With an aerospace quality system, you demonstrate predictability of your internal operations and ability to meet industry requirements. An effective quality system will help ensure product, process, and service safety and quality.

Quality management is what organisations practice to ensure that their procedures conform to the customer's and regulator’s requirements. Moving away from ad hoc processes gives you an overview that makes your internal processes easier to manage, measure, and improve. It is the first step on a journey toward continual business improvement.

Taking control of your processes
An implemented and documented quality management system enables you to control your different internal processes as defined by your scope:

• You will likely increase your efficiency and minimise the risk that obligations to customers are not met.
  
  
• You now have a foundation from which to gradually improve your internal processes and strengthen your organisation’s ability to meet strategic objectives.
  
  
• You can measure your management system against various international and industry standards through third party certification.

An aerospace quality system is a supplement to the generic quality management system in that it adds industry specific requirements.

Putting safety, reliability and quality first
The aerospace industry relies on a long supply chain with a supply base that serve multiple industries. The sophisticated manufacturing requires special attention during the production process.

A company working according to a quality management system is a more efficient and effective company. Implementing the industry specific quality system will help manufacturers, suppliers, and service organisations improve safety, reliability, and quality while yielding a cost benefit. In addition, you will see that staff responsibility, motivation, and commitment will improve.

The aerospace industry has launched an international standard, AS/EN9100, against which you can certify your aerospace quality system. There is no comprehensive mandate regarding certification, but companies such as Boeing and United Technologies (UTC) have issued guidelines to suppliers regarding:

• certification to the new AS/EN 9100 standard,
  
  
• transition of current aerospace quality system certificates,
  
  
• and use of an independent third party assessor.

What standards can you be certified to?
To get on the road to certification, you should begin by reading about the AS/EN9100 quality system standard applicable to manufacturers, suppliers, and service organisations in the aerospace industry.