AS9100 Implementation Support for Aerospace Suppliers

Build an AS9100 System That Works After the Audit. Apogee helps aerospace suppliers implement practical AS9100 quality management systems that are certification-ready, usable by employees, and beneficial to the business.

Schedule an AS9100 Implementation Call
Request an AS9100 Readiness Review
Schedule an AS9100 Implementation Call
Request an AS9100 Readiness Review

Aerospace Training & Compliance Consulting

AS9100 certification can open doors in the aviation, space, and defense supply chain. But certification should not be the only goal. A certificate may help a company qualify for new opportunities, but the real value comes from building a quality management system that helps the business quote accurately, control customer requirements, manage suppliers, reduce rework, respond to problems, and improve performance. Apogee Quality Management Systems provides AS9100 implementation support for aerospace suppliers that want more than a paperwork system. We help companies build practical, audit-ready quality systems that support both certification and day-to-day operations. AS9100 is based on ISO 9001 and includes additional aviation, space, and defense requirements. IAQG describes 9100 as a quality management system standard for the aviation, space, and defense supply chain that is intended to support improved quality, schedule, and cost performance through consistent requirements and good practices.

(IAQG)

AS9100 Certification Is the Milestone. A Usable QMS Is the Asset.

Many companies pursue AS9100 because a customer, prime contractor, or market opportunity requires it. That is a valid reason to begin the journey. But the best AS9100 systems do more than satisfy an auditor. They help the company operate with less confusion and more control. A usable AS9100 system helps your team:
  • Understand customer requirements before accepting work.
  • Control drawings, models, specifications, and revisions.
  • Plan production consistently.
  • Manage suppliers and outsourced processes.
  • Maintain traceability and inspection records.
  • Control nonconforming product.
  • Respond to customer issues.
  • Use corrective action to prevent repeat problems.
  • Prepare for customer, internal, and certification-body audits without panic.

Apogee’s implementation approach is built around this principle:

AS9100 should help the business run better, not just help the business pass an audit.

Who We Help

Apogee provides AS9100 implementation support for:
  • Aerospace machine shops.
  • Build-to-print manufacturers.
  • Precision machining companies.
  • Contract manufacturers.
  • Electronics and assembly suppliers.
  • Space-sector suppliers.
  • ISO 9001 companies entering aerospace.
  • Small and mid-sized suppliers preparing for AS9100 certification.
  • Companies preparing for surveillance or recertification audits.
  • Companies with weak internal audit, supplier control, CAPA, or management review processes.

Common AS9100 Implementation Challenges

Aerospace suppliers often know their work well but struggle to turn daily practices into an auditable, effective quality management system. Common challenges include:
  • Unclear certification scope.
  • Design and development applicability confusion.
  • Weak contract review or customer flowdown.
  • Inconsistent drawing and revision control.
  • Lack of process ownership.
  • Procedures that do not match actual work.
  • Missing objective evidence.
  • Supplier controls that are informal or undocumented.
  • Inspection records that do not clearly show acceptance.
  • Calibration records that are incomplete or hard to retrieve.
  • Nonconformance and CAPA processes that do not prevent recurrence.
  • Internal audits that are checklist-based but not process-based.
  • Management reviews that are performed only to satisfy the standard.

Apogee helps identify these gaps and build practical solutions that fit the way the company actually operates.

Our AS9100 Implementation Approach

Apogee uses a phased, practical implementation approach.
Phase 1

Phase 1 — Certification Strategy and Scope Definition

We begin by understanding why your company is pursuing AS9100, what work should be included in certification, and what activities should remain outside the certification boundary. For build-to-print companies, this may include evaluating whether AS9100 Clause 8.3, Design and Development, is applicable or not applicable based on your actual scope and design responsibility.

Phase 2

AS9100 Gap Assessment

We review your current quality system, processes, records, procedures, and objective evidence against AS9100 expectations. The output is a risk-ranked roadmap showing what must be created, revised, implemented, or improved before certification.

Phase 3

QMS Architecture and Documentation

We help build or revise the core QMS structure, including process maps, procedures, forms, records, responsibilities, and controls. The goal is not to create unnecessary paperwork. The goal is to document the system clearly enough that employees can use it and auditors can verify it.

Phase 4

Implementation Coaching

A QMS is not implemented when the procedure is written. It is implemented when people use the process and records show the process is working. Apogee supports process owners as they begin using the system, generating evidence, reviewing records, and correcting gaps.

Phase 5

Internal Audit Support

Before certification, the organization must evaluate whether the system is implemented and effective. Apogee can support internal audit planning, checklist development, audit execution, reporting, findings, and corrective action follow-up.

Phase 6

Management Review Preparation

Management review should help leadership understand the health of the business. Apogee helps prepare meaningful management review inputs, including quality objectives, customer satisfaction, process performance, supplier performance, audit results, nonconformities, corrective actions, risks, opportunities, resource needs, and improvement actions.

Phase 7

Certification Body Readiness

Apogee can assist in identifying and evaluating potential accredited certification bodies, preparing scope language, reviewing quote assumptions, and preparing for Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits. Apogee is not a certification body and does not issue certifications. Certification decisions are made only by the selected accredited certification body.

AS9100 Implementation Support Services

Apogee can support all or part of your AS9100 implementation effort. Services may include:

AS9100 gap assessment.

Certification scope review.

Clause applicability review.

ISO 9001 to AS9100 upgrade planning.

Build-to-print QMS implementation.

Procedure and form development.

Process mapping.

Contract review process development.

Drawing and revision-control process improvement.

Supplier approval and monitoring process development.

Calibration and measuring equipment process review.

Nonconforming output process improvement.

CAPA process development.

Internal audit program development.

Internal audit execution or support.

Management review preparation.

Employee awareness support.

Certification-body selection support.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 readiness support.

Post-audit corrective action support.

Build-to-Print AS9100 Implementation

Many aerospace machine shops and precision manufacturers are build-to-print suppliers. In these cases, the customer typically owns the product design, while the supplier is responsible for manufacturing, inspection, and delivery to customer-provided requirements. Apogee helps build-to-print suppliers define the certification scope clearly and avoid unnecessary design-development documentation when design responsibility is not part of the certified work. For build-to-print companies, Apogee focuses on practical controls such as:

Customer requirement review.

Drawing, model, and specification control.

Revision control.

Customer communication.

Manufacturing planning.

CNC programming and setup controls.

Traveler/router/work order control.

Inspection planning.

Material traceability.

Supplier and special process control.

Calibration.

Nonconforming product control.

Corrective action.

Internal audit and management review.

Deliverables

Depending on the selected scope of work, Apogee deliverables may include:

AS9100 gap assessment report.

Certification-readiness roadmap.

QMS process map.

Clause applicability matrix.

QMS documentation package.

Procedure and form templates.

Implementation action tracker.

Objective evidence checklist.

Internal audit schedule.

Internal audit plan.

Internal audit report.

CAPA tracker.

Management review agenda and input checklist.

Stage 1 readiness checklist.

Stage 2 readiness checklist.

Certification-body selection considerations checklist.

Why Work With Apogee QMS

Apogee QMS is led by Kevin Walters, AEA, PMP, PMI-RMP, an aerospace quality professional with over 30 years of experience in quality assurance, project management, satellite operations, procedure development, training, internal and supplier audits, corrective action, and AS9100/AS9120/ISO 9001 consulting. Kevin’s experience includes:
  • Current aerospace Quality Systems Manager responsibilities.
  • Planning and implementation of internal audits.
  • Leadership of internal and supplier auditors.
  • Audit schedule development.
  • Audit checklist development.
  • Writing audit findings.
  • Closing internal audits.
  • Reporting audit summaries, program analysis, and trending summaries.
  • AS9100/AS9120/ISO 9001 lead auditor and consulting work.
  • Corrective action, KPI reporting, and QMS procedure development.
Apogee brings aerospace-specific judgment, project discipline, audit experience, and practical implementation support to companies that need a system they can use after certification.

Ready to Build an AS9100 System That Works?

Whether your company is starting from scratch, upgrading from ISO 9001, preparing for certification, or recovering from audit findings, Apogee can help you build a practical AS9100 system that supports both certification and business performance.

Schedule an AS9100 Implementation Call
Schedule an AS9100 Implementation Call
Request an AS9100 Gap Assessment
Request an AS9100 Gap Assessment

FAQ's

The timeline depends on the company’s current QMS maturity, scope, process complexity, resource availability, and certification-body scheduling. Many small suppliers need several months to complete gap assessment, documentation, implementation, internal audit, management review, and certification readiness.

Yes. Apogee can help ISO 9001-certified companies identify the additional aerospace requirements, process controls, and evidence needed to pursue AS9100 certification.

Yes. Apogee supports build-to-print machine shops and manufacturers, including scope definition, Clause 8.3 applicability review, contract review, production control, inspection evidence, supplier control, and internal audit readiness.

No. Apogee provides consulting, implementation, internal audit, and readiness support. AS9100 certification is issued only by an accredited certification body.

Yes. Apogee can help identify and evaluate potential accredited certification bodies, review proposed scope language, and help prepare for certification-body quote requests and Stage 1 / Stage 2 readiness.