SAE AS6500A™, Filling the Critical Need for Standardization in Manufacturing Management Operations
Posted: Thursday, August 5, 2021
The defense industry has long identified a need for improvement and standardization in manufacturing requirements for the defense industrial base. Enter SAE AS6500A™: Manufacturing Management Program, an updated commercial standard providing best practices for manufacturing management that encourages consistent best practices throughout the defense industrial base.
AS6500A requires organizations to establish and maintain supplier management systems to evaluate the capabilities of suppliers, track and report supplier performance, and identify and manage supplier risks. The standard also focuses on:
- Ensuring the quality of parts delivered by suppliers by flowing down quality requirements
- Verifying suppliers’ procedures for controlling quality
- Predictive indicators to provide early detection of potential quality problems at suppliers
David Karr, chair of our G-23 Management Committee, the developers of the standard, noted: “The objective of AS6500A is to promote the timely development, production, modification, fielding and sustainment of affordable and capable products. Experience shows that AS6500A elevates the importance of manufacturing within the development process, drives manufacturing maturity and helps to reduce costs.”
To support operations and manufacturing professionals interested in improving the manufacturing management function, a complementary professional development course is being offered to explain the original AS6500's detailed requirements, benefits of adoption, and instructions on how to implement the standard within an organization. Register for the course, here: www.sae.org/learn/content/pd531906c.
Karr recently joined our Move with SAE Mobilus series to discuss How to Manage the Perfect Factory with SAE AS6500 and his book, “How to Manage the Perfect Factory or How AS6500 Can Lead To Everlasting Happiness.”