Using ERP for AS9100 Rev D Compliance

The global aerospace community is pushing manufacturers to earn AS9100 certification. Certification can make or break an aerospace manufacturing firm, so it’s important to be aware of the recent updates to the standard — AS9100 Revision D — which took effect in September 2018.

AS9100 Revision D makes sweeping changes to how manufacturing companies track and report quality. Most of those changes relate to how companies implement their Quality Management System (QMS) and then use it to track and report quality of their products.

Manufacturers must adapt or face the consequences of losing the AS9100 certification — such as canceled contracts and damaged customer relationships. AS9100 Rev D includes a vast set of policies that are substantially different than those that came before it, and adapting to it requires having the right technology in place to make the pivot. Here’s how your ERP system helps your organization remain compliant with AS9100 Rev D.

ERP Plays a Key Role in AS9100 Compliance

Because ERP is a tool for data management, it is by nature also a powerful tool for compliance management. Staying within the boundaries of international regulations or certifications like AS9100 requires the ability to track the details closely and adjust the variables carefully. ERP makes that possible by reporting and delivering all relevant information to one central location, and providing real-time updates. Here are just a few specific examples:

  • ERP can be used to monitor various points in the supply chain for quality deficiencies. Rather than letting those deficiencies put your AS9100 certification at risk, you can fix them before they degrade overall product quality.
  • ERP helps to circumvent the impact of faulty equipment, preventing it from jeopardizing product quality. Your ERP solution can flag and manage important maintenance needs, such as equipment calibration, so that your manufacturing firm can meet the standards for the first article inspection outlined in the standard.
  • Earning AS9100 certification requires companies to pass an extensive audit. ERP makes the audit process much easier, because the system stores all of your required information already in one central location. Anything the auditors may need from you is conveniently accessible on-demand.

To understand just how efficient it is to manage compliance using ERP, consider what it would be like not to have your ERP system. Documenting your quality management system would require endless manual input, exhaustive efforts to integrate data, and a constant commitment to fixing errors. Instead of being a competitive asset, striving to earn AS9100 certification would become an embarrassing obstacle without an ERP solution to manage the requirements.

Stay Compliant So You Can Stay Competitive

AS9100 Rev D is the most recent regulatory change to hit the aerospace industry, but it certainly won’t be the last. Each time updates occur in the standard, companies must carefully review and update their compliance policies — a largely disruptive, yet unavoidable undertaking.

ERP helps companies navigate compliance, by enabling self-assessments, providing data analysis for process optimization, storing and centralizing all company policies, and supporting organizations during compliance audits. When all of your data and processes are stored in one centralized platform, it’s far easier to make enterprise-wide changes.

Not only that, but every project and team member can be brought up to date with the current compliance requirements in one sweep. Since all stakeholders can access the same ERP platform, one update renders everyone’s workflow compliant. ERP minimizes risks, while making compliance-related updates quick and comprehensive.

With the update of AS9100 Revision D, expect this gold-standard certification to carry even more cache in the aerospace industry. If your company hopes to earn certification for the first time or renew your existing certification, your ERP solution is key. Contact Cre8tive Technology & Design(Opens in a new window) for a consultation.