AQAP for FAST SA

In July 2013 FAST SA completed the process of management system implementation and certification in compliance with AQAP 2110:2009 standardization publication. The publication defines NATO requirements in regard to ensuring quality in designing, development works and production. It means that we confirmed our availability to complete orders for the army based on NATO requirements and we established the rules of cooperation with authorities and clients’ representatives. Quality management system based on the requirements of AQAP 2110:2009 standardization publications will allow us to:

- increase FAST SA’s competitiveness, credibility and trust,

- ensure compliance with restrictive requirements of clients by, among others, cooperating with the Government Quality Assurance Representative (GQAR),

- reduce the risk connected with contracts execution,

- enhance efficiency and effectiveness as well as continuous development of the implemented system of products and services quality management.

Since the North Atlantic Treaty was signed, the parties to this Treaty, through the GQAR and as a part of various projects, has been supervising the quality of supplied products and services as well as quality management systems applied by the suppliers. AQAP (Allied Quality Assurance Publication) – Standardization Publications regarding Quality Management define the requirements concerning supplies quality systems implemented by the NATO states. These are contract documents describing NATO’s quality policy focused on complete accountability of all parties involved for the quality of goods delivered for the purpose of state’s security and defence in order to ensure the highest quality goods which must be functional, safe, reliable and material-saving. According to the policy, the ordering party can trust the organization holding ISO 9001 system and contract requirements AQAP can be applied wherever the risk appears, especially when it comes to production of goods. AQAP publications do not specify requirements towards goods and process directly, but they simply supplement the ISO 9001 standard in respect of quality management system, especially when their implementation results in:

- concentration for the needs of a client,

- identification, analysis and reduction of risk in each stage of contract execution,

- arrangement of plans regarding the quality of venture realization,

- management of goods’ configuration,

- ensuring coherence of measurements and achieving credible results of the measurements,

- management of reliability and maintainability programmes,

- supporting the Government Quality Assurance process,

- receiving NCAGE code, certificate of supplies credibility for the army and registration in the NATO’s suppliers database.