SES steps up a gear with quality and joins select group

SES is dedicated to the continual improvement of the products and services it delivers into the aerospace and defence markets. In September of 2003, SES was independently assessed as fully achieving the requirements of AS9100, the latest and most challenging quality standard to date in the area of Aerospace Quality Management.

The Audit, which also confirmed SES continued registration to ISO9001:2000, was conducted by SGS, the largest independent certification body in the UK.

The audit was an unqualified success with the auditors commenting on the "excellent process" followed by SES, and the "high standards" consistently achieved by SES.

SES, is a member of a small and select group of UK aerospace companies to have achieved this prestigious level of achievement.

What is AS9100?

AS9100 is the Quality Systems Aerospace model for Quality Assurance in Design, Development, Production, Installation and Servicing. AS9100 was developed from previous ISO 9001 and AS9000 standards and builds upon the requirement to produce a harmonised standard that meets the requirements of aerospace companies worldwide. The Standard has 80 additional requirements and 18 amplifications of the ISO9001: 2000 Standard and addresses the needs of both civil and military aerospace developers and users.

According to the American and International Aerospace Quality groups (AAQG & IAQG) AS9100 registration is to be seen as a demonstration of a company's commitment to quality, safety and reliability.

The standard is already supported by the largest aerospace manufacturers who have indicated that certified companies will require less oversight than other suppliers and therefore approved supplier status becomes more straightforward to achieve and maintain. SES is already an approved supplier to BAE SYSTEMS, Raytheon, Thales, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Smiths Industries, Rockwell Collins and Marshall Aerospace.