When you think about aerospace, you likely envision cutting-edge innovation, precision engineering, and lives depending on systems working perfectly. But behind the scenes, there’s a critical role that ensures all those lofty expectations are grounded in reality: the internal quality auditor.

An internal quality auditor isn’t just someone checking boxes or following a script. They are the internal compass of an organization’s quality management system (QMS), ensuring that what should be happening actually is, and more importantly, that it’s being done in a way that supports safety, compliance, and continuous improvement.

The Watchdog Within

In essence, internal auditors evaluate how well an organization’s QMS aligns with its intended outcomes and recognized standards. Unlike external audits, which might be performed once a year by certifying bodies, internal audits are continuous, practical tools that organizations use to check their own pulse. Internal auditors examine the processes, people, and documentation within their company to assess effectiveness and ensure that corrective actions are taken when necessary.

Being an effective auditor isn’t just about knowledge, though; it’s about being equipped to use that knowledge in the context of real-world complexity. That’s where AS9100D comes in.

AS9100D: A Standard for Aerospace Excellence

Created from the groundwork laid out by ISO 9001, AS9100D is the international QMS standard specifically for aerospace and similar trades. It adds industry-specific requirements such as risk-based thinking, configuration management, product safety, counterfeit part prevention, and validation of special processes. For auditors working in aerospace, AS9100D isn’t just a checklist—it’s a compass that guides their evaluation of everything from procurement to production to post-delivery support.

How Internal Auditors Leverage AS9100D

• Planning the Audit: Internal auditors begin by identifying which processes to evaluate, often based on risk, customer feedback, or past issues. They align the audit plan with AS9100D clauses, ensuring they cover not just compliance, but the intent behind the requirements.
• Gathering Evidence: Auditors actively engage by conducting interviews, reviewing documentation, observing processes, and collecting objective evidence. Their mission is to ensure that the QMS aligns with actual practices and effectively supports the organization’s strategic goals.
• Evaluating Conformity and Effectiveness: Using AS9100D, auditors assess whether processes meet defined requirements and whether those processes are effective. For example, are risk controls being actively used in production? Is there traceability in place for critical components?
• Reporting and Follow-Up: When discrepancies arise, auditors don’t just highlight them, they analyze the root causes and work with teams to ensure corrective actions are implemented and effective. It’s not about fault; it’s about forward movement.
• Driving Continuous Improvement: In arguably their most important role, internal auditors help their organization learn. They identify trends, expose hidden inefficiencies, and create space for teams to improve processes in meaningful ways.

Why This Role Matters

In a high-stakes industry like aerospace, the smallest oversight can have enormous consequences. Internal auditors act as the organization’s immune system by proactively identifying risks, avoiding systemic failures, and creating a culture where improvement is both welcomed and embedded in everyday practices.

At Plexus International, we understand this better than most. With years of experience supporting the aerospace industry through training, consulting, and auditor qualification programs, we’ve seen how empowered, well-trained internal auditors can be the difference between compliance and excellence.

Ready to elevate your internal audit program?

Plexus offers industry-leading training programs designed around real-world scenarios and practical applications. That’s why we’ve partnered with IAQG for our aerospace-specific course: AS9100D Understanding and Internal Quality Auditing.

Whether you’re developing a new internal audit team or strengthening an existing one, we’re here to help you ensure quality is never left to chance.