3 ways to prepare for the revised AS/EN 9100 series

The AS/EN 9100 series of quality management standards for the aerospace sector are currently being revised to reflect the changes made to ISO 9001 in 2015, upon which these standards are based. The International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) has taken the opportunity to enhance the AS/EN series, adding some clarifications and new requirements whilst retaining some requirements which ISO9001 removed.

The target date for the publication of the new standards are now October 2016 for AS9100, November 2016 for AS9110 and December 2016 for AS9120. Companies which are certified to the current version of the standards will need to transition by 14 September 2018; All audits after 15 June 2017 must be to the revised standards.

This means that if not already transitioned, your first audit after 15 June 2017 will be your transition audit, so you will need to start your transition planning soon! Here are 3 tips that will help your company get ready for the revision:

1. Research the new ISO 9001:2015

As the new standard is based on ISO 9001:2015 it’s worth researching what it’s all about. If you can get a feel for the new quality management standard you can start implementing any relevant changes to your management system, this way you’ll be ahead of the game when the new standard is released.

Why not download some of our informative whitepapers & explore these useful websites to learn more about some of the new areas in the standard:

• AS/EN 9100:2016 Revision ISO Revisions Frequently Asked Questions

• Introducing Annex SL – the new High Level Structure whitepaper

• The importance of risk in quality management whitepaper

• The importance of leadership whitepaper

• The Aerospace and Defence Industries (ASD) - useful links

• The Aerospace and Defence Industries (ASD) - fact sheet

• Society of Automotive Engineers

2. Start your transition early

As soon as the new standards are released, get the ball rolling and start your transition. You will have to transition before the 14th of September 2018, so you need to give yourself ample time to make the necessary changes.

Book your readiness review - a readiness review is an assessment with a BSI client manager, either remotely or on site. It confirms how prepared you are against the requirements of the revised standards and establishes a plan for achieving your transition. With BSI you can book your readiness review now, via the customer services team, for an appointment from November 2016 onwards.

3. Sign up for newsletters and updates regarding the standard

This way you can keep on top of it and you can be one of the 1st in the industry to react. Things change all the time and you need to be ahead of the game so make sure you’re the first to know when anything happens. Sign up to a few of these useful newsletters to get you started.

For more information from us about the revised version of AS/EN 9100/9110/9120 please take a look at our website or contact us on +1 800 862 4977.

Share your thoughts on how you are going to prepare for the transition in the comments below.

Date: 9 June 2016, Author: Laura Adams