What should a pre-submission FAI quality checklist include?

A pre-submission FAI quality checklist should confirm that the FAIR is complete, internally consistent, and supported by objective evidence before it is sent to the customer or uploaded to a supplier portal. It should check AS9102 form completeness, drawing and purchase order alignment, characteristic accountability, measurement evidence, material and special process traceability, open nonconformances, required approvals, and any customer-specific submission rules. It does not guarantee acceptance; customers may apply program-specific requirements or reject weak evidence.

Core items to verify before submission

The checklist should start with basic administrative control. Confirm the part number, part name, serial or lot identification, FAIR type, organization details, supplier codes, and submission reason. For a partial or delta FAI, the checklist should clearly identify the triggering change and the affected characteristics, operations, or assemblies.

Revision control is usually the first serious failure point. Confirm that the drawing, model-based definition, specification list, purchase order, planning, router, work instructions, and inspection records all reference the correct revision levels. If the FAI depends on PLM, ERP, MES, or QMS data, the checklist should verify that the extracted data matches the controlled source and was not manually retyped without review.

For AS9102 submissions, the checklist should verify Form 1, Form 2, and Form 3 completeness where applicable. Required fields should be filled, not left blank without a permitted notation. Form 2 should account for materials, special processes, and functional testing. Form 3 should account for every design characteristic, including notes, dimensions, tolerances, drawing zones, specification requirements, and key or critical characteristics when applicable.

Characteristic and inspection evidence

The checklist should confirm that the ballooned drawing or characteristic index is complete and matches the FAIR. Every characteristic should have a unique identifier, specified requirement, measured result, inspection method or equipment where required, and clear acceptability status. Results such as pass, accept, or OK may be insufficient where an actual variable result is expected by the customer or internal procedure.

Measurement evidence should be traceable. The checklist should confirm that gages, CMM programs, inspection software, or test equipment used for FAI were calibrated and suitable for the tolerance being checked. Where Gage R&R, measurement system analysis, or customer-approved inspection methods are required, the checklist should verify that those prerequisites are available and current.

If characteristics are verified through CMM reports, laboratory reports, functional tests, or automated inspection systems, the checklist should ensure those records are linked clearly to the FAIR characteristic numbers. A common failure mode is submitting a large inspection report without a defensible mapping back to each AS9102 characteristic.

Materials, processes, and supplier evidence

The checklist should verify material traceability back to the applicable certs, heat lots, batch numbers, or other required identifiers. Material specifications, forms, tempers, grades, and revisions should match the drawing, bill of material, and purchase order requirements.

Special processes require particular care because the manufacturer may rely on outside processors. The checklist should confirm that process certifications, approvals, specification revisions, processor identification, and lot traceability are present. If customer, NADCAP, or program-specific processor approvals are required, the checklist should verify the evidence rather than assume approval from supplier status alone.

For purchased components, assemblies, or subcontracted operations, the checklist should confirm that supplier FAIRs, certificates of conformity, test reports, and inspection records are available where required. In brownfield environments, this evidence may sit across ERP purchasing records, supplier portals, shared drives, QMS records, and MES attachments, so the checklist should identify the authoritative location.

Nonconformances, deviations, and approvals

The checklist should identify any nonconforming result, open NCR, concession, waiver, deviation, or customer-approved departure from requirement. These items should not be hidden in comments or treated as clerical exceptions. The FAIR should show the actual condition and reference the approved disposition where the customer and contract allow it.

Internal approvals should be completed before submission. That typically includes quality review, engineering review where required, manufacturing or process owner review, and any delegated customer or source inspection steps. Electronic signatures, timestamps, and audit trails should be controlled if the record is maintained in QMS, MES, or a customer portal.

Customer and portal-specific checks

The checklist should include customer-specific submission requirements. These may cover file naming, required attachments, Net-Inspect or other portal fields, characteristic numbering rules, approved supplier lists, source inspection requirements, export-controlled data handling, or additional forms beyond baseline AS9102.

Submission readiness also depends on data quality. If FAIR data is assembled manually from spreadsheets, PDFs, ERP records, MES inspection entries, and PLM drawings, the checklist should include a cross-check for transcription errors and stale revisions. Automation can reduce some errors, but only if integrations, master data, permissions, and validation controls are maintained.

Practical checklist categories

• FAIR scope: full, partial, delta, resubmission, or assembly-level FAI.
• Contract alignment: purchase order, customer requirements, flowdowns, and submission method.
• Revision control: drawing, model, specifications, BOM, router, work instructions, and inspection plan.
• AS9102 forms: complete Form 1, Form 2, and Form 3 fields where applicable.
• Characteristic accountability: all dimensions, notes, specifications, and key characteristics accounted for.
• Inspection results: actual results, methods, equipment, calibration status, and supporting reports.
• Material traceability: certs, lots, heats, batches, and specification revisions.
• Special processes: processor approvals, certs, specification revisions, and lot linkage.
• Supplier evidence: sub-tier FAIRs, certificates, and required inspection or test records.
• Nonconformance status: NCRs, concessions, deviations, waivers, and approved dispositions.
• Approvals: internal quality, engineering, manufacturing, delegated authority, or source inspection as required.
• Record control: attachments, audit trails, electronic signatures, retention rules, and controlled storage location.

The checklist should be maintained under document control. In regulated manufacturing, an uncontrolled spreadsheet may work temporarily, but it can become a source of inconsistent reviews if customer requirements, AS9102 interpretations, or internal approval rules change. Any checklist used as part of the quality system should be versioned, trained, and changed through the appropriate control process.