AS9100 Certification: The Invisible Backbone for Aerospace & Defense Manufacturing and How ERP Makes it Achievable.

Aerospace and defense is a high-stakes industry where there’s no room for error. A single faulty component can have catastrophic consequences on lives, missions and billions in investment. This is why AS9100 certification is not just a formality or a badge of honor. It is a robust platform of trust, safety and operational excellence. 

AS9100 is the internationally recognized quality and compliance standard for quality management systems (QMS) specific to the aviation, space, and defense industries. It takes the comprehensive framework of ISO 9001 and adds additional, rigorous requirements tailored to the unique demands of this sector. 

Think of it as ISO 9001 on steroids, with an unwavering focus on product quality, safety, reliability, and stringent regulatory compliance.

Why is AS9100 So Important in A&D Industry?

Ensuring Absolute Safety

‘Prevention is better than Cure’. And AS9100 is all about preventing defects, even the minute ones and ensure that every part, process and system meets the highest safety standards. This is non-negotiable and uncompromisable as lives are literally in the balance.

Unlocking Market Access

For A&D suppliers, AS9100 certification is not an option. It is a compulsory requirement to do business with major A&D companies and market leaders. Without it, the opportunities are limited. Its presence indicates that you adhere to the highest and most rigorous quality control and standards.

Risk Mitigation 

AS9100 mandates robust processes for risk identification, assessment and mitigation throughout the product lifecycle. This not only protects the end-user but also the manufacturer from costly recalls, rework, legal issues, compensation and reputational damage.

Operational Excellence & Efficiency

AS9100 also drives efficiency. By standardizing processes, reducing waste and fostering continuous improvement, it helps manufacturers streamline operations and cut costs in the long run.

Supply Chain Integrity

AS9100 encompasses its reach to the entire supply chain, ensuring that even your smallest suppliers meet the required quality criteria. This creates a chain of quality assurance that boosts the integrity of the final product.

ERP – Your Partner in AS9100 Compliance

Achieving AS9100 certification and maintaining it is a monumental task, demanding meticulous documentation, stringent process control, and seamless data flow. This is where a robust Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system comes in.

A specialized manufacturing ERP tailored for aerospace & defense industry is engineered to include AS9100 requirements directly into your daily operations.

Here’s how an ERP helps you achieve and sustain A9100 compliance,

Efficient Planning & Scheduling

AS9100 Requirement

Greater visibility into project plans and schedules, and associated costs. 

ERP Solution

An ERP’s Planning and Scheduling module allows you to constantly monitor material and component availability throughout the supply chain and get instant alerts in case of shortages to reduce risk. It also helps you to analyse other resource management such as labor and machinery to minimize production disruptions.

Engineering Change Management

AS9100 Requirement

Comprehensive record of changes made to a component at each production stage.

ERP Solution

With an ERP’s Engineering Change Management feature, you can implement effective engineering controls that include internal and customer-driven revisions to parts and components. With tight revision controls, you can manage overall documentation that includes product designs, workflow documents, approvals and communication, and get comprehensive visibility to document life cycle with time stamps and personnel info.

Document Control & Traceability

AS9100 Requirement

Tight control over all documents, revisions, transactions and records with complete traceability right from raw material to finished product stage.

ERP Solution

An ERP’s centralized database allows seamless entry, modification, storage and retrieval of all design specifications, work instructions, quality manuals and inspection records. It automates document version control, thereby ensuring that only the latest version of approved documents are used at all times. Every component is also linked to its purchase origin, supplier, batch and inspection history data. 

Non-Conformance Management (NCRs)

AS9100 Requirement

Robust processes to identify non-confirming products or processes, find root cause analysis, take corrective actions and document them.

ERP Solution

An ERP’s Quality Management system allows you to log identified quality issues, review and track Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPAs) and analyze patterns to prevent recurrence.

Supplier Management

AS9100 Requirement

Rigorous evaluation and monitoring of suppliers to ensure they meet the specified quality standards.

ERP Solution

An ERP’s Vendor Performance system allows you to efficiently manage supplier evaluation, qualification, performance tracking, product quality parameters, approval,  order history, audit information and communication. This ensures high quality products from high quality suppliers at the right time, everytime.

Production Process Control

AS9100 Requirement

Defined and controlled manufacturing processes, equipment calibration, and environmental controls.

ERP Solution

ERP’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) capabilities enables you to efficiently execute and track work instructions, capture real-time shop floor data, monitor machine performance, manage tool calibration schedules and ensure all production processes are adhered to.

Audit Readiness

AS9100 Requirement

Regular internal audits and readiness for external certification audits.

ERP Solution

By centralizing all quality data, procedures, and records, an ERP significantly reduces the time and effort required to prepare for audits. All necessary documentation is easily accessible and verifiable, demonstrating compliance at a glance.

Training & Competency Management

AS9100 Requirement

Ensuring personnel are competent for the tasks they perform, with appropriate training records.

ERP Solution

An ERP’s Human Resource module can track employee certifications, training and skill matrices for each employee based on their roles and responsibilities. This ensures that the right people are doing the right jobs and adhere to AS9100 requirements.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, an ERP system acts as the digital nervous system of an AS9100-certified organization. It doesn’t just help you pass an audit; it embeds the principles of quality, safety, and continuous improvement into the very fabric of your operations. For aerospace and defense manufacturers, choosing the right ERP isn’t just a business decision—it’s a strategic call for navigating a complex regulatory landscape and soaring to new heights of reliability and performance.

Call us for a live demo of OmegaCube ERP for your Aerospace & Defense manufacturing enterprise.