For an aerospace start-up, AS9100 certification is often the price of entry. Primes and tier-one suppliers expect it, and without it many supply chain doors stay closed. Hillscom has built AS9100D quality management systems from the ground up, including for a London-based aerospace start-up, and the lessons from that work apply to almost any new entrant to the sector.
Why start-ups pursue AS9100 early
The obvious reason is customer access. Major aerospace and defence customers check supplier certification through the IAQG’s OASIS database, and an AS9100 certificate is often a prerequisite for an approved supplier listing. There is also a less obvious reason. Building quality disciplines in from the start is far cheaper than retrofitting them once a company has grown, shipped product and developed habits that conflict with aerospace requirements.
What makes a start-up different
A start-up rarely has the problems of an established manufacturer. It has different ones. A small team wears many hats. Designs are still evolving. Suppliers may be as new as the company itself. There is no history of records to draw on, and the culture rightly prizes speed. A quality system that ignores those realities will be bypassed within weeks.
Lessons from building AS9100D from scratch
1. Scope it honestly. Be clear about whether you design, manufacture, assemble or build to print, and justify any requirement you claim is not applicable. An inflated or vague scope creates audit risk and confuses customers.
2. Build processes around how the team really works. Map the handful of core processes first, then document only what is needed to make them repeatable. Lean, usable procedures beat comprehensive ones nobody follows.
3. Get configuration management in place early. When designs change weekly, knowing exactly which revision was built, inspected and shipped is essential. It is far harder to reconstruct afterwards.
4. Treat supplier control as critical. Start-ups depend heavily on external providers. Approve suppliers on evidence, flow down customer and regulatory requirements, and put counterfeit parts prevention in place from day one.
5. Plan first article inspection. New parts and new suppliers need first article inspection to AS9102. Building it into product introduction avoids delays when the first customer orders arrive.
6. Embed product safety and human factors. AS9100D requires product safety to be planned and managed, and people to be aware of their contribution to it. In a small team, this is a conversation as much as a procedure.
7. Make the founders own it. Auditors will expect top management to explain the quality policy, objectives and risks. In a start-up, that means the founders, not a quality manager acting alone.
8. Use the system before the audit. Run internal audits, hold a management review and close out real corrective actions. Auditors need evidence that the system works, and so does the business.
Where IA9100 fits
AS9100 is being revised and renamed IA9100, aligned with ISO 9001:2026. AS9100D remains the certifiable standard until the IAQG publishes the new revision and its transition rules, so there is no reason to delay certification. Building your system with the signalled themes in mind, such as product safety, sub-tier supplier control and quality culture, will make the later transition simpler. Our article on AS9100 to IA9100 explains what is confirmed and what is not.
The IAQG is also developing IA9150, a foundational standard aimed at smaller suppliers and new entrants. It is worth watching, but customers will continue to ask for AS9100 for the foreseeable future.
How Hillscom can help
Hillscom supports start-ups and scale-ups and established suppliers across the aerospace and defence sector, from scoping and gap analysis through to certification. Where you are introducing new products, we also support aerospace APQP to AS9145. Find out more about our AS9100 consultancy, or get in touch to talk about your route to certification.
