AS9100 is an international standard containing requirements for establishing and maintaining a quality management system for the aerospace industry. Its official name is AS9100 Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation, Space and Defense Organizations and it is intended to be used by organizations that design, develop, and produce aviation, space, and defense products and can be applied throughout the supply chain.
AS9100 is used by organizations that design, develop, and produce aviation, space, and defense products.
This standard was published in October 1999 by the Society of Automotive Engineers and the European Association of Aerospace Industries. Its aim was to fulfill the need of a quality management system model that satisfies internal, government, and regulatory requirements applicable to the aerospace industry; something that ISO 9001 was never designed to do. AS9100 incorporates all the requirements of ISO 9001, in addition to unique quality and reliability needs of the aerospace industry.
The aerospace industry has high standards of customer satisfaction and strict laws imposed by regulatory authorities, therefore, the industry needs to produce and continuously improve products that meet these requirements. Unlike other quality management standards, which focus primarily on the final product, AS9100 focuses more on how the products are made. This standard establishes the elements that a quality management system must have in order for companies to consistently provide safe, quality products that are delivered on time.
AS9100 was reviewed in 2016 to produce AS9100D. AS9100D was developed with the support of the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG) and includes the following revisions:
Changes made to ISO 9001:2015 requirements
Consideration of Aviation, Space and Defense stakeholders’ needs identified since the last revision
Clarifications to 9100 series requests issued by IAQG since the last revision
AS9100 compliance is a must for many aerospace suppliers, as most major manufacturers and suppliers worldwide require AS9100 compliance for anyone doing business with them.
Any organization in the aerospace industry can adopt AS9100D. The design and implementation of this standard will be influenced by the size and organizational structure of the company, its needs, its particular objectives, processes and the products it provides. An organization that decides to establish and implement AS9100D will benefit by:
While primarily developed for the aviation, space and defense industry, this standard can also be used in other industry sectors where a quality management system with additional requirements over an ISO 9001 system is needed. Unlike many ISO standards, where compliance with them is voluntary, AS9100 compliance and/or registration is a must for many aerospace suppliers, as most major manufacturers and suppliers worldwide require AS9100 compliance for anyone doing business with them. This standard has been published around the world as EN 9100 in Europe and SJAC 9100 in the Far East.
IATF 16949:2016 (replaces ISO/TS 16949:2009) is a standard that establishes the requirements for a Quality Management System (QMS), specifically for the automotive sector. The ISO/TS 16949 was originally created in 1999 to harmonize different assessment and certification schemes worldwide in the supply chain for the automotive sector.
The primary focus of the IATF 16949 standard is the development of a Quality Management System that provides for continual improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the supply chain. The standard, combined with applicable Customer-Specific Requirements (CSR’s), define the QMS requirements for automotive production, service and/or accessory parts.
IATF 16949:2016 is an independent QMS standard that is fully aligned with the structure and requirements of ISO 9001:2015 Therefore, the IATF 16949 cannot be implemented alone as a stand-alone document but must be implemented as a supplement and in conjunction with ISO 9001:2015.
The SA8000 Standard is the leading social certification standard for factories and organizations across the globe. It was established by Social Accountability International in 1997 as a multi-stakeholder initiative. Over the years, the Standard has evolved into an overall framework that helps certified organizations demonstrate their dedication to the fair treatment of workers across industries and in any country.
SA8000 measures social performance in eight areas important to social accountability in workplaces, anchored by a management system element that drives continuous improvement in all areas of the Standard. It is appreciated by brands and industry leaders for its rigorous approach to ensuring the highest quality of social compliance in their supply chains, all the while without sacrificing business interests.
The Standard reflects labor provisions contained within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. It also respects, complements and supports national labor laws around the world, and currently helps secure ethical working conditions for two million workers.
Regular revisions ensure the Standard’s continuing applicability in the face of new and emergent social and human rights issues. Organizational buyers, independent codes of conduct, and private sector initiatives have all recognized SA8000’s multi-sector applicability and responded to growing public interest by integrating SA8000 criteria into their compliance processes. Similarly, governments wishing to encourage and strengthen social performance in the workplace have created incentive programs specifically recognizing companies with an accredited SA8000 certification.
SEDEX stands for Supplier Ethical Data Exchange, which is an online system that allows suppliers to maintain data on ethical & responsible practices and allows them to share this information with their customers. It is an online database which allows companies to store and view data on ethical and responsible business practices. Sedex does not set any standards or determine the policy of its members. It is purely a tool for facilitating access to information. Sedex stores information on ethical and responsible practices covered by ILO Conventions, ETI Base Code, SA 8000, ISO 14001 and industry specific codes of conduct. Sedex members can use the information on the system to evaluate suppliers against any of these codes or the labour standards provisions in individual corporate codes. Sedex itself does not specify a particular code or state that suppliers have ‘passed’ or ‘failed’. Sedex certification is achieved through SMETA, which is an audit procedure developed by Sedex. SMETA is world’s most widely used social audit, SMETA identifies and prioritises the risks using a 2 or 4-pillar audit depending on organization’s needs.
SMETA stands for SEDEX Members Ethical Trade Audit. It is a social auditing methodology, enabling businesses to assess their sites and suppliers to understand working conditions in their supply chain. SMETA is designed to help auditors conduct high quality audits that encompass all aspects of responsible business practice, covering SEDEX’s four pillars of labor, health and safety, environment, and business ethics. SMETA 2-pillar audit covers labour standards and health and safety as mandatory elements plus entitlement to work, subcontracting and homeworking and a shortened Environment assessment as additional elements. The SMETA 4-pillar audit covers everything in the 2-pillar audit with an extended environmental assessment and business practices audit.
In 1998 the British Retail Consortium (BRC), responding to industry needs, developed and introduced the BRC Food Technical Standard to be used to evaluate manufacturers of retailers’ own brand food products. It is designed to assist retailers and brand owners produce food products of consistent safety and quality and assist with their ‘due diligence’ defence, should they be subject to a prosecution by the enforcement authorities. Under European Union (EU) food laws, retailers and brand owners have a legal responsibility for their brands.
BRC Food Standard was published first, and then the BRC published the first issue of the Packaging Standard in 2002, followed by Consumer Products Standard in August 2003, and finally the BRC Global Standard – Storage and Distribution, in August 2006. In 2009, the BRC partnered with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) to develop the Global Standard for Consumer Products- North America edition. Each of these Standards is regularly reviewed, revised and updated at least every 3 years, after extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders.
The Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) voluntary trade partnership program in which CBP and members of the trade community work together to secure and facilitate the movement of legitimate international trade. The program focuses on improving security throughout the supply chain. CTPAT was launched in November 2001.
CTPAT CONTINUED TO GROW SINCE DAY ONE. TODAY, MORE THAN 11,400 CERTIFIED PARTNERS IN TRADE COMMUNITY, HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE PROGRAM.
Companies that are eligible to become CTPAT-certified:
U.S. importers of record, U.S. exporters, U.S./Canada and U.S./Mexico cross-border highway carriers, Mexico long-haul highway carriers, Rail carriers, Sea carriers, Air carriers, U.S. marine port authority and terminal operators, Consolidators (U.S. air freight consolidators, ocean transportation intermediaries and non-vessel operating common carriers), Mexican manufacturers, Canadian manufacturers, Certain invited foreign manufacturers, Licensed U.S. customs brokers, Third-party logistics providers.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CTPAT?
CTPAT Partners enjoy a variety of benefits, including taking an active role in working closer with the U.S. Government in its war against terrorism. As they do this, Partners are able to better identify their own security vulnerabilities and take corrective actions to mitigate risks. Some of the benefits of the program include:
HACCP – Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point is an internationally accepted technique for preventing microbiological, chemical and physical contamination along the food supply chain.
HACCP is a systematic approach to identify, evaluate and control the food safety hazards throughout the food manufacturing process, starting from material receipt to storage, manufacturing processing, storage, packing, dispatch and distribution.
The effective implementation of HACCP standard enhances the ability of companies to: protect and enhance brands and private labels, promote consumer confidence and conform to regulatory and market requirements. This certificate is given as per Codex guidelines.
