ISO 9001:2015 Versus CAAM CAD 8601

A company intended to maintain aircraft, aircraft engines, and parts must comply with the regulatory requirements published by the CAAM in the CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145). The requirements ensure the services provided by the company produces safe products because the quality system built in the organization is developed towards safe products. One of the requirements in the quality system is to ensure the maintenance activities are carried out in accordance with the OEM manuals. However, there is no clear definition of what is a quality system in CAD 8601. A word survey of “quality system” in CAD 8601 reveals the words? “quality system” appearing nine (9) times throughout the documents. When we go through those nine (9) words, there is no explanation of “What is the quality system?”. Most of us in the MRO industry understand, the “quality system” is built-in after compliance with the AAM in the CAD 8601. The compliance to the CAD 8601 is upon satisfactory submission of the exposition, which some consider the exposition is quality manual.

As we know a lot about ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. There is AS 9110, which is specific for Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation Maintenance Organisations. In regards to aviation maintenance, the CAAM published legislation to be approved as a maintenance organization in the document, CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145). This legislation is very specific to ensure the company produces safe products after the maintenance and repair. CAD 8601 requires the company to develop a quality system and the two standards; ISO 9001 and As 9110 are quality standards. Since the CAD 8601 and the two ISO 9001 and As 9110 are quality standards, it is our interest to determine the differences amongst those standards.

The 1st map is between ISO 9001:2015 versus CAAM CAD 8601, the introduction of the standards shows some aspects of the ISO elements are missing.

The regulations in CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145) miss important aspects of fundamental quality management of PDCA. PDCA is Plan, Do, Check and Action. For the PDCA, it means any activities are "PLAN", once planned, the next action is "DO", during the implementation "CHECK" is carried out and any discrepancies are "ACT" on them. This is a standard QMS process.

CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145) also misses the Risked Based Thinking Management philosophy. However, the latest ICAO Annex 19 - Safety Management has introduced the concept of iSMS (Integrated Safety Management), which not only covers the activities related to maintenance of aircraft, engine, or aircraft parts and components. The iSMS includes finances, humans capital, documents, and any system and process in the companies.

The elements of the organization and its context is another important element missing. The organization context means the company will determine and list internal and external issues that can affect the customer satisfaction and delivery of the quality product and/or service. The list of the interested parties whose opinion about your company should be cared about and Identify the scope of the quality management system.

The element of customer focus is missing. Customer focus is not in the CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145), the companies focus on the work on components and compliances to the maintenance tasks published by the OEM. Once the work is completed, the company will issue Form 1 and declare the parts are airworthy. The company focuses on delivering the forms and believes that satisfaction is only by having the forms. However, it may be acceptable for maintenance services without competition. However, if there are many companies offering similar services, customer focus to satisfy customers becomes important.?

Element 6 of the ISO is about planning on risks and opportunities. ICAO Annex 19 - Safety Management has some of these elements in the AMO.

Element 7.1.5 "Monitoring and measuring resources" may be comparable to the requirments of Man-hour planning in the AD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145).

The AS 9110 is more specific for the "Quality Management Systems – Requirements for Aviation Maintenance Organizations". This standard includes ISO 9001:2015 quality management system requirements and specifies additional civil and military aviation maintenance and continuing airworthiness industry requirements, definitions, and notes. It is emphasized that the requirements specified in this standard are complementary (not alternative) to customers and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Element 10 of the standards may cover by the 145.60 Occurrence Reporting and 145.95 Findings. Element 10 is about improvement on the organization's products and services and the QMS itself for the future needs of the customers. The improvement will also review the nonconformity and corrective action of the products and services and the continual improvement on the products and services for improvement to deliver continuous satisfaction to the customers. There are no specific elements in Part 145, the closes are the occurrences and findings. The occurrences require the company to report any major defects and findings on the products and services. The findings is to correct the non-confotmity found during audit and surveillance.

Based on the mapping, the ISO 9001 and specifically the AS 9110 are a good complement to the CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145), since the elements missing in the CAD 8601 - Maintenance Organisation Approval (CAAM Part 145) will be useful for the business to satisfy the customers and make the business sustainable. The ISO or AS certificate will attract customers outside the approval states for example FAA approval for only US registered aircraft, CAAS is only for the Singapore registered aircraft. The ICAO does not allow universal approval of aviation companies. Even though the states need to approve the company under the states but the ISO and AS are the assurance that the companies are having the system compliance to any regulatory requirements.?