| Stage | Do this | Tool | Rule of thumb |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program | Rate four factors per process; set the interval; name a lead for every audit | A06 | Two Highs: every six months |
| Auditors | Course, two observed audits, sign-off; record what each must not audit | A06 | Nobody audits their own work |
| Plan | Objective, scope, criteria, samples, timetable; agreed a week ahead | A06 | Read the measures before you go |
| Prepare | Area walk and practice session on every shift; evidence map checked | A09, A04 | Prepare people, never script them |
| Audit | Follow a real job; test each line; log requests | A07, A05, A04 | From the floor to the record |
| Findings | Requirement, evidence, statement; classify on the tests | A08 | Nothing new at the closing meeting |
| Report | Conclusion first; findings; what works; samples | A11 | Within ten working days |
| Response | Correction, extent, root and escape causes, actions, criterion | A10 | Close on evidence, not on implementation |
| Follow-up | Check effectiveness; look again at the next audit; adjust ratings | A06, A11 | A repeat says the last fix didn't work |
| Review | Weekly 15 minutes; monthly Summary; management review input | A06 | Judge the program by what it finds first |
| Finding type | The test | What follows |
|---|---|---|
| Major | A process missing or broken down, or nonconforming product at or likely to reach a customer | Containment asked for at the closing meeting; corrective action; follow-up audit |
| Minor | A limited lapse in a process that otherwise works | Response with root cause and action |
| OFI | Requirement met; the process could work better | The owner decides |
| Observation | Not a nonconformity yet; a risk building | Looked at again next audit |
| Timing we use | When |
|---|---|
| Plan agreed with the process owner | One week before the audit |
| Area walk and practice session | A few days before; on every shift |
| Report issued | Within ten working days of the audit |
| Response due | As your procedure sets; 30 days is common |
| Effectiveness checked | At the end of the window in the response, by someone other than the action owner |
| Follow-up | At the next audit of the process, or sooner for a major |
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A management aid, not certification or a registrar audit. Using it does not by itself show conformity to AS9100D or any other standard, and your customers' requirements may add to it.
Clause numbers refer to AS9100D (SAE AS9100 Rev D) unless another document is named. The standards' text is not reproduced here: use your own licensed copy.
Aegis Insights are our own guidance, labeled wherever they appear: how we approach this work, not a requirement of any standard or customer.