and suppliers. It is prepared by the International Aerospace Quality Group and the requirements in this standard are complimentary, not an alternative, to applicable statutory or regulatory requirements.
There are multiple advantages to becoming AS9100D certified by an accredited registrar. First, certification satisfies contract requirements by many major aerospace organizations and the U.S Department of Defense. These organizations have strict requirements regarding third-party companies needing to be certified to AS9100D as a condition of doing business with them.
Second, it increases customer satisfaction by assuring customers that the organization has a quality management system in place that accounts for customer needs in their goals and objectives. Customer feedback is sought out and goals and objectives are adjusted based on the information received, creating a customer-driven culture that works to meet their needs.
Third, attaining certification helps improve internal processes, decision-making, and involvement from senior leadership. AS9100D emphasizes audits, management reviews and collecting data to help improve processes within the organization and allow for data-driven decision-making. Because of the requirements for AS9100D, it is also typical to see an increased involvement of senior leadership in the quality management system since they are required to periodically review, analyze, and adjust it.
What are the benefits for you?
Some of the key benefits to AS9100D certification, include:
- Increased customer confidence: AS9100D certification demonstrates to customers that an organization has a well-established quality management system in place. This can help customers feel confident that they will receive the best customer service possible.
- Improved product quality: AS9100D requires a variety of quality control measures, which can lead to improved product quality and fewer defects.
- Reduced costs: AS9100D can help organizations to reduce costs by eliminating waste and improving efficiency, which in turn can result in reduced prices for customers as well.
- Increased efficiency: AS9100D provides organizations with a structured approach to quality management, which can help to improve efficiency. This can be seen in manufacturing and production times, order fulfillment, and shipping times.
- Enhanced reputation: AS9100D is a highly respected certification in the aerospace industry. Achieving AS9100D certification can help customers know that they are working with a reputable organization.
How does a company become certified?
To achieve AS9100D certification, organizations must follow a specific process. This process typically involves the following steps:
- Commitment from top management: Top management must be committed to implementing and maintaining an AS9100D-compliant quality management system.
- Gap analysis: Organizations should perform a gap analysis to identify any areas where their current quality management system does not meet the requirements of AS9100D.
- Implementation: Organizations should implement any necessary changes to their quality management system to meet the requirements of AS9100D.
- Internal audits: Organizations should conduct internal audits to verify that their quality management system is effective and compliant with AS9100D.
- Management review: Top management should conduct a management review to assess the performance of the quality management system and identify any areas for improvement.
- Certification audit: Organizations should contact an accredited certification body to schedule a certification audit. This certification audit can take several days and involves an in-depth and detailed inspection of every aspect of the organization and its employees.
After achieving AS9100D certification
Once an organization has achieved AS9100D certification, it is important to maintain the certification. This involves following the requirements of the AS9100D standard by conducting regular internal audits and management reviews.
AS9100D certification is a valuable asset for organizations in the aerospace industry. It demonstrates to customers that an organization has a well-established quality management system in place, leading to increased customer confidence, improved product quality, reduced costs, increased efficiency, and an enhanced reputation.
At Accelerated Memory Production, Inc. we are proud to be AS9100D certified. This certification further demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible customer service together with high-performance, reliable, and quality products. We look forward to working together with you to serve all your memory and storage solution needs.
