AS9100 8.5.2 – Identification and Traceability

AS9100 is an aerospace standard based on the ISO 9001 quality system requirements. AS9100 takes the ISO 9001 requirements and supplements them with additional quality system requirements, which are established by the aerospace industry in order to satisfy DOD, NASA, and FAA quality requirements.

Section 8.5.2 of the AS9100D standard, titled “Identification and Traceability,” states the following:

When applicable, the organization must use suitable means to identify process outputs as necessary to ensure conformity to requirements. The organization must also identify the status of process outputs with respect to monitoring and measurement requirements throughout product realization. In addition, when acceptance authority media are used (e.g., stamps, electronic signatures, passwords), the organization must establish controls for their use.

The organization should also control the unique identification of the process outputs when traceability is a requirement, and shall retain documented information necessary to maintain traceability.

In plain English, this means that products, materials, and components used in the aerospace industry must be identifiable and traceable throughout the entire production and distribution process. This traceability should make it possible to track any part from its origin through to its final location, to ensure quality control, safety, and accountability. This might include labeling items with unique part numbers, barcodes, or other forms of identification.

It’s important to note that this requirement is only applicable when traceability is a requirement for the product or service, and it is the organization’s responsibility to determine when this is necessary.

Also note that it is important to control the use of “acceptance authority media” such as stamps, electronic signatures, and passwords. These are typically used to signify that a part or product has passed an inspection or other quality control process.

As always, the exact means of achieving these objectives can vary greatly from one organization to another, depending on the specifics of their products and processes.