What is the aerospace industry position on AS 9100 conformity?
The industry is moving towards requiring their suppliers to be AS9100 compliant / certified. By becoming AS9100 compliant / certified, suppliers can gain a competitive advantage and benefit from the process approach and continual improvement that are the foundation of ISO 9001:2000 certified QMS. Currently, the Boeing Company requires all Boeing suppliers to be BQMS (Boeing’s Quality Management System) approved or have a waiver. AS9100 Rev B is a significant part of Boeing’s BQMS requirements. General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE) was one of the first manufacturers to require AS9000 compliance by all of their direct material suppliers. Currently, GEAE is requiring AS9100 certification for all new suppliers, and existing suppliers have a gap audit and a certification audit performed to coincide with their existing surveillance audit schedule. Increasingly, the industry is moving towards third-party certification as a means of demonstrating QMS conformity to AS9100. The Americas Aeros
