Ensuring Safety and Integrity in the Aerospace Supply Chain: A Look at the Evolution of Self-Regulation

The aerospace industry is at the forefront of technological innovation, but it also faces unique challenges that require rigorous oversight. One of the most pressing concerns has been the risk of unauthorized parts entering the supply chain, which can compromise the safety and reliability of aircraft. In response to government pressure and the need for enhanced security, the aerospace supply chain has taken steps to self-regulate, working to establish accredited vendors under third-party oversight.

The Rise of Self-Regulation: A Response to Counterfeiting Threats

To address these risks, the aerospace industry set out to establish a framework for verifying the authenticity of parts and vendors. In 1996, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) published Advisory Circular (AC) 00-56, the Voluntary Industry Distributor Accreditation Program (VIDAP). This program introduced third-party accreditation of distributors, setting a new industry standard to prevent suspected unauthorized parts (SUPs) from entering the system—and, even more  crucially, from making their way onto aircraft.

VIDAP was a landmark program in establishing accountability, requiring distributors to adhere to specific quality elements set forth by AC 00-56. Recognizing the importance of a standardized approach, the FAA accepted certain organizations as oversight bodies under VIDAP. These include:

• Aviation Suppliers Association (ASA), following the ASA-100 standard
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with ISO-9001 certification
• International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG), using standards such as AS9100, AS9110, and AS9120

Each of these standards helps set a consistent level of quality, ensuring that distributors operate within a trusted framework. However, industry leaders agree that there is room to further develop this system, implementing modern tools to guard against the continuing risk of SUPs.

Strengthening the System: New Tools for a New Era

While the VIDAP initiative laid a solid foundation for quality control, evolving threats require even more robust systems. In particular, an industry-led committee on distributor accreditation has recommended several critical improvements, including:

1. Promoting Accredited Distributors: This helps strengthen the trusted network within the aerospace supply chain.
2. Creating a Non-Biased Feedback Loop: A reliable mechanism for reporting issues fosters transparency and continuous improvement.
3. Enhanced Oversight with a Verification Database: Perhaps the most transformative recommendation, this proposes a database for real-time verification of both parts and sellers.

The verification database—expected as early as Q1, 2025—would centralize data on parts and their vendors, allowing buyers to confirm the legitimacy of components and suppliers swiftly and accurately. This “Know Your Vendor” concept mirrors banking’s “Know Your Customer” approach, where verified quality control engineers and authenticated vendors work together to eliminate risks without slowing down critical sourcing processes.

SmartCert’s Role in the Future of Aerospace Supply Chain Verification

SmartCert is currently working on this feature on our platform. Here a third-party verification can ensure signatures, companies, and people are fully authenticated. This can be made even more robust by tying the information into the databases of the accredited agencies listed above.

Our commitment is to a system that remains technologically and commercially agnostic, serving as a reliable and unbiased checkpoint for aerospace suppliers. We believe this approach will play a vital role in safeguarding the aerospace supply chain, keeping counterfeit parts out of circulation and enhancing industry-wide trust.

Looking Forward: Building a Safer Supply Chain Together

As we push for more advanced systems and technologies, the aerospace industry is setting a global standard for supply chain safety and quality. We’re honored to contribute to these efforts at SmartCert, working alongside industry stakeholders to promote greater oversight, accountability, and resilience. Together, we can build a supply chain that withstands new threats, safeguards safety, and sets an example for industries worldwide.