For several years, major aerospace companies have been emphasizing the importance of AS9100 conformity or third party certification to their suppliers. These companies made it clear that suppliers were expected to conform to AS9100 as a minimum, and that third party certification to AS9100 would eventually be expected. The major aerospace companies are now setting dates by which certification to AS9100 will become a condition to remaining a supplier. SAI Global has all the resources to help your company achieve this certification milestone while continuously improving performance. We have highly experienced experts in all aspects of aerospace and related activities, such as process definition and improvement, lean enterprises, six sigma, program management and many other business process improvement activities that will help your company improve its competitive position.
With the release of AS9110 (which addresses aircraft maintenance, overhaul and repair activities) and the requirements for third party certification to AS9100 having been finalized, many maintenance organizations are pursuing AS9110 certification. Some organizations, which have both manufacturing and maintenance/repair activities, are pursing certification to both standards. SAI Global personnel have the quality systems background and experience as well as the technical qualifications (such as FAA certification as an A&P mechanic) to guide an organization through the development of a business system meeting AS9110 requirements.
As more aerospace standards (such as AS9120 and AS9006) are released and certification is sought to those standards, SAI Global continues to leverage the latest in Quality Management System practices to assist your organization in developing a business system and preparing that system for certification to any of the standards.
SAI Global approaches preparation for conformity or certification to AS9100 and/or AS9110 as an opportunity for overall business improvement. The intent is not to focus on certification as the only goal, but rather to develop the very best business system and processes appropriate for the organization. With this in place, certification will occur as a natural result of having well-implemented, outstanding business system.
SAI Global uses a phased approach, described below, to process improvement.
Phase I - Implementation Gap Analysis:
This activity determines where the company currently stands in regards to AS9100 and/or AS9110 requirements and improvement opportunities, and how these results track with the goals and objectives of the organization. One output from the gap analysis is a detailed report, identifying any nonconformance areas and the necessary corrective actions. Another output is an Implementation Plan, which provides a complete "road map" for the improvement and AS9100 or AS9110 certification effort to ensure all required actions are completed and implemented. As part of the Implementation Plan, SAI Global will produce a Gantt chart that identifies specifically when and in what order implementation actions should be completed. The gap analysis can be accomplished by an on-site audit, a thorough review of the company's documentation, or a combination of the two.
Phase II - Training & System Framework Development:
This activity ensures that the company has a solid foundation prior to implementing an AS9100 or AS9110 based business management system. During this activity, SAI Global ensures that employees understand the appropriate requirements for each individual. We emphasize a firm knowledge of the standard for the implementation team and the Management Representative, and provide additional coaching to the Management Representative to ensure they will be effective in the role as key point of contact in implementing and maintaining the AS9100 or AS9110 management system. We also ensure that senior management understands their role as active participants in the business system operation as well as what is expected of them.
We will work with the senior managers to develop and review the organization's quality policy, objectives, and the key business drivers and measurements related to products, services, customers, and the overall organization. These areas are crucial in planning and developing the AS9100 or AS9110 management system framework. We remove any sub-optimization situations to ensure that all decisions are made from the perspective of what is best for the company. We ensure that everyone understands that successful implementation and registration of the business system to AS9100 or AS9110 ultimately depends on the commitment of top management and the cooperation of the entire organization.
Phase III - Process and Procedure Development:
There is a strong emphasis on processes throughout the aerospace community,. SAI Global will review and accomplish process definition as appropriate for the organization, with the intent to break down the silos and develop a global view of organizational activities. Many organizations define processes around departments, which can be an ineffective approach to AS9100 or AS9110 optimization from a big-picture, best practice standpoint. If the organization is design responsible, these design activities will be incorporated into the AS9100 or AS9110 process definitions.
Once the processes have been suitably defined for the organization, appropriate procedures must be developed to ensure process implementation. We work with the organization to review any existing documentation and decide upon a documentation approach. The use of process maps is strongly encouraged to provide a visual representation of the processes, which can be added to existing documentation. To achieve buy in to, and ownership of, the AS9100 or AS9110 business system, it is critical that appropriate organization personnel are active participants in the process definition and procedure development efforts. While SAI Global will be an active participant in a consulting and coaching capacity, the actual writing and implementation of processes and any required procedures will be performed primarily by the organizational management and employees.
We also work with the organization to develop the Management System Manual. This is the document that describes the overall AS9100 or AS9110 management system, its processes, and the interrelationship among those processes, and serves as the company Quality Manual. The manual can be developed before, in conjunction with, or after the documentation is developed.
Phase IV - Quality System Validation and Auditing:
Full implementation and operation of the business system must be verified, typically by management review and internal auditing. Prior to an AS9100 or AS9110 certification audit, a complete management review must be accomplished and a full round of internal audits must be completed.
The Management Review is a formal senior management review of the organization's management system to ensure its continuing suitability and effectiveness. Areas addressed in the Management Review include:
- results of audits
- customer feedback
- risks to the AS9100 or AS9110 business operation
- process performance
- corrective and preventive actions
- progress on meeting AS9100 or AS9110 objectives, and
- any changes that could affect the business management system.
We will work with the organization's Management Representative to develop the management review process as appropriate for the organization, and guide the process as it matures and becomes a key tool in the AS9100 or AS9110 business system operation. A number of options are available for the management review process - a periodic meeting format is not required.
The Internal Audit will reveal how well the organization's business system is functioning. We will train and mentor the AS9100 or AS9110 internal auditors to hone their auditing skills and identify any non-conformances. We will work with senior management, managers, and supervisors to co-create a corrective action plan and successfully implement that plan.
The first round of internal audits will also be the final review of the system prior to the actual AS9110 or AS9110 registration audit.
Phase V - AS9100/AS9110 Quality System Registration:
SAI Global will assist the organization's management in the evaluation process of a qualified registrar to provide certification to AS9100 or AS9110 services. This will include identifying registrars/CRBs authorized by the aerospace community to audit and issue certificates to a particular standard (such as AS9100 or AS9110), developing a list of questions for the registrar/CRB to address such issues as auditor qualification, dispute resolution, costs and handling of complaints. Selecting a registrar is an extremely important step in the AS9100 and AS9110 certification processes. The SAI Global consultants have considerable auditing experience with a number of registrars and can be particularly helpful during the AS9100 and AS9110 registrar selection process.
Fees and Payment Options
Fees are based on such factors as the length of the engagement and the assistance provided. A variety of payment options are available, including a fixed price format featuring level monthly billing for the length of the consulting activity.
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