Prestigious ISO Certification
UltraSource, Inc. is proud to announce its certification to AS9100C by TÜV SÜD America, effective November 11, 2014.
UltraSource selected TÜV SÜD America for our AS9100C certification because they are an internationally accredited certification services firm and a leading management system Registrar in North America, Europe, and Asia. Receiving an accredited AS9100C certification assures our customers that we meet global standards and can deliver performance benefits from improved processes and continuous improvements.
The implementation of a documented and standardized Quality Management System (QMS) is a distinct choice that an organization undertakes as a means of controlling and improving its quality and performance. UltraSource decided in 2013 to pursue a management system that meets the requirements of AS9100C, as defined by the International Aerospace Quality Group (IACG). The term QMS is used to describe the collection of processes that an organization uses to direct and control its ability to meet customer, product, and regulatory requirements, as well as to drive continuous improvement.A properly implemented QMS does the following:
- Sets corporate direction
- Ensures customers’ expectations are met
- Provides a “process-based approach” to management
- Improves process controls
- Reduces waste
- Lowers costs
- Facilitates training
- Improves ability to mitigate risk
- Enhances awareness of quality throughout the organization
AS9100C is the QMS specified by IAQG, which is a global cooperative established by companies involved in the aviation, space, and defense industries to help their suppliers improve quality and reduce costs. Currently, IAQG has many active members including Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, GE Aerospace, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Rockwell Collins, and United Technologies. AS9100C is based on all of the elements contained in the ISO 9001 quality management standard. Both standards are organized in the same way. The AS9100C standard actually consists of all of the ISO 9001 requirements plus additional AS9100C requirements. Some important additional requirements of AS9100C over ISO 9001 include:
- The AS9100C management standard states that it is specifically intended for use by organizations that design, develop, and/or produce aviation, space and defense products.
- An organization must ensure that personnel have access to quality management system documentation and changes.
- Top management shall ensure that product conformity and on-time delivery performance are measured and that appropriate action is taken if planned results are not achieved.
- The Management Representative of the organization has unrestricted access to top management to resolve matters involving management and quality.
- An organization must monitor the implementation of improvement activities and evaluate the effectiveness of the results.
The adoption of an AS9100C certified management system at UltraSource was a substantial undertaking and is already helping to deliver improved quality and process performance to our customers. We are seeing benefits in the following areas:
- Manufacturing safe, reliable products that meet or exceed customer, statutory, and regulatory authority requirements.
- Improving our focus on the key requirements of our customers.
- Improving product and process quality by reducing variations in the quality of our products.
- Improving our employee knowledge of quality systems and how to use those systems in order to improve product quality.
For over 23 years, UltraSource has delivered millions of high quality thin film products to our customers. Our AS9100C certified management system will assure that we will continue to provide our customers with quality and performance that meets or exceeds all of their expectations.
