AS9100 ERP Software for Aerospace Manufacturing
SimpleManufacturing™ AS9100 ERP software connects aerospace manufacturing operations, quality management, product traceability, supplier control, inventory, MRP, Work Orders, document control, corrective action, employee training, and accounting within one integrated system.
Aerospace manufacturers require more than basic accounting and inventory software. They must control product revisions, customer requirements, approved suppliers, material certifications, lot and serial-number traceability, production operations, employee qualifications, inspection results, nonconformances, corrective actions, and shipment documentation.
When these processes are managed through spreadsheets, shared folders, standalone quality databases, paper travelers, and disconnected accounting systems, employees may work from different quantities, revisions, statuses, and due dates.
SimpleManufacturing™ provides one connected aerospace manufacturing ERP platform for production, quality, traceability, compliance records, and financial transactions.
SimpleManufacturing™ connects aerospace manufacturing operations with AS9100 quality-management processes, traceability, supplier control, production, inventory, and accounting.
What Is AS9100 ERP Software?
AS9100 ERP software is a manufacturing business system designed to support the operational, quality, traceability, documentation, and financial requirements of aerospace and defense manufacturers.
Unlike a general accounting application, an aerospace manufacturing ERP system manages the activities that occur before the financial transaction is recorded.
These activities may include:
- Customer Contract Review
- Product and configuration management
- Revision-controlled Bills of Materials
- Approved supplier and manufacturer control
- Material Requirements Planning
- Purchase Order management
- Receiving and receiving inspection
- Material-certification management
- Inventory and FIFO cost layers
- Lot, heat, batch, and serial-number traceability
- Work Order management
- Manufacturing routings
- Production scheduling
- Shop floor labor and quantity reporting
- Inspection and test management
- Nonconformance and Material Review Board activity
- Corrective action and CAPA
- Document control
- Employee training and competency
- Calibration and equipment management
- Shipping and certification records
- Actual manufacturing costing
- Integrated accounting
ERP Software Supports the Quality Management System
ERP software does not create AS9100 compliance by itself. It provides the controlled workflows, records, approvals, traceability, notifications, and reporting used to implement and demonstrate the organization’s approved quality-management processes.
Why Aerospace Manufacturers Need Specialized ERP Software
Aerospace manufacturing combines complex product structures, demanding customer requirements, controlled suppliers, special processes, extensive documentation, long lead times, serialized products, and strict quality expectations.
Product Configuration
Control part numbers, revisions, Bills of Materials, drawings, routings, specifications, and effective engineering changes.
Product Traceability
Connect supplier receipts, material lots, Work Orders, employees, inspections, finished products, and customer shipments.
Supplier Control
Restrict purchasing and special processing to evaluated and approved suppliers.
Quality Integration
Connect inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, calibration, documents, and training with manufacturing activity.
Customer Requirements
Capture and flow customer quality clauses, certification requirements, source restrictions, and documentation requirements into operations.
Audit Readiness
Retrieve objective evidence directly from the products, suppliers, employees, Work Orders, and transactions it supports.
Why Generic ERP and Accounting Systems Often Fall Short
Many business systems were designed primarily around financial accounting, invoicing, purchasing, and basic inventory. Aerospace manufacturers often discover that those systems lack the operational and quality-management depth required by their business.
| Aerospace Requirement | Common Generic-System Limitation | Typical Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration Management | Limited revision and effective-date control | Engineering spreadsheets and shared folders |
| Product Genealogy | Basic inventory history without complete as-built relationships | Paper travelers and manual traceability logs |
| Supplier Qualification | Vendor contact records without approval restrictions | Separate Approved Vendor List spreadsheet |
| Corrective Action | No integrated root-cause and effectiveness workflow | Email, Word documents, and spreadsheets |
| Document Control | Attachments without controlled revision distribution | Shared network folders |
| Employee Competency | Basic HR records without operation-level qualification | Training spreadsheets and paper certificates |
| Calibration | No equipment status connection with inspections | Standalone calibration database |
| Quality Management | Quality records separated from Work Orders and inventory | Independent QMS software |
| Actual Manufacturing Cost | Average or manually maintained product cost | Cost-analysis spreadsheets |
Disconnected Systems Create Multiple Sources of Truth
When Engineering, Purchasing, Inventory, Production, Quality, Shipping, and Accounting maintain separate records, employees may make decisions using different revisions, quantities, statuses, due dates, and product definitions.
Core AS9100 ERP Software Capabilities
| Capability | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Contract Review | Captures customer, product, delivery, quality, certification, and documentation requirements before order acceptance. |
| Configuration Control | Controls product revisions, BOMs, drawings, specifications, routings, and engineering changes. |
| Supplier Management | Controls approved sources, certifications, performance, audits, and reevaluation. |
| Material Traceability | Maintains supplier, Purchase Order, receipt, lot, heat, batch, serial, and certification history. |
| MRP | Calculates purchased and manufactured requirements using demand, inventory, Purchase Orders, Work Orders, BOMs, and lead times. |
| Work Order Management | Controls materials, operations, labor, quality, quantities, genealogy, and completion. |
| Quality Management | Connects inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, training, calibration, and documents. |
| Product Genealogy | Connects source materials and production history with finished products and customer shipments. |
| Actual Costing | Accumulates actual material, labor, machine, processing, scrap, rework, and overhead costs. |
| Audit History | Records significant transactions, approvals, changes, users, and dates. |
Customer Contract and Purchase Order Review
Aerospace requirements frequently originate with customer Purchase Orders, contracts, drawings, specifications, quality clauses, and delivery schedules.
Contract Review should identify:
- Customer part number
- Internal part number
- Product revision
- Quantity and delivery schedule
- Customer drawings and specifications
- Quality clauses
- Approved-source requirements
- Inspection and testing requirements
- First Article requirements
- Lot and serialization requirements
- Certificate of Conformance requirements
- Material-certification requirements
- Special-process requirements
- Packaging and labeling requirements
- Record-retention requirements
Order
Review
Product Requirements
and Inspection
Certification
Requirements identified during Contract Review should remain visible throughout purchasing, production, inspection, documentation, and shipment.
Customer Quality Clauses and Requirement Flowdown
Customer quality clauses may define controls that must be applied to suppliers, materials, production operations, inspections, records, packaging, and shipment documentation.
SimpleManufacturing™ can help flow applicable requirements into:
- Sales Order details
- Item Master records
- Bills of Materials
- Supplier Purchase Orders
- Work Orders
- Manufacturing routing operations
- Inspection plans
- Packaging instructions
- Shipping and certification records
Learn more in our Customer Purchase Order Quality Clauses guide.
Product Configuration and Revision Management
Configuration management helps ensure that the product manufactured matches the approved customer and engineering requirements.
The controlled product configuration may include:
- Internal part number
- Customer part number
- Product revision
- Bill of Materials revision
- Drawing revision
- Specification revision
- Routing revision
- Software or firmware revision
- Inspection-plan revision
- Approved alternates
- Effective dates
- Engineering Change Orders
| Configuration Record | Control Provided |
|---|---|
| Item Master | Defines product identity, revision, classification, controls, and linked documents. |
| Bill of Materials | Defines components, quantities, source restrictions, and assembly relationships. |
| Manufacturing Routing | Defines production, inspection, testing, and outside-processing operations. |
| Work Order | Preserves the configuration authorized for the specific production build. |
| Shipment | Connects the delivered product with its manufactured configuration and genealogy. |
Preserve Historical Configurations
When a product revision changes, the ERP system should preserve the exact configuration used by prior Purchase Orders, Work Orders, inspections, finished products, and customer shipments.
Aerospace Item Master Management
The Item Master provides the controlled definition of purchased, manufactured, non-inventory, tooling, document, and service items used throughout the ERP system.
Item Master data may include:
- Part number and revision
- Description
- Customer part numbers
- Make-or-buy classification
- Inventory stage
- Unit of measure
- Material specification
- Approved manufacturers
- Approved suppliers
- Lot-control requirements
- Serial-number requirements
- Shelf-life requirements
- Inspection requirements
- Purchasing and manufacturing lead times
- Cost and General Ledger classifications
- Drawing and document links
Learn more in our Item Master Data Management guide.
Revision-Controlled Bills of Materials
The Bill of Materials defines the materials, components, subassemblies, quantities, and approved alternatives required to manufacture an aerospace product.
BOM controls may include:
- Parent and component revisions
- Quantity per assembly
- Unit of measure
- Effective dates
- Approved manufacturer parts
- Approved suppliers
- Alternate and substitution restrictions
- Customer-specific configurations
- Material specifications
- Reference drawings
- Where-used relationships
- Engineering approval history
Definition
BOM
Requirements
Material List
Genealogy
Learn more in our Bill of Materials guide.
Approved Supplier and External Provider Management
Aerospace manufacturers rely on suppliers for materials, components, calibration, testing, tooling, machining, and special processing.
Supplier records may include:
- Approval status
- Approved products or services
- Customer or program restrictions
- Quality certifications
- Approval date
- Reevaluation date
- Audit history
- Delivery performance
- Quality performance
- Corrective-action status
- Required Purchase Order clauses
- Contact and facility information
| Supplier Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Approved | Authorized for the defined products, services, processes, or programs. |
| Conditional | Use is permitted with defined limitations or additional controls. |
| Pending | Evaluation or approval activity is incomplete. |
| Inactive | Supplier is no longer actively used, but historical records remain available. |
| Disqualified | Purchasing is prohibited unless the supplier is reevaluated and approved. |
Learn more in our Approved Vendor List guide.
Supplier Performance and Supplier Quality
Supplier approval should be supported by ongoing performance monitoring and reevaluation.
Supplier-performance measurements may include:
- On-time delivery
- Receiving rejection rate
- Certificate accuracy
- Quantity accuracy
- Corrective-action responsiveness
- Audit findings
- Lead-time performance
- Purchase price performance
- Special-process performance
Quality Performance
Measure accepted, rejected, returned, and conditionally accepted receipts.
Delivery Performance
Compare confirmed supplier delivery dates with actual receipt dates.
Documentation Performance
Track missing, incorrect, or incomplete certifications and shipment records.
Corrective-Action Performance
Monitor response time, cause analysis, implementation, and effectiveness.
Counterfeit and Suspect-Part Prevention
Aerospace and defense manufacturers may require controls intended to reduce the risk of counterfeit or suspect material entering the supply chain.
ERP controls can support:
- Approved manufacturer restrictions
- Approved supplier and distributor restrictions
- Manufacturer part-number control
- Purchase Order quality clauses
- Certification requirements
- Country-of-origin information
- Lot and date-code recording
- Receiving inspection
- Material quarantine
- Supplier nonconformance records
- Receipt-to-shipment traceability
Source Control Must Consider More Than Price
Lower-priced inventory from an unapproved or unverifiable source may create substantial quality, compliance, product-safety, and customer risk.
Aerospace Purchase Order Management
Supplier Purchase Orders should communicate the exact item, revision, quantity, delivery, certification, quality, and processing requirements associated with the purchase.
Purchase Order details may include:
- Internal part number
- Manufacturer part number
- Supplier part number
- Revision
- Quantity and unit of measure
- Delivery schedule
- Material specification
- Quality clauses
- Certificate requirements
- Inspection requirements
- Special-process requirements
- Customer or program reference
- Approved-source restrictions
- Record-retention requirements
Learn more in our Purchase Order Management guide.
Receiving and Receiving Inspection
Receiving is the first internal control point for purchased materials and externally provided services.
Receiving may verify:
- Supplier identity
- Purchase Order and line item
- Part number and revision
- Manufacturer and manufacturer part number
- Quantity and unit of measure
- Packaging and condition
- Lot, heat, batch, date code, or serial number
- Material certifications
- Special-process certifications
- Country of origin
- Expiration or shelf-life information
- Customer and quality-clause requirements
Shipment
Certificate Review
Transaction
Acceptance
Inventory
Material requiring inspection or documentation review should remain unavailable until the required acceptance has been recorded.
Material and Process Certification Management
Material certifications, Certificates of Conformance, test reports, and special-process certifications may be required to support product acceptance and traceability.
Certification records may be linked to:
- Supplier
- Purchase Order
- Receipt
- Part number and revision
- Material specification
- Lot, heat, batch, or serial number
- Outside-processing operation
- Work Order
- Finished-product lot or serial number
- Customer shipment
Retrieve Certifications from the Product Record
Users should be able to locate the certification associated with a specific receipt, material lot, Work Order, finished product, or customer shipment without searching through unrelated folders.
Aerospace Inventory Management
Aerospace inventory may require detailed control over source, status, ownership, configuration, certification, traceability, and cost.
Inventory records may include:
- Part number and revision
- Inventory location
- Available quantity
- Allocated quantity
- Inspection quantity
- Quality status
- Lot, heat, batch, or serial number
- Manufacturer
- Supplier
- Purchase Order and receipt
- Certification links
- Expiration or shelf-life date
- Customer ownership
- FIFO cost layer
- Actual unit cost
| Inventory Status | Planning and Operational Treatment |
|---|---|
| Available | Accepted and eligible for normal allocation and production. |
| Awaiting Inspection | Received but not yet accepted. |
| Allocated | Reserved for a customer, Work Order, or requirement. |
| Quality Hold | Temporarily unavailable pending investigation or review. |
| Rejected | Unavailable without an authorized disposition. |
| Customer-Owned | Restricted to the applicable customer or program. |
| Expired | Requires evaluation before use or disposition. |
Learn more in our Manufacturing Inventory Management guide.
Material Requirements Planning for Aerospace Manufacturing
MRP calculates purchased and manufactured requirements using customer demand, product structures, inventory, Purchase Orders, Work Orders, and lead times.
Aerospace MRP may evaluate:
- Customer Sales Orders
- Delivery schedules
- Forecasts
- Multi-level Bills of Materials
- Available inventory
- Allocated inventory
- Inventory awaiting inspection
- Open Purchase Orders
- Open Work Orders
- Approved suppliers
- Purchasing and production lead times
- Minimum order quantities
- Safety stock
- Customer-owned material
| MRP Recommendation | Business Action |
|---|---|
| Create Purchase Order | Purchase uncovered component or material requirements. |
| Create Work Order | Manufacture uncovered assembly or finished-product requirements. |
| Expedite | Move existing supply earlier to satisfy the required date. |
| Defer | Move supply later when it is arriving earlier than required. |
| Increase Quantity | Modify existing supply to cover additional demand. |
| Reduce or Cancel | Reduce supply that is no longer supported by current demand. |
Learn more in our MRP Software for Manufacturers guide.
Aerospace Work Order Management
The Work Order provides the central production record authorizing the manufacture, repair, rework, or processing of a product.
An aerospace Work Order may include:
- Product part number and revision
- Customer and Sales Order
- Quantity required
- Due date
- Bill of Materials
- Material allocations and issues
- Manufacturing routing
- Outside-processing operations
- Drawings and work instructions
- Inspection and test requirements
- Customer quality clauses
- Employee labor
- Machine and equipment records
- Lot and serial-number requirements
- Completed, rejected, and scrapped quantities
- Actual manufacturing cost
The Work Order should preserve the approved product configuration and the complete as-built manufacturing history.
Learn more in our Manufacturing Work Order Management guide.
Manufacturing Routing and Operation Control
Manufacturing routings define the sequence of production, inspection, testing, and outside-processing operations required to manufacture the product.
Routing records may define:
- Operation number
- Operation description
- Work center
- Required employee qualification
- Required equipment
- Setup and production time
- Inspection requirements
- Work instructions
- Outside-processing supplier
- Required documentation
- Completion and acceptance criteria
Preparation
Operations
Inspection
Processing
and Acceptance
Learn more in our Manufacturing Routing Software guide.
Outside Processing and Special Processes
Aerospace production may require specialized processes performed by approved external suppliers.
Examples include:
- Heat treatment
- Plating
- Anodizing
- Painting and coating
- Welding
- Nondestructive testing
- Laboratory testing
- Calibration
- Specialized machining
Outside-processing control may include:
- Approved processor
- Purchase Order
- Applicable specification and revision
- Work Order and routing operation
- Quantity sent
- Lot or serial numbers sent
- Date shipped
- Expected return date
- Certification requirements
- Quantity received
- Receiving inspection
- Actual processing cost
Maintain Traceability Outside the Facility
The ERP system should preserve ownership, quantity, status, lot or serial identity, supplier, certification, and routing information throughout outside processing.
Aerospace Production Scheduling
Production scheduling coordinates Work Orders, routing operations, employees, machines, materials, inspection resources, outside processors, and customer due dates.
Scheduling may consider:
- Customer priority
- Contract delivery date
- Material availability
- Operation sequence
- Work-center capacity
- Qualified employees
- Machine availability
- Tooling and fixture availability
- Inspection capacity
- Outside-processing lead time
- Planned maintenance
- Production risk
Learn more in our Manufacturing Production Scheduling guide.
Shop Floor Tracking and Production Visibility
Shop floor tracking records manufacturing activity while work is being performed.
Employees and supervisors may record or review:
- Released Work Orders
- Current routing operation
- Setup and production labor
- Employees performing work
- Machines and equipment used
- Completed quantities
- Rejected and scrapped quantities
- Downtime
- Inspection requirements
- Material usage
- Production holds
- Operation completion
Current Production Status Improves Decision-Making
Real-time Work Order activity helps Production Planning, Quality, Shipping, and management identify delays, shortages, bottlenecks, and delivery risks.
Learn more in our Shop Floor Tracking Software guide.
Inspection and Test Management
Inspection and test requirements should be connected with receiving, Work Orders, routing operations, product characteristics, and customer requirements.
Inspection activities may include:
- Receiving inspection
- First-piece inspection
- First Article Inspection
- In-process inspection
- Final inspection
- Functional testing
- Nondestructive testing
- Source inspection
- Customer inspection
- Certificate review
| Inspection Information | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Requirement | Defines the characteristic, specification, or acceptance criteria. |
| Actual Result | Records the measured or observed value. |
| Equipment Used | Identifies the measuring or test equipment. |
| Inspector | Identifies the person performing the inspection. |
| Lot or Serial Number | Connects results with the inspected material or product. |
| Disposition | Records acceptance, rejection, rework, or authorized disposition. |
Integrated Nonconformance and Material Review Processing
AS9100 manufacturers require clear visibility into nonconforming material, Material Review Board activity, rework, scrap, containment, and disposition.
A nonconformance record may include:
- Part number and revision
- Purchase Order or Work Order
- Routing operation
- Quantity affected
- Lot or serial number
- Requirement
- Actual condition
- Defect category
- Immediate containment
- Material Review Board activity
- Disposition
- Approvals
- Rework instructions
- Reinspection results
- Supplier relationship
- Corrective-action relationship
| Disposition | Typical Meaning |
|---|---|
| Rework | Process the product again so it meets the original requirement. |
| Repair | Restore product functionality through an authorized method. |
| Use As Is | Accept the condition through authorized approval when permitted. |
| Return to Supplier | Return purchased material to the external provider. |
| Scrap | Permanently prevent unintended use of the product. |
| Customer Review | Obtain customer authorization when required. |
Quality-Hold Inventory Must Remain Unavailable
Material placed on quality hold should not be issued to production or shipped until an authorized disposition is completed.
Corrective Action and CAPA Management
Corrective action provides a controlled method for investigating significant or recurring problems, implementing actions, and evaluating effectiveness.
Nonconformance
Analysis
Action
Verification
Corrective-action records may include:
- Problem statement
- Affected products and customers
- Containment activity
- Root-cause analysis
- Assigned actions
- Responsible employees
- Due dates
- Supporting evidence
- Implementation records
- Effectiveness verification
- Closure approval
Learn more in our AS9100 Corrective Action Management guide.
Supplier Corrective Action Requests
Supplier corrective actions connect purchased-product and delivery problems with the responsible external provider.
A Supplier Corrective Action Request may connect:
- Supplier
- Purchase Order
- Receipt
- Rejected quantity
- Material lot or serial number
- Inspection results
- Containment requirements
- Supplier response
- Root-cause analysis
- Corrective actions
- Effectiveness verification
- Supplier performance rating
This integration allows supplier quality problems to influence supplier reevaluation and future sourcing decisions.
Document Control and Revision Management
Aerospace manufacturers must control the documents used to define, manufacture, inspect, test, package, and accept products.
Controlled documents may include:
- Quality manuals
- Policies and procedures
- Engineering drawings
- Manufacturing work instructions
- Inspection plans
- Specifications
- Forms
- CNC programs
- Customer documents
- Supplier documents
- Packaging instructions
Document-control software should support:
- Unique document identification
- Revision history
- Approval workflows
- Effective dates
- Distribution and access control
- Obsolete-document protection
- Training requirements
- Linked ERP records
- Electronic audit history
Employees should access the current approved document from the Work Order, routing operation, inspection record, item, or other applicable business record.
Learn more in our Document Control Software guide.
Employee Training and Competency Management
AS9100 manufacturers must maintain evidence of employee competence, training, qualification, and awareness.
SimpleManufacturing™ can help manage:
- Employee training records
- Training requirements by job title
- Training requirements by work center
- Procedure and document training
- Operator certifications
- Inspection qualifications
- Customer- and product-specific training
- Competency levels
- Qualification expiration dates
- Training acknowledgments
- Tests and practical evaluations
- Automatic expiration reminders
- Workforce gap analysis
Connect Competency with Production Authorization
The ERP system can verify that an employee has current training and the required competency level before allowing a controlled routing operation, machine, inspection, or process to begin.
Learn more in our Employee Training Management guide.
Calibration, Equipment, and Tooling Management
Manufacturing and inspection depend on machines, tools, fixtures, gauges, and measurement equipment that must be suitable and available for use.
Equipment records may include:
- Equipment ID
- Description and type
- Department or location
- Calibration requirements
- Calibration due date
- Calibration results
- Maintenance schedule
- Current status
- Repair history
- Certificates and reports
- Associated Work Orders or inspections
Prevent Use of Unavailable Equipment
Production and inspection systems should identify equipment that is out of calibration, under maintenance, damaged, or otherwise unavailable.
Lot, Heat, Batch, and Serial-Number Traceability
Aerospace manufacturers may require detailed forward and backward traceability throughout purchasing, inventory, production, inspection, and shipping.
and Purchase Order
Lot or Heat
and Operations
Lot or Serial
Shipment
Traceability helps answer:
- Which supplier provided the material?
- Which Purchase Order and receipt created the inventory?
- Which material certification applies?
- Which material lot or serial number was consumed?
- Which Work Order used the material?
- Which employees and machines performed the work?
- Which inspections and tests were completed?
- Which finished products contain the material?
- Which customers received the affected products?
Learn more in our Lot and Serial Number Traceability guide.
Forward and Backward Product Genealogy
| Traceability Direction | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Backward Traceability | Starts with a finished product and identifies the suppliers, materials, Work Orders, employees, equipment, operations, inspections, and certifications used to manufacture it. |
| Forward Traceability | Starts with a supplier receipt, material lot, process, employee, machine, or defect and identifies affected Work Orders, finished products, shipments, and customers. |
Complete genealogy supports customer inquiries, containment, quality investigations, supplier issues, recalls, warranty evaluation, and audit response.
Operational Risk and Risk-Based Thinking
Aerospace manufacturing risks may affect product conformity, customer delivery, product safety, financial performance, and business continuity.
Operational risks may include:
- Single-source material
- Long-lead components
- Supplier performance
- Material shortages
- Equipment failure
- Insufficient qualified employees
- Outside-processing delays
- Configuration errors
- Inspection-capacity limitations
- Quality escapes
- Counterfeit-part exposure
- Obsolete components
| Risk Information | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Risk Description | Explains the condition or potential failure. |
| Potential Impact | Identifies product, schedule, customer, financial, or compliance consequences. |
| Probability and Severity | Supports consistent risk evaluation. |
| Mitigation | Defines actions intended to reduce exposure. |
| Responsible Owner | Assigns accountability. |
| Review Date | Ensures ongoing monitoring. |
Product Safety and Critical Requirements
Some aerospace products and processes may include safety-related characteristics or requirements requiring additional control.
ERP and quality records may identify:
- Critical items
- Key characteristics
- Special inspection requirements
- Qualified personnel
- Controlled suppliers
- Special-process certifications
- Additional approvals
- Escalation requirements
- Traceability requirements
- Record-retention requirements
These requirements should remain visible throughout planning, purchasing, production, inspection, acceptance, and shipment.
Internal Auditing and Audit Finding Management
Internal audits evaluate whether the quality-management system is implemented, maintained, and effective.
Audit records may include:
- Audit type
- Audit criteria
- Process or department
- Auditor
- Audit date
- Checklist questions
- Objective evidence
- Findings and observations
- Responsible process owner
- Corrective-action requirements
- Follow-up verification
- Closure approval
Connect Findings with Corrective Actions
Audit findings should create or link to assigned corrective actions rather than being managed through separate email messages or static reports.
Management Review and Quality Metrics
Integrated ERP and quality data can provide management with current information regarding operational and quality-system performance.
Management Review information may include:
- Customer delivery performance
- Customer complaints
- Internal and external audit results
- Supplier quality and delivery
- Nonconformance trends
- Corrective-action status
- Employee training and competency gaps
- Calibration status
- Production performance
- Scrap and rework
- Material shortages
- Operational risks
- Improvement opportunities
Shipping, Certification, and Delivery Records
Before shipment, the ERP system can verify that required production, inspection, certification, documentation, and approval activities are complete.
Shipment documentation may include:
- Packing list
- Certificate of Conformance
- Material certifications
- Special-process certifications
- Inspection and test reports
- First Article documentation
- Lot and serial-number lists
- Customer labels
- Export or shipping documentation
- Customer-specific forms
Prevent Shipment of Incomplete Product
Shipment controls should prevent delivery when required inspections, certifications, nonconformance dispositions, customer approvals, or documentation remain incomplete.
Actual Aerospace Manufacturing Costing
Integrated manufacturing costing accumulates the actual expenses associated with each Work Order.
| Cost Component | Transaction Source |
|---|---|
| Direct Material | Actual FIFO inventory layers consumed during production |
| Direct Labor | Employee setup, production, inspection, and rework time |
| Machine Cost | Equipment usage and applicable machine rates |
| Outside Processing | Supplier Purchase Orders and received processing services |
| Inspection and Testing | Internal labor, equipment time, and outside laboratory services |
| Scrap and Rework | Additional material, labor, processing, and inspection |
| Manufacturing Overhead | Burden allocated according to company policy |
Actual cost history supports quotations, profitability analysis, inventory valuation, Cost of Goods Sold, and continuous improvement.
Learn more in our Actual Work Order Costing guide.
AS9100 Audit Readiness
Aerospace manufacturers may undergo internal audits, certification audits, customer audits, supplier audits, regulatory reviews, and quality investigations.
Auditors may request evidence involving:
- Contract Review
- Customer requirements
- Approved suppliers
- Supplier evaluations
- Purchase Orders and requirement flowdown
- Receiving and inspection
- Material certifications
- Traceability and product genealogy
- Work Orders and production records
- Employee qualifications
- Calibration records
- Nonconformance and corrective action
- Document revisions
- Internal audits
- Management Review
Audit readiness improves when objective evidence is created during normal operations and retained with the products, transactions, suppliers, employees, and customers it supports.
Electronic Audit Trails
Electronic audit history can identify who performed a significant action and when it occurred.
Audit trails may record:
- Record creation
- Original and revised values
- User making the change
- Date and time
- Approval
- Status changes
- Revision changes
- Inventory transactions
- Inspection decisions
- Nonconformance dispositions
- Work Order completion
- Shipment release
Historical transactions should remain available even after the current business record changes.
Benefits of Integrated AS9100 ERP Software
Improved Traceability
Retrieve complete supplier-to-customer genealogy for lots, serial numbers, materials, Work Orders, and shipments.
Better Audit Readiness
Access controlled evidence directly from the related transaction or product record.
Reduced Manual Administration
Replace duplicate spreadsheets, shared folders, paper logs, and repeated data entry.
Improved Supplier Visibility
Monitor approval status, purchasing restrictions, quality, delivery, certifications, and corrective actions.
More Accurate Production Status
See material availability, Work Order progress, inspections, holds, outside processing, and completion status.
More Reliable Costing
Calculate actual material, labor, machine, outside-processing, rework, and overhead costs.
Improved Requirement Flowdown
Connect customer quality clauses with suppliers, Work Orders, inspections, documents, and shipping.
Stronger Management Visibility
Review quality, production, supplier, training, corrective-action, inventory, and delivery performance from connected data.
AS9100 and Aerospace Manufacturing KPIs
| KPI | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| On-Time Customer Delivery | Customer shipments completed by the committed date. |
| Supplier On-Time Delivery | Supplier receipts completed by confirmed due dates. |
| Supplier Defect Rate | Rejected supplier quantity compared with total receipts. |
| Inventory Accuracy | Recorded inventory compared with verified physical inventory. |
| Material Shortage Rate | Work Orders delayed by unavailable material. |
| First-Pass Yield | Products accepted without rework. |
| Scrap Rate | Quantity or value permanently lost during production. |
| Rework Rate | Quantity requiring additional controlled processing. |
| Corrective-Action Closure | Corrective actions completed within assigned due dates. |
| Training Compliance | Required employee qualifications remaining current. |
| Calibration Compliance | Required equipment remaining within calibration. |
| Audit Finding Closure | Audit findings completed within agreed dates. |
| Actual Cost Variance | Estimated or quoted cost compared with actual Work Order cost. |
AS9100 ERP Software Selection Checklist
| Evaluation Area | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
| Contract Review | Can customer, product, delivery, quality, certification, and documentation requirements be captured and flowed into operations? |
| Configuration Management | Can revisions, BOMs, drawings, routings, software, documents, and effective changes be controlled? |
| Supplier Management | Can purchasing be restricted to approved providers and approved products or processes? |
| Traceability | Can the system trace materials from supplier receipt through Work Orders and customer shipment? |
| Inventory | Can it manage lots, heats, serials, ownership, certifications, locations, status, and costs? |
| Work Orders | Can it preserve configuration, materials, routings, employees, equipment, inspections, and genealogy? |
| Quality Management | Can it manage inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, training, and calibration? |
| Document Control | Can employees access current approved documents while obsolete revisions remain protected? |
| Audit History | Can significant changes, approvals, users, dates, and transactions be retrieved? |
| Costing | Can actual materials, labor, processing, scrap, rework, and overhead be calculated? |
| Reporting | Can management retrieve current operational, quality, traceability, and financial information? |
| Integration | Are purchasing, inventory, production, quality, shipping, and accounting connected? |
AS9100 ERP Software with SimpleManufacturing™
SimpleManufacturing™ connects customer requirements, Item Master data, Bills of Materials, MRP, suppliers, purchasing, receiving, inventory, Work Orders, routings, production scheduling, shop floor tracking, quality management, product genealogy, shipping, costing, and accounting.
| SimpleManufacturing™ Capability | Business Benefit |
|---|---|
| Contract Review | Records customer, product, delivery, quality, certification, and documentation requirements. |
| Item and Configuration Control | Maintains part numbers, revisions, classifications, documents, and customer relationships. |
| Bill of Materials | Controls multi-level structures, components, revisions, quantities, and approved alternatives. |
| Material Requirements Planning | Calculates purchased and manufactured requirements using current demand and supply. |
| Approved Supplier Management | Controls qualified suppliers, products, processes, certifications, and performance. |
| Purchase Order Flowdown | Communicates part, revision, certification, quality-clause, and delivery requirements. |
| Receiving and Inspection | Records material identity, certifications, lots, serials, inspection results, and acceptance. |
| Inventory Management | Controls quantities, locations, status, ownership, FIFO cost, lots, and serial numbers. |
| Work Order Management | Connects materials, routings, employees, equipment, quality, genealogy, and completion. |
| Production Scheduling | Coordinates customer priorities, Work Orders, materials, resources, and due dates. |
| Shop Floor Tracking | Provides current labor, quantities, operations, holds, downtime, and production status. |
| Quality Management | Connects inspections, nonconformance, corrective action, audits, training, and calibration. |
| Document Control | Provides approved revisions, controlled access, distribution, and document history. |
| Product Genealogy | Connects supplier receipts and materials with finished products and customer shipments. |
| Actual Work Order Costing | Accumulates materials, labor, outside processing, machine, rework, and overhead cost. |
| Accounting Integration | Connects inventory, WIP, Finished Goods, COGS, revenue, receivables, and payables. |
One Connected Record from Customer Requirement Through Shipment
SimpleManufacturing™ provides one database connecting customer requirements, product configuration, approved suppliers, purchased materials, production history, quality records, certifications, genealogy, cost, and delivered products.
Manufacturers That Can Benefit from AS9100 ERP Software
SimpleManufacturing™ is designed for small and mid-sized manufacturers requiring integrated manufacturing and quality-management controls.
Aerospace Manufacturers
Manage controlled products, customer requirements, traceability, quality records, and certification evidence.
Defense Manufacturers
Control approved sources, serialized products, documentation, production history, and customer flowdown requirements.
Machine and Job Shops
Manage routing operations, outside processing, inspection, labor, traceability, and actual Work Order cost.
Electronics Manufacturers
Control BOMs, approved components, date codes, lots, serials, Work Orders, inspections, and product genealogy.
Contract Manufacturers
Manage multiple customer programs, customer-owned materials, quality clauses, documentation, and delivery schedules.
Special-Process Suppliers
Track customer product, specifications, certifications, processing operations, inspections, and return shipments.
Frequently Asked Questions About AS9100 ERP Software
What is AS9100 ERP software?
AS9100 ERP software integrates aerospace manufacturing operations with quality management, supplier control, configuration management, traceability, Work Orders, inventory, MRP, documentation, costing, and accounting.
Does ERP software make a company AS9100 compliant?
No. Compliance depends on the organization’s quality-management system, procedures, leadership, implementation, employee competency, and objective evidence. ERP software supports those processes.
What is the difference between generic ERP and AS9100 ERP software?
Generic ERP typically focuses on accounting, sales, purchasing, and basic inventory. AS9100-oriented manufacturing ERP also supports configuration control, product genealogy, supplier qualification, nonconformance, corrective action, document control, competency, calibration, and audit evidence.
Why is traceability important for aerospace manufacturers?
Traceability connects supplier receipts, material certifications, lots, serial numbers, Work Orders, employees, operations, inspections, finished products, shipments, and customers.
What is product genealogy?
Product genealogy is the complete manufacturing history connecting materials, suppliers, employees, equipment, operations, inspections, certifications, and documents with a finished product.
What is forward traceability?
Forward traceability identifies the Work Orders, finished products, shipments, and customers affected by a material lot, supplier receipt, process, equipment item, or quality issue.
What is backward traceability?
Backward traceability begins with a finished or delivered product and identifies the materials, suppliers, Work Orders, employees, operations, inspections, and certifications used to manufacture it.
How does AS9100 ERP manage suppliers?
Suppliers can be evaluated, approved for specific products or services, monitored through performance metrics, audited, reevaluated, and restricted from purchasing when no longer approved.
How are customer quality clauses managed?
Quality clauses can be identified during Contract Review and flowed into supplier Purchase Orders, Work Orders, routing operations, inspection plans, packaging instructions, and shipment records.
How are material certifications managed?
Certifications can be attached to supplier receipts and linked with lots, heats, serial numbers, Work Orders, finished products, and customer shipments.
What is configuration management?
Configuration management controls product identity, revisions, BOMs, drawings, specifications, routings, software, engineering changes, and the configuration used for each production build.
How does AS9100 ERP support nonconforming material?
It can record the affected product, requirement, actual condition, quantity, lot or serial number, containment, Material Review Board activity, disposition, approvals, rework, and reinspection.
Does AS9100 ERP support corrective actions?
Yes. It can manage containment, root-cause analysis, assigned actions, due dates, implementation evidence, effectiveness verification, and approved closure.
How are employee qualifications managed?
Training requirements and competency records can be connected with job titles, work centers, equipment, products, customer programs, and routing operations.
How does calibration management work?
The system can maintain equipment identity, calibration frequency, due dates, results, certificates, status, repairs, and relationships with inspections and production activity.
How are outside special processes controlled?
Outside processes can be linked with approved suppliers, Purchase Orders, routing operations, specifications, quantities, lots, serial numbers, certifications, receipts, inspections, and Work Order costs.
What accounting transactions can be integrated?
Integrated manufacturing activity can create or support inventory value, Work in Process, Finished Goods, Cost of Goods Sold, revenue, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and General Ledger activity.
What should aerospace manufacturers consider when selecting ERP software?
They should evaluate Contract Review, configuration control, supplier management, traceability, inventory, MRP, Work Orders, production scheduling, quality management, document control, training, calibration, audit history, costing, and accounting integration.
How does SimpleManufacturing™ support aerospace manufacturing?
SimpleManufacturing™ connects customer requirements, Item Master data, Bills of Materials, MRP, suppliers, purchasing, inventory, Work Orders, production scheduling, shop floor tracking, quality management, document control, training, calibration, product genealogy, costing, shipping, and accounting.
Connect Aerospace Manufacturing, Quality, and Traceability
AS9100 ERP software must support the complete product lifecycle from customer requirements and approved product configuration through purchasing, receiving, production, inspection, product genealogy, shipment, and financial reporting.
When operational and quality information is integrated, manufacturers gain better control over requirement flowdown, suppliers, materials, Work Orders, inspections, documentation, employee qualifications, audits, and delivered products.
One Source of Truth for Aerospace Manufacturing
SimpleManufacturing™ provides Engineering, Supply Chain, Production, Quality, Shipping, Accounting, and management with one connected record of the product, its requirements, its manufacturing history, and its current status.
SimpleManufacturing™ is designed for small and mid-sized aerospace, defense, electronics, machine-shop, and contract manufacturers requiring integrated ERP and AS9100 quality-management capabilities.