Aerospace Sourcing
Readiness checklist

Aerospace Supplier Readiness Checklist

Before you quote aerospace or defense work, confirm you can register, trace, inspect, document and protect the job the way the purchase order will require. Work through the items below and mark each one done, in progress, or not needed for your target work.

Join the supplier network

How to use this checklist

Treat every line as a yes or no question, and be honest. A "no" is not a reason to stop quoting, it is a reason to choose RFQs that do not require that item yet.

The list is grouped by what a buyer checks first. Items marked "if applicable" depend on the type of work. For background on any item, the supplier guide explains why it matters.

Business registrations

Buyers check these first because they cost nothing and take a few minutes to verify.

  • SAM.gov entity registration is active, and the renewal date is on the calendar. Registrations lapse after 365 days.
  • Legal name and address in SAM.gov match IRS records exactly.
  • You know your UEI and CAGE code and can give them on request.
  • NAICS codes in your SAM.gov profile match the work you want, not just the work you did last year.
  • Small business profile is filled in with a plain capability statement so primes can find you in the SBA search tool.
  • If applicable, socioeconomic certifications (WOSB, SDVOSB, HUBZone, 8(a)) are current. See small business subcontracting.
  • Certificate of insurance is ready to send, with limits you can state without looking them up.

Quality system

A buyer wants proof that your system runs every day, not just a manual on a shelf.

  • A documented quality manual or set of procedures exists and reflects how the shop really runs.
  • If you hold AS9100 or ISO 9001, the certificate is current and, for AS9100, appears in the IAQG OASIS database with the right scope.
  • If you are not certified, you can explain your plan and timeline. See AS9100 cost and timeline.
  • Someone owns quality by name, even if it is a part-time role.
  • Internal audits and management reviews are on a schedule, with records.
  • Corrective action process exists, with root cause and verification steps, and you can show a closed example.
  • Nonconforming parts are tagged, segregated and dispositioned in writing. Nothing ships "as is" without the customer's written approval.

Traceability and material control

Traceability is the item aerospace buyers are least willing to bend on, so make it airtight.

  • Every lot of raw material is received against a mill cert or material certification, and the cert is checked against the PO specification before the material is released.
  • Heat or lot numbers stay with the material through cutting, machining and finishing, and appear on the traveler.
  • Remnants and drops are marked so they are not used on aerospace work without traceability.
  • Purchased hardware comes from authorized or approved sources, with a counterfeit parts prevention approach you can describe.
  • Outside processing (plating, heat treat, NDT) goes only to sources your customer accepts, and their certs come back with the parts.
  • Records are kept for the retention period your customers specify.

Inspection and first article

Your inspection records are the evidence that the part matches the drawing, so they need to stand on their own.

  • Inspection equipment is calibrated, labeled, and traceable to national standards, with records and due dates.
  • You can produce a first article inspection report in AS9102 format: Form 1 for part number accountability, Form 2 for materials, special processes and functional tests, and Form 3 for every characteristic, tied to a ballooned drawing.
  • The person who reviews a first article report is not the same person who approves it, which the current AS9102 revision expects.
  • You know when a new or partial first article is required, such as a drawing revision, a process change, or a lapse in production.
  • Final inspection records show who inspected, what was measured, and the result.
  • A certificate of conformance template states the part number, revision, quantity, PO, and the specifications met.

Contract review and flow-down

Most escapes start with a requirement nobody read, so contract review deserves its own step.

  • Every PO is reviewed before acceptance: drawing revision, quality clauses, special requirements, delivery date, packaging and export markings.
  • Quality clauses on the PO are read every time, not assumed from the last order.
  • You can pass customer requirements down to your own subcontractors in writing, including technical data, approval requirements and the right of access for the customer.
  • Customer-specific requirements documents from your key buyers are on file and current.

Export control and data handling

If a job carries controlled technical data, how you store and share it matters as much as the part.

  • You know whether the work you want involves ITAR or EAR controlled technical data.
  • If applicable, DDTC registration is current. See ITAR registration.
  • Only US persons can access ITAR drawings, on paper and on screens, and visitors are controlled on the shop floor.
  • Controlled files are stored and sent only through systems approved for that data, not personal email or consumer file sharing.
  • NDAs are signed before customer files are opened, and you can show who received what.

Cybersecurity (defense work)

Defense buyers now check cybersecurity status before award, so know where you stand.

  • You know whether you handle Federal Contract Information only, or Controlled Unclassified Information as well.
  • For FCI, the 15 basic safeguarding requirements in FAR 52.204-21 are in place and self-assessed annually.
  • For CUI, a NIST SP 800-171 assessment score is posted in SPRS and is less than three years old, unless a solicitation asks for a more recent one.
  • You have decided which part of your network will hold CUI and kept it as small as practical.
  • Your plan for the CMMC level your buyers will flow down is written, with dates. See CMMC cost and timeline.

Special processes (if applicable)

Skip this group if you send all special processes out. If you run them in house, expect close scrutiny.

  • Each special process you perform has written procedures, qualified operators and process control records.
  • You know which customers require Nadcap and which accept their own process approval. See Nadcap accreditation.
  • Process certifications state the specification, revision and any class or type.

Quoting discipline

A clean quote prevents most disputes later, and buyers notice shops that quote carefully.

  • Quotes state the drawing revision, material, any exceptions, lead time and what paperwork is included.
  • First article, outside processing and certification costs are priced in, not absorbed.
  • You decline or flag requirements you cannot meet before award, not after.
  • You know which buyers have you on their approved supplier list and for what scope. See approved supplier lists.

Ready for RFQs? Tell us what you can do

If most of the boxes above are checked for the type of work you want, you are ready to quote. Sign up free at /suppliers/ and tell Aerospace Sourcing which items you have covered and which are still in progress. We review every signup and contact suppliers when a job fits, and we flow down each buyer's requirements so you know exactly what the job needs before you quote. If CMMC or quality paperwork are your open items, the signup also lets you ask for CMMC readiness help or early access to software for FAI, C of C and traceability.

Questions

Do I need every item on this checklist before quoting?

No. The checklist covers the full range of aerospace and defense requirements, and many jobs need only part of it. A tooling job for a commercial customer may not involve ITAR or CMMC at all. Use the checklist to see which RFQs you can accept today and which items to work on next, then quote the work your current controls actually support.

What is the most common gap for shops new to aerospace?

Paperwork and traceability rather than machining capability. Many capable shops lose aerospace work because a mill cert does not match the PO specification, heat numbers are lost during cutting, or a first article report is incomplete. Fixing receiving inspection and traveler discipline usually costs little and removes a large share of early rejections.

What goes in an AS9102 first article report?

Three forms. Form 1 covers part number accountability, including the part, revision and reason for the first article. Form 2 covers product accountability, listing material and process specifications, special processes and functional tests. Form 3 covers every design characteristic, numbered to match balloons on the inspection drawing. Rejections often happen because the three forms do not agree with each other.

How often should I re-check this list?

Review it whenever you pursue a new type of work or a new buyer, and at least once a year alongside your SAM.gov renewal. Registrations, certificates and assessments expire on different cycles, and customer requirements change. A quick annual pass catches a lapsed registration or an expired assessment before a buyer does.

Related

Sources

Free to
join.

We contact you when work fits your shop.

Join the supplier network