TS EN 9104-003

TS EN 9104-003 is a standard focused on the training and qualification of auditors who perform quality management system audits in the aerospace supply chain. In this field, the central issue is not only audit procedure, but also whether the auditor has the technical competence needed to evaluate an Aerospace Quality Management System, or AQMS, in a consistent and disciplined way. The standard sits at the intersection of quality management, aerospace-specific expectations, and professional auditor competence.

Why auditor competence is treated as a separate topic

In aerospace, auditing is more than checking documents against a list. It involves process understanding, evidence-based evaluation, and sound judgment when identifying nonconformities or areas of weakness. AQMS auditors typically need familiarity with quality system structure, supplier control, process control, traceability, and the way aerospace organizations manage conformity across complex operations. Training and qualification are therefore important because they help ensure that auditors share a common technical baseline and can apply audit principles in a sector where reliability and control are especially critical.

Practical meaning of this subject area

General technical context suggests that auditor qualification is usually built around education, supervised experience, assessment, and ongoing competence maintenance. In aerospace, the purpose is to support audits that assess whether processes are genuinely under control, not merely documented. Standards in this area help define the professional expectations around auditor capability, terminology, and evaluation discipline, so that AQMS audits can be carried out with greater consistency across organizations and supply chains.