The Importance of Maintaining Quality Certifications Like AS9100 and AS9120
In the world of aerospace, quality is not just a requirement—it’s a matter of safety, precision, and trust. At The Hope Group, our Quality Department rigorously maintains our AS9100 and AS9120 certification. In fact, we just renewed our AS9100 and AS9120. You can find all our certifications here.
These certifications demonstrate a commitment to high standards, continuous improvement, and customer satisfaction. In this blog post, we’ll explore why keeping these certifications up-to-date is so crucial to our operation.
What Are AS9100 and AS9120?
Before diving into the reasons for maintaining these certifications, let’s first define them:
Both certifications are based on the ISO 9001 standard. Did you know we have been ISO certified for over twenty years? There are additional requirements unique to the aerospace sector for AS9100 and AS9120. They ensure that every process, from manufacturing to customer service, meets industry-specific quality standards.
Why Is It Important to Maintain These Certifications?
Meeting Regulatory and Customer Requirements
The aerospace and defense industries are highly regulated, and compliance with quality management standards like AS9100 and AS9120 is often a requirement for doing business. Many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and government contractors mandate these certifications before working with suppliers or partners. By maintaining these certifications, our clients know that we meet these critical requirements.
Ensuring Product Quality and Safety
The stakes in aerospace are incredibly high. Defective products or services can lead to catastrophic failures, loss of life, and severe financial consequences. By adhering to the standards set by AS9100 and AS9120, we ensure that every product and service we provide is consistently safe and reliable.
Continuous Improvement and Efficiency
One of the fundamental principles of quality management systems (QMS) is continuous improvement. At The Hope Group, we are constantly looking for ways to improve our operations. We do this by conducting regular, thorough audits. By maintaining detailed records, we are able to conduct root cause analysis and enact corrective actions when necessary. This approach leads to increased operational efficiency, reduced waste, and optimized resource management.
Mitigating Risk and Ensuring Consistency
Quality certifications help mitigate risks by ensuring that processes are standardized, and that deviations are quickly identified and corrected. This consistency reduces variability in our products. We know precision is critical for our customers which is why we maintain strict quality control protocols.
Maintaining Expertise in Employees
Continuous improvement includes our employees. Which is why we hold rigorous trainings and regular operations meetings. This allows us to identify any potential gaps in our collective knowledge. By having a certified QMS system in place, we can provide clarity in roles and responsibilities. This makes it easier for employees to understand and contribute to the overall company goals.
Conclusion
In the industries we serve, safety, reliability, and precision are paramount. Maintaining quality certifications like AS9100 and AS9120 is not just a matter of regulatory compliance but part of our commitment to excellence. These certifications help us meet customer expectations, reduce risks, improve internal processes, and stay competitive in the ever-evolving global market.