AS9102 focuses on evidence that the manufactured configuration matches the approved design, not on a specific software stack. The critical traceability links are the ones that prove that every requirement on the drawing has been inspected on the correct part, with controlled tooling, and with results that can be reproduced and re-verified.
Core traceability links for AS9102 FAI
At minimum, you should be able to demonstrate the following links in a consistent and auditable way. Where each link lives (PLM, ERP, MES, QMS, FAI software, spreadsheets) will vary by plant, but the relationships themselves are what matter.
1. Design and ballooned characteristics to FAI report
- Drawing / model to FAI part: Clear link from the controlled drawing number, revision, and model configuration to the specific part number and serial/lot inspected on AS9102 Form 1.
- Ballooned characteristics to Form 3: Each ballooned characteristic ID (item/characteristic number) must tie directly to a line on Form 3 (or equivalent digital record) with requirement, tolerance, and result.
- Change control link: Evidence that the FAI corresponds to the correct design revision and that any required partial or full FAI for design changes can be traced to the relevant engineering change or ECO.
2. Part identity and manufacturing history
- FAI part to lot/serial: The specific part used for FAI must be uniquely identifiable (serial number, lot/batch number, or other unique identifier) and linked to the FAI package.
- Part to work order / router: Link between the FAI part/lot and the work order, router, or traveler that produced it.
- Work order to process steps: Each process step that could affect form, fit, or function should be traceable (who did it, when, where, and on what resource), even if that detail is not fully repeated in the AS9102 forms.
3. Materials and special processes
- Part to material certificates: Link from the FAI part/lot to raw material heats, batches, and associated mill certs or COCs, with specification numbers and revisions traceable back to the design requirements.
- Part to special process records: For special processes (heat treat, plating, welding, NDT, etc.), link from the FAI part/lot to the special process work order or batch record, including supplier or internal process ID.
- Special process to approvals: Evidence that the processor (internal or external) was qualified/approved for the process and spec at the time (e.g., NADCAP or customer approval). This is usually indirect: your FAI package points to the process record, and the approval evidence is in your QMS.
- Material and process specs to design requirements: Ability to show that the material and process specifications used align with those called out on the drawing and associated documents.
4. Inspection equipment, methods, and results
- Characteristic to inspection method: For each ballooned characteristic, link to the inspection method (gage, CMM program, functional test, visual method). Often this is a field on Form 3 or an associated inspection plan.
- Characteristic to measured value(s): Recorded results for each characteristic, including pass/fail and, where required, the actual measurement values.
- Inspection to gage ID and calibration: The instruments or CMM programs used for FAI should be traceable to equipment IDs with valid calibration status in your calibration system at the time of inspection.
- Inspection to inspector identity: Ability to show who performed the inspection (name, ID, or stamp), when, and under which revision of the inspection plan.
5. Configuration, revisions, and documentation
- FAI to design data set: Link from the FAI to the complete set of design documents in effect: drawings, models, specifications, notes, and referenced standards.
- FAI to manufacturing documentation: Link to the build records that define how the part was manufactured: routers/travelers, work instructions, NC programs, process plans, and special process instructions.
- FAI to revisions and ECOs: Ability to show which revision of each document (drawing, router, work instruction, NC program) applied at the time of FAI, and how subsequent design or process changes triggered partial or full FAI as required.
6. Supplier and customer linkage
- FAI to purchase order or contract: Link to the customer PO, contract, or specification flowdown that triggered the FAI and defines which revision of AS9102 or customer-specific variant applies.
- Supplier FAI to your internal records: For purchased parts or assemblies, link between the supplier’s FAI package and your receiving records, including lot/serial identity and any incoming inspection data.
- Internal FAI to customer submission: Clear association of your internal FAI package to what was actually submitted to the customer or portal (e.g., Net-Inspect) and any subsequent customer approvals or rejections.
7. Nonconformance, concessions, and rework
- Characteristic to nonconformance record: Any FAI characteristic that does not meet requirements must be traceable to an NCR or deviation record, even if a concession was granted.
- NCR to disposition / MRB: Link from the nonconformance to disposition (use as-is, repair, rework, scrap) and MRB decision records.
- Concession to customer authorization: For use-as-is or repair dispositions that still ship, evidence of customer approval, and linkage back to the affected characteristics and FAI report.
- Rework to revised inspection: If rework affects FAI characteristics, link to repeated inspections and updated FAI results or addenda.
8. System and data integrity considerations
In most regulated aerospace environments, these links span multiple legacy systems and paper records. The critical point is that they are:
- Consistent: Part numbers, serials, lot IDs, and characteristic IDs are used consistently across PLM, ERP, MES, QMS, and FAI reports.
- Auditable: You can reconstruct who changed what, when, and why (including design changes, router updates, and reissued FAI forms), with documented approvals.
- Maintained under change control: When drawings, NC programs, work instructions, or special process methods change, your traceability model can support correct decisions on whether a new, partial, or delta FAI is required.
- Survivable across lifecycles: Records remain accessible across long product lifetimes, even when systems are upgraded or replaced. This is a major reason why full, big-bang system replacements frequently stall in aerospace: migrating decades of FAI and genealogy data with intact traceability is high risk and costly to validate.
Brownfield reality and integration tradeoffs
Most plants meet AS9102 expectations using a combination of PLM for design control, ERP for part and PO identity, MES or travelers for routing, QMS for NCR and calibration, and dedicated or portal-based FAI tools. The critical decision is not whether you have one system or five, but whether the traceability links described above are:
- Clearly defined and documented in procedures.
- Implemented in a way that people can actually follow on the shop floor.
- Verifiable during audits without manual data archaeology every time a customer asks a question.
Where integration is weak, many organizations use controlled reference keys (e.g., always using the same work order number, part serial, and balloon IDs across systems) and standardized naming conventions as an intermediate step before deeper IT integration. These approaches do not remove the need for validation or change control, but they can improve AS9102 traceability without a risky full-system replacement.
