The Significance of AS9120 QMS for Aerospace Product Distributors

Aerospace commodity items are essential in the proper functioning and guaranteed safety of aircraft. The distributors of these products—raw materials, bearings, paints, fasteners, coatings and gaskets—may not have a role in the development of these components, but these players certainly have an effect on the final product. This is because there would be significant effects on the finished aircraft’s performance if there is improper handling of parts and materials, as well as the loss of traceability from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to the customer.

That is why the industry put strict regulations in place. For pass-through distributors of aerospace commodity items, they have the AS9120 QMS (quality management systems). The standard is based on the ISO 9001:2000, with the addition of almost 100 specific requirements for aerospace distributors.

Focus Areas

According to AS9120.info, the system is developed for focus areas that have a direct impact on the reliability and safety of products, which include the following:

• Splitting – an area that covers specified requirements for lot splitting and batch splitting, along with the maintenance of specification conformance
• Airworthiness Certificates – this covers the definition of documents that act as certification for parts that meet airworthiness requirements
• Control of Records – covers the definition of record requirements for aerospace product distributors
• Traceability – refers to the definition of traceability requirements from receipt to delivery
• Evidence of Conformance – defines the specific documents required as evidence of conformance by distributors

Benefits of Certification

If you are a pass-through distributor of aerospace commodity items, there would be several benefits in acquiring AS9120 certification. Take a look at the following:

• Certification lets you access the best practices (which would aid in the reduction of operational risks) in the aerospace industry for ensuring quality and traceability.
• Certification provides a third-party proof of your commitment to the delivery of top-quality products.
• Certification lets you focus on customer satisfaction as you achieve the alignment of performance objectives to customer expectations.
• Certification provides global market access as it is recognized on an international scale.
• Certification allows you to identify opportunities for improvement in operations and reduction of costs.
• Certification increases the efficiency of audit and surveillance.
• Certification streamlines your documentation.

Getting Certified

For companies that want to take AS9120 standard adoption seriously, it is recommended to seek assistance from certified registrars. The ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) is a certification body for registrars, listing certified registrars like International Standards Authority, Inc. in a directory for easy reference.

(Source: What is AS9120?, AS9120.info)