By working with procurement partners that boast both the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation and AS6171 certification, defense and aerospace manufacturers can effectively prevent inadequate components from entering their supply chain — and do business with greater peace of mind.
As semiconductor shortages, and resulting supply chain disruptions, continue dragging on, fast and reliable part procurement grows ever more valuable. And for defense and aerospace manufacturers — ones that rely on obsolete electronic components — quick sourcing and delivery take on extra importance.
Not all procurement partners are created equal, though. Problems can arise in the absence of proper quality assurance, increasing the likelihood that producers receive suboptimal components — and damaging operations and customer relations in turn. However, standards exist that can help defense and aerospace manufacturers make informed procurement decisions. Here, we’ll outline the ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation and AS6171 certification, and explain how both maximize value and minimize risk for defense and aerospace companies.
ISO/IEC 17025:2017
Jointly developed by the International Organization for Standardization and the International Electrotechnical Commission, this standard accredits component test labs and ranks among the world’s most popular. In its original form, it lays out “general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories:” This latest version strengthens its focus on information technology; introduces the concept of risk-based thinking; updates its process approach to match that of other, newer standards; and revises its general scope to cover additional fields.
Why does all this matter? ISO/IEC 17025:2017 provides a globally recognized reference point for quality assurance practices. It makes international lab cooperation easier and allows for countries to share quality reports and certificates without re-testing components. In theory, that makes procurement faster while protecting against suspect parts — and in a modern economy where chip lead times reach a year or more, that’s an immense asset.
AS6171
First published in 2016 and updated two years later, this certification “standardizes inspection and test procedures, workmanship criteria, and minimum training and certification requirements to detect suspect (or) counterfeit electrical, electronic, and electromechanical parts.” AS6171 covers the entire supply chain and comes into play in several cases: when electronic components cannot be traced back to their original manufacturer, when they’ve been acquired from independent brokers and distributors, and when a purchaser has any concerns about elevated liability.
In essence, AS6171 certifies that a company has thoroughly tested a component. Whether dealing with sourcing or shipping, it establishes a consistently high standard “based on assessed risk” and takes various factors into consideration. And when a manufacturer requires out-of-production components to fulfill orders, this degree of quality assurance eliminates some of that inherent uncertainty.
Given their different areas of focus, both ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and AS6171 are designed to be used in conjunction with, and to supplement, other risk-mitigating certifications. When used in tandem, they provide as close to full foundry-to-customer security as possible. By working with procurement partners that boast both accreditations, defense and aerospace manufacturers can effectively prevent inadequate components from entering their supply chain — and do business with greater peace of mind.
View A2 Global’s ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredidation and AS6171 certification here.
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