AS9100D Clause 8.4: Control of External Providers 

AS9100D was released in 2016 and one significant change from the previous version is the requirement for greater control of external providers and sub-tier suppliers, based on risk. For example:

• Delegations in clause 8.4.2 requires you to periodically monitor the external provider’s delegated verification activities. Auditors are going to look to see that you don’t just receive and file Certificates of Conformance or raw material certs or FAI’s.  Companies will need to determine what monitoring means to you based on risk.   This clause also requires that you implement a process for any external test reports, to evaluate the data in those test reports to confirm that the product meets requirements.  If raw material is a significant operational risk (a critical item), there needs to be a process to validate the accuracy of test reports.
• Verification activities in clause 8.4.2 will require inspections or periodic testing when there is high risk of nonconformities including counterfeit parts. Periodic testing of raw materials has returned to the standard.  The level and frequency is based on risk, historical problems, and being prone to counterfeit parts.
• Control of externally provided products and services in clause 8.4.1 will require your company to understand the risks to determine whether your supplier’s interaction with your sub-tier suppliers is as robust as expected and needed.

In 2019 one of the top 10 minor/major combined findings for all the AS91XX aerospace standards (AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120)  from certification body audits in the Americas sector was 8.4.1 Control of externally provided processes, products and services.  

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Outsource Your Internal Audits

Ongoing auditing and evaluation, both of internal operations and external resources, are essential to maintain your certification, ensure customer satisfaction and remain in compliance with all requirements. The following highlights the components of simpleQuE’s continual improvement process monitoring and measuring.

• Internal Audit—Our team will work with you to conduct the periodic internal audits required to maintain your industry certification.
• Training— AS9100 Internal Auditor Training with the Process Audit Approach course fulfills the requirements for competent, knowledgeable and effective internal auditors and includes hands-on development of key processes, audit planning, and hands-on auditing exercises.
• Supplier Risk Management — A supply chain audit measures the performance and reliability of your suppliers, external providers, and outsourced processes, driving supplier development, and allows you to resolve both supplier quality and internal issues more effectively to maintain an efficient quality management system.

SimpleQuE strives to be an informational source that provides value to our customers by examining some of the challenges identified by the aerospace industries and provides insight into the AS9100 series requirements to help your organization maintain compliance. Sign up for our newsletters and have the latest quality news delivered to your inbox.

Serving aerospace and defense manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and repair stations since 2005, simpleQuE offers customized AS9100, AS9110 and AS9120, or ASA-100 (FAA AC00-56) consulting, internal auditing, and training services.