CONFIDEE Successfully Recertified to AS9120

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

CONFIDEE has successfully completed its AS9120 recertification, confirming that our quality management system continues to meet the strict requirements of the aviation, space and defence industries.

Originally certified in 2023, the recertification demonstrates CONFIDEE’s continued commitment to controlled, traceable and documented PCB supply chains.

AS9120 is an internationally recognised quality management standard for aviation, space and defence distributors. It places particular emphasis on controlling externally provided products, processes and services, preserving product conformity and the prevention of counterfeit or unapproved parts.

“Counterfeit or unapproved parts are not always obvious. They may involve unauthorised modifications, incorrect documentation, changes of manufacturer or production at a site that has not been approved. Without proper control and traceability, a product may no longer correspond with what the customer approved and ordered,” says Raymond Goh, COO at CONFIDEE.

For customers operating within defence supply chains, AS9120 provides important safeguards:

• Strict supplier approval and monitoring
• Full product traceability and documentation
• Control of manufacturing sources and changes
• Prevention of counterfeit and suspected unapproved parts
• Structured risk management and continuous improvement
• Flow-down of customer and regulatory requirements throughout the supply chain

These controls are particularly important in defence, where the origin, integrity and conformity of every component must be known, documented and demonstrable.

“Compliance is not a one-time task, and stating compliance is not the same as being able to demonstrate it. Our AS9120 recertification confirms that the relevant requirements and controls are understood, documented and embedded in how we operate. It also supports a culture of continuous improvement, where we consistently evaluate and strengthen our processes and operational performance,” Goh concludes.

Extracted from EN 9120:2018

Definitions:

Counterfeit parts: an unauthorized copy, imitation, substitute or modified part (e.g. material, part, component), which is knowingly misrepresented as a specified genuine part of an original or authorized manufacturer.

Note 1 to entry: Examples of a counterfeit part can include, but are not limited to, the false identification of marking or labelling, grade, serial number, date code, documentation or performance characteristics.

Suspected Unapproved parts: a part for which there is objective and credible evidence indicating that the part is likely an unapproved or counterfeit part.

Note 1 to entry: This includes: articles shipped to an end user by a supplier who does not have direct delivery authorization from the approved production organization; new articles that do not conform to the approved design/data; articles that have not been manufactured or maintained by an approved source; articles that have been intentionally misrepresented, including counterfeit parts and articles with incomplete or inappropriate documentation.

For questions or picture requests, feel free to reach out to Guro Krossen, CONFIDEE.