Sil-Mid Ltd has been awarded AS9120 accreditation, the quality management system for aerospace. Including the requirements of ISO 9001 the standard defines in excess of 100 additional quality requirements for aerospace-industry distributors. The majority of aerospace manufacturers now expect their suppliers to be AS-certified.

The standard is designed for organisations who deal with the stocking and distribution of aerospace components and materials. Specific requirements for chain of custody, controlling issues, the availability of records, identification and traceability of sources of supply have been added to highlight the areas of importance to the aerospace industry such as safety critical and reliable products.

"The accreditation of Sil-Mid Ltd is testament to our ongoing commitment to deliver high standards of quality and service to our customers. Sil-Mid Ltd follows a continuous improvement philosophy and as we expand further into the global sector of transportation our business processes have to be second to none", says Gary Marriner, Managing Director, Sil-Mid Ltd. "We value our reputation and this strongly demonstrates our commitment to the aerospace industry."

When dealing with an organisation which aligns itself to AS9120, customers profit from improved quality and efficiency as well as receiving exceptional customer service.

"To achieve this accreditation we revised our quality manual and procedures and included all of the additional requirements added to the ISO 9001:2008 standard. Then Sil-Mid Ltd's preferred external quality approval body LRQA conducted two key stage audits of our Quality Management System," said Jon Freeman, Quality Manager, Sil-Mid Ltd.

"The process has made us look at and streamline many elements of our distribution operation to ensure that we meet our goal of continually improving our quality levels and customer service," Jon concluded.

"Sil-Mid Ltd identified opportunities for operational improvements, cost reduction, improved audit and surveillance efficiency. Our performance will be enhanced as a result of higher quality management, streamlined documentation, waste reduction and continued customer satisfaction focus," continued Gary Marriner. "The development and improvement of our people and processes will maintain our ambition to deliver exceptional value to our customers and will create a strong infrastructure on which to continue Sil-Mid Ltd's success."