AS9100 Rev D 

5.1 Leadership and Commitment

5.1.1 General

Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to the quality management system by:

a. taking accountability for the effectiveness of the quality management system;

b. ensuring that the quality policy and quality objectives are established for the quality management system and are compatible with the context and strategic direction of the organization;

c. ensuring the integration of the quality management system requirements into the organization’s business processes;

d. promoting the use of the process approach and risk-based thinking;

e. ensuring that the resources needed for the quality management system are available;

f. communicating the importance of effective quality management and of conforming to the quality management system requirements;

g. ensuring that the quality management system achieves its intended results;

h. engaging, directing, and supporting persons to contribute to the effectiveness of the quality management system;

i. promoting improvement;

j. supporting other relevant management roles to demonstrate their leadership as it applies to their areas of responsibility.

NOTE: Reference to “business” in this International Standard can be interpreted broadly to mean those activities that are core to the purposes of the organization’s existence, whether the organization is public, private, for profit, or not for profit.

5.1.2 Customer Focus

Top management shall demonstrate leadership and commitment with respect to customer focus by ensuring that:

a. customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements are determined, understood, and consistently met;

b. the risks and opportunities that can affect conformity of products and services and the ability to enhance customer satisfaction are determined and addressed;

c. the focus on enhancing customer satisfaction is maintained;

d. product and service conformity and on-time delivery performance are measured and appropriate action is taken if planned results are not, or will not be, achieved.

5.2 Policy

5.2.1 Establishing the Quality Policy

Top management shall establish, implement, and maintain a quality policy that:

a. is appropriate to the purpose and context of the organization and supports its strategic direction;

b. provides a framework for setting quality objectives;

c. includes a commitment to satisfy applicable requirements;

d. includes a commitment to continual improvement of the quality management system.

5.2.2 Communicating the Quality Policy The quality policy shall:

a. be available and maintained as documented information;

b. be communicated, understood, and applied within the organization;

c. be available to relevant interested parties, as appropriate.

5.3 Organizational Roles, Responsibilities, and Authorities

Top management shall ensure that the responsibilities and authorities for relevant roles are assigned, communicated, and understood within the organization.

Top management shall assign the responsibility and authority for:

a. ensuring that the quality management system conforms to the requirements of this International Standard;

b. ensuring that the processes are delivering their intended outputs;

c. reporting on the performance of the quality management system and on opportunities for improvement (see 10.1), in particular to top management;

d. ensuring the promotion of customer focus throughout the organization;

e. ensuring that the integrity of the quality management system is maintained when changes to the quality management system are planned and implemented.

Top management shall appoint a specific member of the organization’s management, identified as the management representative, who shall have the responsibility and authority for oversight of the above requirements.

The management representative shall have the organizational freedom and unrestricted access to top management to resolve quality management issues.

NOTE: The responsibility of a management representative can include liaison with external parties on matters relating to the quality management system.