Nadcap is an accreditation program driven by a stringent set of standards, established by the consensus of both experts from the government and private industry, for OEMs and suppliers operating in the aerospace and defense fields. According to the Performance Review Institute (PRI), the governing body for Nadcap, “only the best companies can achieve [it]”.
AEP is proud to hold Nadcap accreditation for Chemical Processing, maintained since 2015, currently with Merit status.
More Than Just Quality Management…
Unlike related quality certifications, such as ISO 9001 and AS 9100, Nadcap is process-centric, as opposed to being management-centric. This leads to an audit and accreditation process that is far more challenging, but that offers proportionally greater benefits.
There are challenges to maintaining Nadcap certification beyond their sheer stringency. For one thing, the training curve for employees is steep, long and ongoing. So, our loyal workers that are used to doing things a certain way, have to evolve, often quickly. The system is designed for continual improvement – constantly pushing the bar higher and higher over time.
Another is document maintenance: all processes, which are also changing over time, must be well-documented and distributed. This can be tedious, but is required, and of course – keeps us all on the same page. Literally.
Benefits of Nadcap Accreditation
There are many benefits to both the accredited supplier, and the customers it serves. For us, having the certification allows us to remain a competitive metal plating services supplier in an extremely important industry. It ensures that we operate efficiently as well, maximizing both quality and productivity. It leads to improved standardization — meaning less waste, and lower costs.
For our customers, the primary benefit is peace of mind, especially for mission critical applications. Defense and aerospace contractors no longer have to send their own auditors regularly – since we already have the “seal of approval” for operating at the highest possible standards of quality and consistency. In fact, all customers benefit regardless of industry – even if they are not required to work with Nadcap certified platers.
The bottom line: today, everyone demands reliability, consistency and competitive pricing. Nadcap makes it all happen.
Stay tuned for our next blog, where we will explore the lessons learned on our road to Nadcap certification.