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AS9120.info provides the aerospace community with information and resources on the Aerospace AS9120 Quality Management Certification for Stockist Distributors.

Electronic Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. is an Aerospace AS9120 certified independent distributor recognized as a leading quality advocate in the industry.
What is AS9120?
AS9120 - Quality Management Systems - Aerospace Requirements for Stockist Distributors - was developed for pass-through distributors of aerospace commodity items.  This standard addresses chain of custody, traceability, control and availability of records.

Based on ISO 9001:2000, but with nearly 100 additional requirements specific to aerospace distributors, AS9120 provides suppliers with a comprehensive quality system focused on areas directly impacting product safety and reliability including:

>
Splitting - Specific requirements for batch splitting and lot splitting, and how conformance to specification is maintained.
> Airworthiness certificates - Defines the documents issued by cognizant civil aviation authorities that certifies that parts meet the required airworthiness requirements.
> Control of records - Record requirements differ significantly for distributors of aerospace product.  AS9120 defines those requirements.
> Traceability - Defines specific requirements for traceability from receipt until delivery.
> Evidence of Conformance - Specific documents are required by distributors as evidence of conformance.  AS9120 defines those requirements.
Benefits of AS9120
When a distributor aligns to AS9120, it not only reaps quality and efficiency benefits, but also is better able to meet customer expectations.  Registration can also provide a competitive advantage by:

>
Identifying opportunities for operational improvements and cost reduction;
> Improved audit and surveillance efficiency;
> Reduced number of customer audits required, and a corresponding reduction in needed resources;
> Enhanced supplier performance due to higher quality, waste reduction, and a customer satisfaction focus; and
> Streamlined documentation.

The above description of the AS9120 Standard is provided courtesy of National Quality Assurance, USA - a leading AS9120 registrar.

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ISO 9001 vs. AS9120 - You Decide
Aerospace manufacturers must be certified to the Aerospace AS9100 standard - more stringent than the ISO 9001 standard for general manufacturing.  For distributors, the AS9120 standard flows down the manufacturer's AS9100 requirements for inventory control, lot tracing and vendor management, ensuring manufacturers have consistency throughout their supply chain.

You may feel it's commendable to see your distributors have achieved an ISO 9001 certification, and it is... but it's up to you to decide if you can afford NOT to flow down your critical parts control to your suppliers.

Compliant vs. Certified
This one's easy!  Beware the supplier who promotes they are "AS9120 compliant" or even just "ISO 9001 compliant".  According to whom?  Anyone can buy a box of documents and put their company name on the binder.

If they are truly operating to the standard, why not simply schedule a certification audit?

Quality Certificates - What's Important
Ask your distributors for a copy of their most recent AS9120 certificate.  What you should check:

  • Initial registration date
  • Certificate expiration date
  • Date of last surveillance audit


    • For AS9120 companies, you are able to annually check the OASIS database yourself to see their audit results.

    Click here to view ESCS's AS9120 certificate as an example.

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