AS9100 Quality Manual Requirements Clarification

[JTurner79]

I am eliminating the unnecessary parts of our current manual, written by the previous QA Manager. Essentially they included every thing from the standard. In the move to AS9100 Rev C I would like to slim it down for easier sending and reading.

I need clarification on what I gather as the required information in the actual manual.

1. Quality Policy and objectives
2. The scope of our Quality System
3. Documented Procedures or reference to them; I am going the reference route
4. Description of the interaction between the processes

So, if that is the case our manual could be as few as 4-5 pgs depending on the length of each section. Does this sound correct?

Thank you,

John Turner

[Sidney Vianna]

In Reply to Parent Post by JTurner79

So, if that is the case our manual could be as few as 4-5 pgs depending on the length of each section. Does this sound correct?

Have a look at these threads:

1. Quality Manual Content - Extended debate - Updated Quality Manual for ISO 9001:2008
2. The 2 Page AS9100 Quality Manual

[JTurner79]

Thank you Sidney. That does help, although it has now left me wondering if small manuals are any better.

[Big Jim]

The best manual for you is the one that you find the most useful. The extremely brief ones are seldom very useful.

What you have in mind meets the requirements. Actually it slightly exceeds them in that there is no requirement to include the quality policy and quality objectives.

How much more do you need to make it useful?

[JTurner79]

Jim, hopefully it will not take much more. While administration and upper management here are fully capable of understanding the current manual, I fear that when production sees it they are overwhelmed.

Thanks for the advice.

[dsanabria]

In Reply to Parent Post by JTurner79

I am eliminating the unnecessary parts of our current manual, written by the previous QA Manager. Essentially they included every thing from the standard. In the move to AS9100 Rev C I would like to slim it down for easier sending and reading.

I need clarification on what I gather as the required information in the actual manual.

1. Quality Policy and objectives
2. The scope of our Quality System
3. Documented Procedures or reference to them; I am going the reference route
4. Description of the interaction between the processes

So, if that is the case our manual could be as few as 4-5 pgs depending on the length of each section. Does this sound correct?

Thank you,

John Turner

You should also consider reading this document:

ASQ Q10013-1995
ANSI/ISO/ASQ Standard - Guidelines for Developing Quality Manuals
American Society for Quality / 01-Jan-1995 / 17 pages

[Jeff Frost]

Though I have worked with companies that had just 2-3 page manuals I have come to the opinion that because you are required to produce a quality manual it should also do some of the quality management system grunt work also. As an example record retention could be covered in the manual with a reference to a stand-a-lone form stating retention times for records by type and department.