AS-9100 certification could mean workload increase for Robins Published Dec. 5, 2008 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- For those who don't work in aircraft maintenance, the term "AS-9100 certification" might sound like just another bureaucratic designation. But for those who know what it means, AS-9100 is a significant step toward securing jobs at Robins, enhancing our industrial capabilities and possibly bringing in more jobs. The certification is an internationally recognized standard in aircraft maintenance that assures customers that certain procedures are being followed. After a nine-month process, the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron in the 402nd Maintenance Wing got notice that its AS-9100 certification had been approved. "It's a major advantage to us when it comes to marketing for work," said Mike Doubleday, the deputy squadron director in the 562nd AMXS, which works on C-17 Globemast-ers. The 562nd AMXS, made up of approximately 500 civilian workers, is one of four squadrons in the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group. The group has set a goal of having AS-9100 certification for the entire group by next October, said group commander Col. John Bukowinski. Ultimately, the goal is to have the certification for the entire wing. Colonel Bukowinski said the 562nd AMXS is a contractor for Boeing to do maintenance, overhaul and repair work on the C-17. The squadron does about half of that work, and the other half is done at Boeing's facilities in San Antonio, Texas. Boeing has urged all of its suppliers to get the AS-9100 certification, he said. "Hopefully we will start seeing some more workload," he said. "We would like to have more workload. We have the facilities for it." He said he is confident his group will meet the goal of getting its certification by next October. An AS-9100 audit inspection has already been scheduled for September. "We are building our strategic plan and are way ahead," he said. "We have lessons learned from the 562nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. We are educating our workforce and educating our supervisors and are on the road to getting certified." Mr. Doubleday said getting the AS-9100 certification for the squadron started nine months ago with the creation of a team tasked with meeting the requirements. In June, two AS-9100 inspection auditors visited the facilities here and recommended some corrective actions. As soon as the squadron notified the auditors on Nov. 6 that the corrective actions had been taken, the certification was approved. Mr. Doubleday said the squadron had already been doing about 95 percent of the AS-9100 requirements, but some things were outside of the standard Air Force requirements. The squadron will also get AS-9100 inspections periodically in order to maintain its certification. The AS-9100 standards were developed by a consortium of commercial aircraft industry representatives from around the world under the International Organization for Standardization, a non-governmental group that sets management standards for a variety of industries. The group is commonly known by the acronym ISO, because the names translates to different letters in different languages and ISO was designated the accepted term for all languages.