AS9100 Auditor Training: Assure Safety Security

Africa Aerospace and Defense 2010


Image by US Army Africa

A C-130 Hercules with the U.S Air Force’s 143rd Airlift Wing, Quonset Point, R.I., gets ready for lift off at Air Force Base Ysterplaat, Cape Town, South Africa, Sept. 20.

U.S Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bryanna Poulin, 7th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

More than 150 U.S Army and Air Force personnel took part in the Africa Aerospace & Defence (AAD) 2010 exhibition held at Air Force Base Ysterplaat, Cape Town, South Africa, Sept. 21-25 to build on an ongoing partnership between the U.S. military and South Africa National Defense Forces.

More than 300 exhibitors from 31 countries displayed their products to more than 17,000 trade visitors and 30,000 public spectators at this year’s event.

AAD 2010 is one of the premier events of its type in the world, and U.S. military participation aims to enhance cooperation and standardization with South African partners. AAD 2010 gave U.S. military leaders a chance to meet other air chiefs from across the globe and showcase a variety of equipment, said Maj. Gen. Margaret H. Woodward, 17th Air Force Commander, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, who led U.S. Department of Defense representation at the event.

“This has been a terrific event in that it’s raised the partnership level between the United States and the South African National Defence Forces,” said Woodward.

“We really appreciate the South African leadership in bringing together so many different countries to this multi-lateral event. It’s given us … the opportunity to meet with so many different air chiefs from around the continent, so not only are we able to work to build upon our South African relationship, but in addition, relationships with air chiefs from all around the continent,” she said.

During the exhibition, U.S. forces conducted aerial demonstrations and displayed various military aircraft and ground vehicles from bases in the U.S., among them the C-130J Hercules, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the HH-60 Pave Hawk and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters.

The AAD exhibition is the largest display of defense-related air, land and sea capabilities on the African continent, attracting the most advanced technologies from around the world. It serves as a major platform for South Africa’s defense industry and other international visitors to showcase their best technology and innovations, according to Maj. Gen. Hugh Paine, South African Air Force chief of force preparation.

“It’s a pleasure to have American forces here, bringing out equipment that many people don’t get to see,” said Maj. Gen. Hugh Paine. “It’s been very successful, our biggest show so far.”

For U.S. military members, events like AAD2010 provide an opportunity for better regional understanding and insight while encouraging follow-on initiatives such as military-to-military familiarization events and combined exercises and training opportunities.

“The U.S. military and South African National Defense Forces enjoy an established partnership built on mutual trust and interests, and the work by both sides that went into putting this event on will only enhance our military-to-military cooperation,” said Woodward.

Paine agreed, describing the relationship between U.S. military and South African National Defense Forces as, “a partnership that’s grown over the years. It (AAD 2010) gives us an opportunity to do some benchmarking, and it gives an opportunity for military-to-military interaction which is always very good.”

To learn more about U.S. Army Africa visit our official website at www.usaraf.army.mil

Official Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/usarmyafrica

Official YouTube video channel: www.youtube.com/usarmyafrica

The AS9100 standard training help to better manage the difficulties contactacting the suppliers in the aerospace supply chain all across several industries. The aerospace industry has a number of additional expectations from the supply chain which is positively assured by the AS9100 auditor. It is the positive effect of the training that the auditors effectively communicate with the supply chain and indirectly help in developing the business.

AS9100 training as well helps in performing effective role in positively communicating customer requirements. The standard lists include specific areas for consideration and they range from defining engineering need to managing test samples and right of access to suppliers’ organizations. It is the duty of the trainers to use one of three methods for product acceptance such as conducting a receiving inspection, perform the inspection at the supplier’s location or assign product acceptance to the supplier.

These types of audits are crucial for companies looking to deal with aerospace marketers and suppliers as strict guidelines are enforced. Several major industry leaders take the standards like GEAE, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Allison, and many others impart the significance of obtaining the AS9100 training. Most of the aerospace marketers and suppliers verify a company’s status before doing business.

The AS9100 standard training program is the industry leading certification that focuses on safety, security, and threat prevention. By focusing on planning, risk management, and project administration, team members who received this training can gain a better understanding of organizational needs within their industry. This training is highly beneficial for improving the quality management of the system over long term as it powers the organization to navigate on-time deliverance execution, the official analyzing of client satisfaction trends, and rigorous plans to guarantee perpetual betterment. The training helps the companies to gain production operation, engineering and management that all are positively impacted by the methodologies, configuration tracking, and pre-set design goals etc.

Any big and small company looking to better their customer service levels, regardless of which industry they’re positioned in, could benefit from this training. In addition to training, audits are also appropriate to the entire aerospace supply chain, including: design and manufacture, safe airline functions, replacement part backlogs, cargo management, and repair/restore depots.

Benefits of As9100 training

• Help your employees to way in to the best practices of the aerospace industry

• Help in quality concerns to your customer and lets them know their satisfaction is top priority

• Improve your quality management structure alike to the international standard accepted by the aerospace industry

• Direct the quality process and allows realization of global opportunities

• Reduce the chance of failing an internal audit

• Strengthen customer satisfaction

• Create less scrap and waste during product manufacture

• Improve both constancy and process capability

 

For more information about AS9100 Auditor Training, please visit www.qualityassociates.org

More Aerospace Articles

AS9100 Auditor Training: Assure Safety Security

AS9100 auditor: A requirement for the safe environment in aerospace industry

Women, Innovation and Aerospace Event (201203080006HQ)


Image by NASA HQ PHOTO

Lori Garver (far right) NASA Deputy Administrator, participates in a panel discussion at the Women, Innovation and Aerospace event celebrating Women’s History Month at the George Washington University Jack Morton Auditorium, Thursday, March 8, 2012 in Washington. Garver is seen with Kathy Sullivan, NOAA Deputy Administrator; Catherine Didion, Senior Fellow, National Academy of Engineering; Marcia Smith, President, spacepolicyonline.com and Veronica Villalobos, Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Personnel Management (far left). The WIA day-long event will help to foster a discussion for students and early career professionals about how to continue to encourage women to enter and succeed in the field of aerospace. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

Quality and safety are two aspects which are required in aerospace industry for its survival. Therefore AS9100 certification is required by the suppliers to get associated with the industry. And AS9100 auditor is the one who conducts regular audit to confirm the standards adoption by the suppliers and vendors of Aerospace industry.

In the aerospace industry, safety is an important part in any product they use. So 9100 is a provision which confirms that the supplier has adopted required standard in his procedures and ensures the optimum level of safety. And for optimum level of quality and safety, certain rules are devised which are to be followed.

It is very well known that adequate levels of safety and quality are the base for aerospace industry. Therefore, this standard provides for protocols to be followed at all the stages. And it is the responsibility of the auditor to make the participants of supply chain follow all the rules for the maintenance of quality.

The whole supply chain in the aerospace industry needs to ensure quality at all levels. From manufacturing to usage of products, each stage needs to maintain optimum levels of quality. Therefore the auditor needs to maintain a check on all the levels to find out the scope of improvements at the stages. Each stage is important in the success of supply chain. And any problem at one stage will lead to the disruption of whole chain. Therefore, by keeping a tab on all the stages, the auditor is able to detect the problem at the right time, and can devise methods to make further improvements.

The supply chain needs to have strict controls from start to finish. And whatever the supplier organization creates, it becomes essential to see that adequate quality material is purchased. By applying AS9100 certification, an assurance is created that there is no compromise in the quality of the procedures adopted and the products created. This assurance is an essential requirement for aerospace industry to work with any organization. Therefore, the suppliers are first checked for the certification.

To become AS9100 auditor, one needs the complete training. There are many certification training institutes, who provide training for auditing and educate the trainee about the importance of quality and safety in aerospace industry, and how he can be effective in maintaining those standards in the supply chain. He is taught about the principles and rules to be adhered for maintaining the optimum level of quality in all stages of supply chain.

Therefore, the main aim of auditing should be the complete follow of all the rules to maintain the adequate levels of quality and safety, so that aerospace industry can create safe products for use. And the auditors are required to keep the whole industry safe, so they have become an inseparable part of the industry.

For more information about AS9100 Certification, please visit www.qualityassociates.org

Related Aerospace Articles

AS9100 auditor: A requirement for the safe environment in aerospace industry