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A few months ago, we covered the importance of AS9100D Certification. The Aerospace Standard 9100 certification is a standard requirement for anyone who works within the aerospace industry or with partners such as airlines, NASA, or the U.S. Department of Defense.

In our previous article, we noted that with AS9100D you can expect extensive changes. Approximately 98% of the standard has changed with AS9100D, resulting in a more extensive audit process—one which has been extended to 6 1/2 days. The new focus on accountability ensures more rigorous safety protocols, such as the management of counterfeit parts. Overall, OEMs will need to be more diligent about their suppliers and the quality of products, requiring more oversight and management of data, and vigilantly incorporate risk-based thinking into every step of the process.

To help you manage the new certification requirements, here are the 15 most impactful changes for the AS9100:2016(RevD) Aerospace Standard. This list of the new standards is a critical tool for quality products and delivery.

AS9100D Changes

1. 10 Elements: The entire AS9100D standard has been remunerated to a standardized 10-element based system. Companies may choose not to renumber their quality management system (QMS), but it’s recommended to do so if possible to help both personnel and external auditors better relate to the new standard.
2. Product Safety: Organizations must determine what controls are needed to ensure the safety of their products or services. Employees must be trained on these requirements.
3. Human Factors: A new requirement in the Work Environment section and the Production Control and Corrective Action includes a focus on training employees in ethics and recommending the inclusion of an Ethics Policy.
4. Counterfeit Parts Prevention: The AS9100D states that organizations must maintain a procedure for counterfeit parts prevention, which includes sampling and analysis of raw parts and materials. Joining the GIDEP (Government Industry Data Exchange Program) is recommended.
5. Risk-Based Thinking: Beyond assessing risk at the point of contract review and quoting, the AS9100D requires organizations to assess and communicate additional points of risk: Process Risk, Corporate Risk, and Opportunities.
6. Organizational Context: On an on-going basis, companies will need to analyze and monitor all internal and external issues, including applying a SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threat) of their competition, and then demonstrate a deep understanding of each.
7. External Parties: The definition of external parties has been redefined to include additional interested parties, including parent corporations, stockholders, employees, regulatory authorities, and more. A general description of each party now needs to be documented.
8. Objective Programs: Unlike previous iterations where you needed a plan for correction only when an objective is not being met, you now need a plan for each objective presented. Plans must include:

• What will be done
• What resources are required
• Who will be responsible
• The timeline for completion
• And how the results will be tested

9. Ethics: Ethical behavior is required. An Ethics Policy is recommended to train and communicate the importance of ethical behavior.
10. Management Review: This policy has been updated to include new requirements such as: reviewing performance and on-time delivery of external providers, resource adequacy, identification of risks, and the effectiveness of a risk management plan.
11. Supplier Monitoring: Two new requirements include measuring the on-time delivery rate and the quality rate for suppliers.
12. Purchasing: The AS9100D has expanded the flow-down requirements associated with product safety, ethics, and conformity.
13. Communication: Internal and external communication plans must be provided and include details around what it will communicate, when it will be communicated, who will communicate, how it will be communicated, and who the audience is.
14. Change Management: There is now a stronger emphasis on the QMS, specifically around change processes, planning, production, and contracts.
15. Organizational Knowledge: This requires a company to demonstrate what knowledge and training each position needs, as well as detailed job descriptions and the means to institutionalize critical knowledge.

ACDi is currently AS9100D certified and will work diligently to help companies in the aerospace industry achieve their electronics manufacturing initiatives even with the changing landscape of requirements and certifications.