AS9100 Rev D Leadership

Key Requirements:

• Top management is responsible for the effectiveness of the quality management system (QMS).
• Top management is to focus on meeting customer requirements and enhancing customer satisfaction.
• Top management is to establish, communicate and enforce a quality policy.
• Top management is to appoint a Management Representative and assign other relevant roles and responsibilities.

Section 5 Leadership

Section 5.1: Leadership and Commitment

An organization’s top management is ultimately responsible for the effectiveness of the QMS. “Top management” refers to the top-level leaders of your organization. The establishment of the quality policy, objectives, integration of the QMS with business processes and supporting employees contributing to the QMS are some of the responsibilities required of top management.

Top management is required to be customer focused. This includes enhancing customer satisfaction, addressing risks or opportunities related to customers and meeting customers’ statutory and regulatory requirements. You are required to have metrics and goals for product and service conformity as well as on-time delivery. If goals around these metrics are not met, top management is responsible for ensuring appropriate action is taken to meet those goals.

Section 5.2: Policy

Top management must establish, communicate, and enforce a quality policy. A quality policy is typically a combination of an organization’s core values, mission or vision statement. The policy needs to provide a framework for your quality objectives and align with the purpose, context, and strategic direction of the organization. It must also include a commitment to satisfy applicable requirements and continual improvement.

The quality policy must be documented, communicated, and applied throughout the organization and made available to any interested party.

Section 5.3: Organizational Roles, Responsibilities and Authorities

Responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles must be assigned, communicated, and understood within the organization. Specifically, roles that impact the organization’s ability to meet requirements and ensure processes are delivering their intended outputs. This includes the appointment of a Management Representative who has the responsibility and authority to ensure compliance with the requirements of AS9100.

Please note that certain text from the AS9100 standard is only used for instructional purposes. Standard Stores recognizes and respects the SAE International copyright and intellectual property guidelines.