NQA mailbag ~ AS9100

By Bob Parsons, Aerospace Business Unit Manager

We have received numerous questions from our customers over the past few months regarding the status of the AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120 standards. Consequently, we have compiled those questions into an NQA mailbag with answers provided below. For the purposes of this newsletter, wherever "AS9100:2009" is mentioned, the same rules, timelines and requirements apply to AS9110:2009 and AS9120:2009.

Q: If AS9100:2009 has been published, why can't I get registered to it now?
A: Yes, the AS9100:2009 (formally called AS9100C) standard has been published and is available for purchase. Before any certification body can audit to this new standard though, a number of activities must be completed. First and foremost, NQA's auditors must attend and pass an AS9100:2009 course. These courses have only recently been made available and our auditors are scheduled to attend them throughout the summer. Once an auditor has passed the test administered at the end of the exam, he or she will be qualified to this new standard. We fully expect to be one of the first certification bodies to have an audit staff fully qualified to audit to AS9100:2009 by late fall 2010.

Q: I have not heard much news about the status of AS9110:2009 or AS9120:2009; what is the status of these new standards?
A: Both the AS9110:2009 and AS9120:2009 standards have been published and are also available for purchase. As mentioned above, certification body auditors also have to be qualified to audit to these new standards and we fully expect our audit staff to be ready to audit our customers to them by late fall 2010.

Q: When do I have to get registered to AS9100? What if I decide not to get registered to this new version?
A: Any aerospace audit between now and 1 July 2011 can either be to the AS9100B standard or, companies may upgrade to AS9100:2009 in the late fall of 2010 once our auditors have completed the auditor course. All audits to the AS9100 standard after 1 July 2011 must be to the 2009 (newest version) of this standard. All companies wishing to remain registered to their current version of the standard must eventually undergo an upgrade audit by 1 July 2012. Any company that has not successfully passed an audit to this new standard by 1 July 2012 will no longer be certified.

Q: Other than the standard itself, are there any changes forthcoming that will affect me?
A: Yes, though exactly what those changes are is still to be determined. The AS9104 standard is used to define the basic requirements for managing the Aerospace Quality Management System certification scheme. In short, it includes rules for certification bodies (like NQA) and accreditation bodies (like ANAB) etc. This document is being re-written to include a number of significant changes, many of which will affect our customers.

Though it is still in re-write, some of the changes that may be forthcoming are:

• All customers will have to have an OASIS administrator assigned within the OASIS database
• A new requirement for certification bodies (CB's) to ensure that classified material or export requirements, relating to CB auditor access are discussed before any audit activity
• A limit of two consecutive certification cycles (6 years) for lead auditors at a particular customer
• New more stringent requirements regarding what constitutes an audit day for 3rd party auditors
• New requirements for multiple site organizations
• A requirement that aerospace certified organizations will be contractually required to provide copies of their audit report to their customers and potential customers
• An allowance for International Aerospace Quality Group Original Equipment Manufacturers (IAQG OEM's) who detect systemic nonconformities during their regular surveillance activities of their suppliers to request the certification body (NQA) to perform additional surveillance activities at that supplier

Once again, the above mentioned changes are proposed; once AS9104/1 is published, we will inform our customers about any changes that affect them.

Q: Does anybody at my company need any special training or courses before I get upgraded to AS9100C?
A: No, there is not a requirement for an internal auditor or management representative to attend a class on these new standards. Only certification body auditors must take and pass a course to be able to audit to AS9100:2009. Those employed by your organization must only be trained according to your requirements. That said, NQA always encourages our customers to seek additional training and education if you do not have a good understanding of the new standard and its impact on your quality system.

Q: What should I do next to prepare for AS9100:2009?
A: Obtain a copy of the applicable standard (AS9100/AS9110/AS9120:2009) and determine the impact of changes to your quality system. The AS9100:2009, AS9110:2009 and AS9120:2009 standards can be purchased at:

AS9100: http://www.sae.org/technical/standards/AS9100C
AS9110: http://www.sae.org/technical/standards/AS9110A
AS9120: http://www.sae.org/technical/standards/AS9120A

Eventually, you must perform a full quality system audit and conform to the requirements of the applicable standard prior to your upgrade audit by NQA. For planning purposes, if you are scheduled for either a surveillance audit or re-assessment audit before November 2010, it is recommended that you maintain your current version of the aerospace standard and upgrade to the 2009 version at your next audit activity in 2011. If you are scheduled for your next audit activity after November 2010 but prior to July 1st, 2011, you should consider transitioning to the 2009 version. Remember, all audits after 1 July 2011 must be to the new version of the standard and all companies must upgrade to the 2009 version of the standard by 1 July 2012.

For new companies who are not registered to an aerospace standard, if you are planning on getting audited by NQA prior to November 2010 you should expect to be audited to the current version (AS9100/AS9110/AS9120) but plan on upgrading to the new standard during your next audit activity after initial registration.

Q: Do I need to let my certification body know when I want to upgrade to this new standard?
A: Yes, you must inform NQA of your intention to upgrade to this new standard keeping in mind the timelines described above. The reason for this is two fold; the NQA Client Support Representative must verify that the appropriate number of audit days have been scheduled to support an upgrade. In addition, the CSR must also verify that your auditor has successfully taken and passed the AS9100:2009 course.

Q: When I upgrade to AS9100:2009, will my certificate be valid for 3 years?
A: That depends. If you upgrade during a surveillance audit, the expiration date for your new certificate will be the same as it was for your old certificate. The reason being, you only get a new certificate after a successful re-assessment audit. If you upgrade during a re-assessment audit, your new AS9100:2009 certificate will be for 3 years.

Q: Will there be an additional cost to upgrade to AS9100:2009 and if so, how much?
A: Yes, there will be an additional cost to upgrade to this new standard due to the increased audit time required. The NQA auditor will not only have to perform your surveillance or re-assessment audit, he or she will also have to evaluate your quality system against the added requirements of the new standard. Contact your CSR to determine how many additional days will be required to upgrade.

Q: Can I get a quotation for AS9100 Rev C now?
A: For new clients, we can quote the number of days and costs associated with an audit to AS9100:2009. Contact Kirsten Smith at: KSmith@nqa-usa.com. For existing clients wanting to upgrade to AS9100:2009, contact your CSR who will provide you with the number of days required.