Quality management systems play a crucial role in ensuring that products of all kinds are safe and reliable. While quality is essential in any industry, it takes on even greater importance in the aerospace and defense industries, where failures in quality control can have disastrous results.
At Manex, we understand the critical importance that ISO aerospace standards have on this industry and we believe the tried and true ISO 9001 remains one of the best options for aerospace and defense companies to achieve both consistency and compliance.
In today’s blog we’ll show you exactly how ISO 9001 can help aerospace and defense companies produce high quality, reliable products. Let’s get to it!
What is ISO 9001?
The International Organization for Standards (ISO) is an independent, non-governmental organization whose mission is to formulate standards used by thousands of companies around the world for a wide range of uses.
One of its most commonly adopted standards is ISO 9001, which provides organizations a framework for implementing a Quality Management System (QMS).
ISO 9001 guidelines produce consistent quality by helping companies:
- Establish documentation for their processes and procedures
- Create quality control checkpoints throughout manufacturing processes
- Outline the responsibilities of management
- Understand the needs of the consumer/customer
- Understand the risks associated with your operations
- Seek opportunities for continuous improvement
By applying these standards, companies achieve consistent quality in their products and ensure compliance with industry regulations. The guidelines of ISO 9001 are not industry-specific, and thus can help companies in any industry develop their quality management system.
How ISO 9001 Be Applied to the Aerospace and Defense Industries
Aerospace and defense industry contractors have no shortage of requirements from their customers. Not only that, there are a number of governmental regulations that their products must maintain compliance with. ISO aerospace standards not only help companies track these requirements but consistently meet or exceed them.
Here’s how ISO 9001 aerospace ISO standards can be used to improve quality:
Enhance Customer Satisfaction
Quality management systems are vital to reducing errors in production processes. By utilizing aerospace ISO standards, organizations can minimize defects in their products. In industries where small deviations from specifications can mean life or death, it’s critical that systems be in place to control the quality of products delivered, which ultimately leads to greater customer satisfaction.
Identify Inefficiencies and Redundancies
ISO 9001 standards benefit aerospace companies by encouraging them to map out supply chains and processes, such as their parts procurement process. Doing this can reveal redundancies or bottlenecks, optimize their inventory management, and streamline communication with vendors.
Enhance Traceability and Documentation
Aerospace and defense contractors are held to rigorous high standards, including traceability of all materials used. ISO 9001 can help ensure that all materials can be traced back to their origins, minimizing the chance that counterfeit parts enter the supply chain.
Implement Risk Management Strategies
ISO aerospace standards aligned with ISO 9001 are key to establishing quality control checkpoints and contingency plans that help an organization anticipate potential bottlenecks, delays, or other disruptions. By proactively preventing and anticipating risk, you can ensure smoother project completion.
Standardize Procedures
ISO 9001 emphasizes standardizing the various procedures involved in an operation so that there is a clear delineation of responsibilities within a workflow. This helps improve quality by reducing confusion about tasks and streamlining communication between departments.
Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement
A key facet of ISO 9001 is the concept of continuous improvement. Industries like aerospace demand innovation and advancement. There is no room for complacency. ISO 9001 encourages organizations to regularly evaluate and refine their processes using the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) methodology.
How Plan-Do-Check-Act Can Help Your Organization
Utilizing the Plan-Do-Check-Act methodology outlined in ISO 9001 allows organizations to effectively identify and address issues throughout a production cycle, and deliver the highest quality products.
To illustrate the effectiveness of the PDCA methodology, we’ll take a look at a hypothetical situation.
The Scenario
Flightek Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of unmanned drones for the US military, has encountered a problem with minor cracks appearing on the vehicle’s wings during the assembly process. While these cracks have not yet resulted in any hindrance of the machine’s performance, it raises questions about the future performance of the vehicle in action.
Plan
The first step of the PDCA methodology is all about identifying the issue, and developing a plan to correct it. In this case, the cracks on the wings were identified during a quality control checkpoint (another facet implemented with ISO 9001).
With the problem identified, Flightek’s engineers and quality control managers get to work to decipher the root cause of the cracks. They analyze data from their machines, check calibrations, and interview assembly line workers to get additional insight.
After conducting their investigation, the team has identified two potential causes of the cracks. It is likely to be excessive pressure used during the process of riveting the wings, or an inconsistency in the material used for the wings. Flightek management must next develop a corrective action plan to investigate these possible issues, and solve the problem.
Do
Flightek’s action plan includes examining the riveting process, and reviewing material specifications with their providers.
To address the possible issue with the riveting process, the calibrations of the riveting machines are examined, and the assembly line workers receive a retraining session regarding the proper riveting techniques.
Flightek also reviews their wing specifications with their material suppliers, to ensure that they meet their requirements.
Check
With corrective actions taken, Flightek’s attention turns to monitoring the impact of their plan. They collect data on the new wings manufactured, and closely inspect the finished product for signs of damage.
Act
After monitoring the changes, Flightek has determined that their corrective actions have led to a significant reduction in the amount of cracks detected in the finished wings. The revised procedures and specifications have now become the standard for wing production and the problem has been solved.
If on the other hand the changes did not lead to significant reduction in cracked wings, the team will return to the beginning of the PDCA cycle and devise another plan to test.
The Impact of PDCA
By putting the PDCA methodology to work, Flightek was able to effectively identify and resolve the issues in their production line. The PDCA framework has successfully helped Flightek:
- Reduce Defects – The cracks in the wings were virtually eliminated after corrective measures were taken.
- Improve the Product’s Performance – Reducing the number of cracks improved the reliability of their unmanned drones, as well as increased their aerodynamic efficiency.
- Save Money – By identifying the problem early and taking corrective action, Flightek avoided expensive delays and possible recalls of defective products.
- Enhance Customer Satisfaction – Flightek was able to deliver a higher quality product to their client, which strengthens their relationship and increases the likelihood of earning future business contracts.
While this example is hypothetical, it’s easy to see how adopting the ISO 9001 quality management system standards can help a business in nearly any industry solve quality issues and deliver products that meet rigorous demands.
Other Standards for the Aerospace Industry
While ISO 9001 helps build a strong foundation for quality management systems, some organizations in aerospace and defense require more rigorous standards.
ISO aerospace standard AS9001 was created to specifically address the stringent requirements of the aerospace industry.
AS9001 builds on ISO 9001’s foundation but adds additional criteria for safety and quality specific to the aerospace industry. AS9001 includes:
- A greater focus on product safety
- More rigorous quality control standards
- A focus on ensuring that parts conform to exact design specs
- Other aerospace industry-specific standards
While AS9001 was developed specifically to address the demands of the aerospace industry, for many organizations ISO 9001 will suffice.
Organizations that directly supply parts and supplies to aerospace companies are the most likely to require an AS9001 certification, but anyone working within the aerospace or defense industries can benefit from adopting these standards in addition to ISO 9001.
Stay tuned to this space, as our next blog entry will take a deeper dive into the differences between ISO 9001 and the more rigorous aerospace-specific requirements of AS9001.
Conclusion
Companies that adopt ISO 9001 and other ISO aerospace standards make a clear and concerted dedication to quality. By focusing on continuously improving quality, reducing risk, and enhancing customer satisfaction, you gain a significant strategic advantage that will help you build trust with your clients and secure more contracts.
At Manex, we’re here to help you at every step of the way to ISO 9001 certification. We are the most experienced manufacturing consultant in Northern California, with nearly 30 years of experience helping our clients obtain a focus on quality.
Contact Manex today, and demonstrate your commitment to quality and excellence with ISO 9001 certification.
