A celebration of quality

Then again, who can imagine managing special aerospace processes and product quality now without Nadcap? The Nadcap programme has developed into an essential tool for the industry to oversee special aerospace processes and product quality. This is due in no small part to the dedication of key industry players who understood the vision and had the motivation to see a successful globally recognised programme. I would like to thank them all for their support, energy and insight that allowed the aerospace industry to focus on continual improvement in quality by cooperating on supply chain oversight.

All the hard work has certainly paid off. In a survey conducted by PRI in June 2010 to evaluate the perceived impact of the programme on Nadcap accredited suppliers, the 1,151 respondents indicated that 35% have reduced their scrap rates, 41% reduced their rework rates and 44% reduced their escape rates. In the same survey, 54% of the respondents reported their sales and/or ability to attract new business has increased. While the data is impressive, even more impressive is that in the past 20 years the price of audits has not increased and in fact audit fees were reduced 5% each year in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

This is all the more reassuring, because there have been many changes in the last twenty years: environmental concerns and international conflict have driven technological advancements while cost-saving measures have helped expand the industry into countries that were not traditionally centres of aerospace manufacturing. For example: the first Nadcap audit didn't take place in Asia until 2003; now, Asia accounts for 11% of the 4,000+ Nadcap audits conducted annually.

Looking forward, I believe the future of the industry is secure: China, with its population of 1.3 billion (almost 20% of the world population), is served by 1,000 aircraft whilst India's population of 1.13 billion (nearly 17% of the world population) operates 600 aircraft. Compare this with the USA where there are currently 6,000 aircraft for a population of approximately 300 million people and it's clear that there is a need for at least 3,000 extra aircraft by PRI's estimation, with some quoting even higher figures.

Specialised staff will be needed to manufacture these aircraft and that presents the biggest challenge for the industry today: where are these people? Industry insiders recognise that vital skills are being lost around the world due to an aging workforce. Aerospace engineering doesn't seem as glamorous or ‘cool' to young people compared to something like software engineering. Meanwhile, the work is spreading around the world to competent but ‘not yet skilled' individuals.

Since Nadcap began two decades ago, PRI has initiated four new programmes to support the global aerospace industry: eQuaLearn, eQuaLified, eQuaLPrep and Internal Auditing. Just as the industry came together to put quality over competition for the Nadcap programme, it must now do the same to invest in the quality of our people and secure the future of the industry. PRI is working with aerospace experts to address the aging workforce and all input is welcome: the more information that can be pooled together, the safer the future for all of us.

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