By Gary Rice
Public Affairs Specialist

The week of May 5-9 was a real doozy at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point. During that week, the depot endured not one, not two, but three command registration audits simultaneously to certify compliance with internationally accepted standards of management.

In the past, the semiannual International Organization for Standards (ISO) 9001 audit has been a familiar event, but last month’s audit incorporated ISO 9001 with ISO 14001 and Aviation Specifications (AS) 9100 audits as well. Whereas ISO 9001 is an audit of the command’s quality management standards, AS 9100 involves quality management standards for aviation and aerospace facilities, and ISO 14001 looks at an organization’s environmental program.

“This type of triple audit does not occur very often,” Dr. Bruce Laviolette, Director of Corporate ISO Programs, said. “We did it that way because it was more efficient and less disruptive to the work force to prepare for only one audit, rather than three separate audits at different times.”

Laviolette explained that the ISO 9001 portion of the audit was a surveillance audit designed to ensure the depot was properly maintaining its established registration standards. The AS 9100 and ISO 14001 audits were actual registration audits.

A total of eight auditors on the three teams operated independently of each other in their visits to various depot workspaces. Some shops were visited by members of all three teams, while others were not. Management reps or guides were assigned to the auditors to ensure they got to where they wanted to go and were given the assistance they needed.

“These registrations mean improved ways of doing business, more efficient operations, and better processes and procedures,” Laviolette said. “These are industry qualifications that will show that we are very competitive with private industry. They prove that we are committed to meeting the specifications of the various standards and that we are on a par with any organization in the world. They are very important to the depot’s future, and their real significance is what they mean to the depot’s reputation in the military and private industry. We’ve found that establishing partnership relationships with civilian companies is much easier as a result of having our registrations. These companies are asking us to be ISO and AS registered.”

NAVAIR Depot Cherry Point provides maintenance, engineering, and logistics support on a variety of aircraft, engines, and components for all branches of the U.S. armed forces. It is the only source of repair within the continental United States for many jet and rotary wing engines and is the Navy’s center of excellence for rotary wing aircraft.

About 600,000 organizations worldwide are ISO 9001 registered; 20,000 are ISO 14001 registered; and only a few thousand are AS 9100 registered. While the logistics of coordinating the triple audit took a mammoth effort involving an on-going process of preparation at all levels of the command, the effort was worth it as very few organizations in the world have acquired all three registrations.

“There’s always room for improvement, but you have the proper systems in place with sufficient controls, and I’m confident in your ability to meet the requirements,” ISO 9001 Lead Auditor David Dudley said. “These registrations will put you in a league with heavy hitters like Boeing and Halliburton who have large systems with tight controls, and you’re helping them lead the way.”

According to Dudley, the audit went very well overall, and the depot will receive its AS 9100 registration. There were some discrepancies in ISO 14001, and corrective actions will need to be made in those areas.

“You have a robust, high-quality Environmental Management System in place,” ISO 14001 Lead Auditor Georgene Porter said. “But we found some non-conformities and will have to come back again to ensure corrective actions have been taken before your registration certificate can be issued.”

“The people on the floor understand what they’re doing, and they do it very well,” ISO 9001 Auditor Michael Danahy said. “I was very impressed with what I saw.”

“You can pat yourselves on the back in terms of the progress you’ve made,” AS 9100 Lead Auditor Charlie Harlan said. “Basically, the technical requirements for AS 9100 are standard aerospace industry practice, and they are well implemented at the depot in terms of your production effort. It is clear there has been significant progress made in where you folks want to go with your quality management system. This registration ensures you will be able to meet the test of the aerospace industry.”

“It was an exhaustive week, and the deficiencies that were identified can be corrected in a short period of time,” Laviolette said. “But we’re not after these registrations just to put check marks in boxes. They truly improve our organization and take us to new heights of quality and commitment to our customers.”

“We had good results, and I appreciate everyone’s hard work,” Executive Officer Col John Gumbel said. “This audit made us stronger, and it will certainly help us improve. I know it took a lot of effort by a lot of people to get us this far, and I am quite pleased.”

Photo Caption: In the Public Affairs Office in Building 137 on May 7, ISO Management Rep Cindy Fone (center) and Audiovisual Production Specialist Kimberly Walker discuss environmental compliance issues with ISO 14001 Auditor Dr. John Shideler. (Photo by Gary Rice)