• The AS9104-1 standard must be published (expected spring 2010)
• The AS9101D standard (checklist) must be published (expected early spring 2010)
• The AS9100C/AS9101D course for certification body auditors must be developed, vetted and made available for general use (expected by 30 April 2010)
• Certification body auditors must attend this course, pass it, submit their applications to RABQSA and get approved (we expect that to happen over the summer and fall of 2010)
• NQA must submit an application to ANAB to be accredited to perform audits to AS9100C (we expect that to happen spring 2010)

Once all of the above is done, NQA will be able to audit to AS9100 revision C.  In addition to the information above, we have heard that the industry and accreditation bodies will require that companies that want to upgrade to AS9100C during surveillance will have to do re-assessment audit days and for those wanted to upgrade during a re-assessment will have to do assessment (stage 1 and 2) audit days.  The reason for the added days is that in addition to the regularly scheduled required audit days (surveillance or re-assessment), there must be additional time to assess our customers against the added/new requirements of AS9100C.

The schedule as defined on the IAQG website supports all of the above information and additionally states that no new certificates can be issued for AS9100B after July 2011 and that by July 2012, AS9100B will cease to exist.

What this means for our clients is this:

• Companies up for a re-assessment, registration audit or want to upgrade during a surveillance between now and mid 2010 will be audited to AS9100B
• Companies up for a re-assessment, registration audit or want to upgrade during a surveillance between mid 2010 and the end of the year may be able to be audited to AS9100C but that depends on whether or not we are able to get our auditors into these courses over the summer; we don’t even know when those courses will be available or how many open seats there will be
• Companies up for a re-assessment, registration audit or that want to upgrade during a surveillance after 1 January 2011 should be fine for upgrades to AS9100C

In the interim, it is recommended that consultants begin implementing AS9100C requirements for their customers but do not omit those requirements from AS9100B that have been dropped out of revision C.  If they take that course of action, when the time arises their customers will be prepared for AS9100C (if their auditor has taken the course) but still meet the requirements of revision B (if their auditor has not yet taken the course).  This really only applies to those companies looking to be audited or upgraded between May 2010 and January 2011.

Unfortunately, we do not know when any of our auditors will be qualified as the AS9100C course has not even been developed.  I can say that we will make every effort to get all of our auditors through these classes as soon as possible.  If you have questions, please contact Bob Parsons, NQA’s Aerospace Business Unit Director at RParsons@nqa-usa.com or 800-649-5289 ext. 233.