TS EN 9125

TS EN 9125 addresses how non-deliverable software is to be controlled within aerospace quality management systems. The central issue is software and firmware that are not handed over as part of the final product, but that still influence design, production, verification, acceptance, calibration, maintenance, or other processes that affect a deliverable product or service. Even when such software is not customer-delivered, it can directly shape product conformity and process reliability.

Where the standard applies in the software life cycle

The document covers the effective control of non-deliverable software across design, development, test, production, release, use, maintenance, and retirement. In practical aerospace settings, this includes general categories such as modelling and simulation tools, virtual reality environments, CAD and 3D analysis tools, compilers and code generators, CNC programs, robotics and factory automation, special-process software, CMM programs, test scripts, analysis tools, simulators, emulators, and software used in post-delivery service activities. From a general technical standpoint, these tools matter because they can influence how products are created, checked, and accepted, even when they are not part of the delivered item itself.

Boundaries and excluded software classes

• Deliverable software is outside the scope of this document; EN 9115 is cited for that domain.
• Embedded software in manufacturing and measuring equipment, such as operating systems and drivers, is excluded.
• Enterprise or office software such as word processing, spreadsheets, email, network software, and employee management systems is excluded.
• Processes outside this scope are handled through the organization’s QMS based on the EN 9100 series and/or ISO 9001 standards.

As a technical control standard, this document is concerned with maintaining disciplined operation of software that supports aerospace work without becoming part of the delivered product. The distinction is important: a compiler, simulator, inspection script, or automation program may not be delivered to the customer, yet it can materially affect results, measurements, and decisions throughout the product realization chain. That is why non-deliverable software is treated as a quality-management topic in its own right.