Distinguishing Between QMS Frameworks and Process-Specific Standards
Published .
Related
- AS9100
Topics
- qms
- fai
- first-article-inspection
- documentation
- training
- process-compliance
A quality team was treating their overarching AS9100 certification as sufficient evidence of process capability for new parts and major process changes. They believed following their general QMS procedures covered all customer requirements for product realization. This led to confusion when a customer mandated a formal First Article Inspection Report (FAIR).
The organization did not fully appreciate that AS9100 provides the Quality Management System framework, while a standard like AS9102 dictates the specific, detailed process and documentation requirements for FAI. Their submitted documentation package lacked the structured forms, characteristic accountability, and re-accomplishment triggers required by AS9102.
Key Takeaways
- The FAI package was rejected by the customer for non-compliance with the specific standard, leading to production delays.
- The supplier had to retrain personnel on AS9102 requirements and re-accomplish the entire FAI process.
- The organization did not fully appreciate that AS9100 provides the Quality Management System framework, while a standard like AS9102 dictates the specific, detailed process and documentation requirements for FAI.
Common Mistakes
- Missing balloon numbers on the drawing.
- Title block requirements not accounted for on Form 3.
- Treating a design change as a full FAI re-accomplishment instead of a partial/delta.
Best Practice
Organizations must ensure that quality personnel understand the distinct roles of a QMS standard (e. g. , AS9100) and specific process standards (e.
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