How to identify a suitable supplier who will adhere to AS13100

For engine manufacturers in the aerospace and defense industry, ensuring all suppliers adhere to the industry's comprehensive and meticulous safety standards is crucial to ensuring engines are produced to a consistently high quality.

One such standard is AS13100 - a relatively new standard developed by the Aerospace Engine Supplier Quality (AESQ) committee to ensure each and every component of an engine is safe, reliable and produced to the customer's exact specifications.

Although many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in this industry now need to ensure their suppliers are compliant with AS13100, the AESQ has said there are no current plans for a global database of compliant suppliers. So, it's down to each manufacturer to conduct their due diligence and ensure their suppliers are capable of meeting the standard's requirements.

Here are a few steps you can take to help you identify suppliers who will adhere to AS13100.

Make requirement for AS13100 compliance clear

It's the responsibility of each OEM to require their suppliers to adhere to AS13100 - and to ensure they comply. The standard was designed to flow down contractually from customers to their suppliers. So, it's important to make this requirement clear in any documentation around supplier requirements, terms and conditions, or purchase orders.

Look for previous industry experience

When beginning your search for a new component supplier, their previous experience in the industry can be a good initial indicator of AS13100 compliance. While the standard does include some new requirements, the vast majority were already being required by engine manufacturers in some form as bespoke requirements before AS13100 was introduced.

Since the standard's main objective was to harmonize and standardize existing requirements within the industry, any suppliers who have been operating in this industry for several years should be capable of achieving AS13100 compliance.

It's worth noting that, although there are similarities to standard TS16949 in the automotive industry, there are also several distinct differences. So don't assume that a TS16949 compliant automotive manufacturer is also ready to comply with AS13100.

Screen potential suppliers early

Of course, one of the easiest ways to find out if a supplier can adhere to AS13100 is to ask. When searching for a new supplier, you should include this criteria at the earliest appropriate stage - such as through a questionnaire at the start of an RFI or RFP process.

It's important you don't leave it too late to check the suppliers' compliance capability. Otherwise, you could find you've wasted weeks or more discussing your project with a manufacturer who, ultimately, won't be able to fulfil your requirements.

Request evidence of compliance

AS13100 is still a relatively new regulation, with the original compliance deadline having passed on January 1^st 2023. As a result, there are currently no certifications available to verify a supplier's compliance.

Instead, suppliers need to complete self-assessments to demonstrate their compliance using the reference manuals available on the AESQ website. So, as you conduct your evaluation of suppliers, you might consider requesting evidence of these self-audits, as well as any annual reports or customer audits, to prove their adherence to AS13100's requirements.

Additionally, since the standard mandates compliance with AS9100 and AS9145, requesting certification documentation for these two standards may also help verify the supplier's compliance.

While it's still early days for standard AS13100, identifying compliant suppliers can be less straightforward than for other standards. Without any certifications or verified lists of compliant suppliers available, it's down to the engine manufacturers to not only require compliance - but also ensure their chosen suppliers are capable of achieving it.

By being clear and transparent with your requirements, and seeking insights into the supplier's industry experience and capabilities early in the selection process, you can identify a suitable supplier to help ensure the safety, quality and reliability of your engines.

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