Control Product Configuration
Identify the part, revision, drawing, change status, work order, purchase order, customer, supplier, manufacturing source, and FAI reason.
ISO 9001 & AS9100 Quality Software
First Article Inspection Software for ISO 9001 and AS9100 Manufacturers
Our first article inspection software helps manufacturers plan, document, review, and retain complete or partial FAI records. Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, and suppliers can connect part configuration, inspection characteristics, results, material and process evidence, discrepancies, actions, approvals, and the permanent FAI history.
Configuration and Product Verification
Connect the First Production Article with Every Applicable Requirement
A First Article Inspection provides objective evidence that the applicable production processes, documentation, tooling, and product realization activities produced an article meeting specified requirements. It does not by itself demonstrate long-term statistical process capability or replace routine inspection and process control.
Database Providers' FAI software centralizes the record and evidence needed to evaluate the article. The application supports an organization's FAI process; the organization remains responsible for determining applicable requirements, selecting a representative article, performing valid inspections, resolving discrepancies, and obtaining required customer acceptance.
Account for Requirements
Connect dimensions, notes, material, special processes, functional tests, and other characteristics with results and evidence.
Resolve Before Approval
Identify incomplete or nonconforming results, link NCMRs and actions, verify corrections, and preserve review and approval history.
End-to-End FAI Control
First Article Inspection Workflow: From Requirement Review Through Approval
Maintain traceability among the product baseline, first production article, characteristic results, objective evidence, discrepancies, and final acceptance.
| Stage | Controlled Activities | Records Retained |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Determine Scope | Identify why the FAI is required and whether the applicable requirements call for a full or partial FAI. | Trigger, scope, affected configuration, customer requirement, and justification |
| 2. Establish Baseline | Confirm part number, revision, drawing, change status, manufacturing source, process, tooling, and applicable requirements. | Product and process configuration, order, work order, supplier, and revision data |
| 3. Plan the FAI | Select the representative article, assign responsibility, set due dates, identify inspection methods, and gather required documentation. | FAI plan, article identity, assignments, schedule, and document list |
| 4. Verify Accountability | Account for drawing characteristics, notes, material, special processes, functional tests, and lower-level requirements as applicable. | Characteristic list, requirements, methods, results, and objective evidence |
| 5. Record Results | Enter actual results, identify inspection equipment, attach drawings and records, and show acceptance or discrepancy status. | Measured values, inspection method, device, inspector, date, attachments, and result |
| 6. Resolve Issues | Document nonconformances, control product, assign actions, complete corrections, and repeat affected verification when needed. | NCMR, disposition, correction, action, reinspection, and open-item status |
| 7. Review Package | Check completeness, configuration, characteristic accountability, supporting evidence, approvals, and unresolved items. | Review comments, checklist, reviewer, date, and approval status |
| 8. Submit and Retain | Submit or release the package according to customer and internal requirements and preserve the approved FAI history. | Submission, customer response, final status, approval, files, and permanent history |
Full and Partial FAI
Define the Scope Before Inspection Begins
A full FAI addresses the applicable product requirements for the defined configuration. A partial FAI addresses characteristics affected by an approved change while preserving traceability to the prior accepted FAI and unchanged requirements.
- Full or partial FAI designation
- Reason, trigger, and customer requirement
- Previous FAI reference and acceptance status
- Affected drawing, specification, process, tooling, or source
- Characteristics included and excluded from the partial scope
- Documented justification and approval of the selected scope
Product and Process Configuration
Preserve the Baseline the First Article Represents
An FAI result has meaning only when the manufactured article is connected to the correct product definition and the actual production process used.
Product Identity
Part number, description, revision, drawing number and revision, customer, supplier, purchase order, sales order, work order, and quantity.
Manufacturing Source
Facility, supplier, work center, operation, tooling, process route, last manufacturing date, and relevant source changes.
Article Traceability
FAI date, article quantity, lot, batch, serial number, article disposition, destructive-test information, and retained sample status when applicable.
Characteristic Accountability
Show That Every Applicable Requirement Was Addressed
Build or import the accountability structure used by your process and link it with a ballooned drawing, completed inspection report, customer forms, or other supporting records.
- Characteristic or reference number
- Drawing zone, sheet, operation, or source document
- Requirement, nominal value, limits, and unit of measure
- Inspection or test method and measuring device
- Actual result and acceptance status
- Inspector, date, evidence, and related nonconformance
Supporting Product Evidence
Keep Certificates and Test Results with the FAI
The package can reference or attach the records needed to support material, process, design, and functional requirements.
- Material certificates and traceability
- Special-process certifications and approved-source evidence
- Functional, acceptance, and laboratory test reports
- Drawings, specifications, photographs, and inspection reports
- Customer or supplier documents and approvals
- Completed FAI forms or customer-specific submission files
Software Configuration Must Match the Required FAI Format
The open-source application can be adapted to organization, customer, and AS9102C workflows. Confirm the current forms, data fields, submission method, and customer-specific requirements applicable to each contract rather than assuming one generic report is sufficient.
Automatic Record Creation
Start the FAI from Receiving or In-Process Inspection
When an inspection in the integrated Inspection and NCMR module is designated as a First Article, the corresponding FAI record can be created with relevant information transferred from the inspection.
Receiving FAI
Carry forward supplier, purchase order, part, revision, quantities, lot, serial-number, inspection, and attachment information.
In-Process FAI
Carry forward work order, part configuration, operation, work center, quantities, results, measuring devices, and supporting evidence.
Engineering FAI
Create a controlled record for design, prototype, tooling, process, or engineering-driven verification and approval needs.
Automatic creation reduces duplicate entry while the FAI record controls its own scope, completion status, approval team, action items, and retained package.
Nonconforming FAI Results
Control Product and Resolve Discrepancies Before Approval
When a characteristic does not meet the requirement, link the failed result to an NCMR so affected product, quantity, status, location, disposition, and verification remain controlled. The FAI should clearly show incomplete or nonconforming status until the required resolution is documented.
- Expected requirement and actual result
- Affected characteristic, quantity, lot, or serial number
- Linked NCMR and disposition
- Correction, reinspection, and updated evidence
- Customer response or concession when required
Review and Approval
Make FAI Completeness Visible Before Submission
Assign reviewers and approvers, track open actions, and confirm the package is internally complete before it is submitted or released.
Completion Dashboard
Open characteristics, missing evidence, failed results, NCMRs, assigned actions, due dates, pending reviews, and approval status.
Cross-Functional Review
Quality, Engineering, Manufacturing, Purchasing, supplier, or other designated review with comments and approval history.
Customer Status
Record submitted, approved, rejected, conditionally accepted, revision requested, or other configured customer response and date.
A customer response and an internal completion approval are separate records. Configure status and authorization rules so the application reflects your contract and documented process.
Search and Permanent History
Retrieve the FAI by Product, Revision, Order, Source, or Status
Find the current or historical FAI and see the complete configuration, results, evidence, actions, reviews, customer response, and associated inspection records.
Product Search
Part, description, drawing, revision, customer, supplier, lot, serial number, work order, purchase order, or sales order.
Workflow Search
Full or partial, reason, owner, due date, result, incomplete item, review stage, approval, customer response, or NCMR status.
Historical Traceability
Prior and superseding FAIs, configuration changes, revisions, linked inspections, attachments, review decisions, and permanent audit history.
Connected Quality Records
Integrate FAI with Inspection and the Rest of Your QMS
Inspection and NCMR
Create the FAI from receiving or in-process inspection and link nonconforming characteristics to product control and disposition.
Control Plans
Reference part, revision, operation, characteristic, method, sampling, acceptance, and reaction requirements used for product inspection.
Calibration Management
Identify the measuring devices used for FAI results and verify calibration status and device history.
Document Control
Reference current drawings, specifications, procedures, forms, and controlled work instructions.
Corrective Action
Escalate qualifying systemic or recurring FAI problems into cause analysis, assigned action, verification, and effectiveness review.
Official AS9102 Resources
Review the IAQG 9102 overview and support resources and the official SAE AS9102C standard listing.
Open-Source and Customizable
Microsoft Access Front End with Access or SQL Server Data
The application is delivered with an open-source Microsoft Access front end, including forms, reports, queries, tables, and VBA source code. Adapt FAI fields, characteristic records, workflows, reports, approvals, and integrations to your operation.
- Modify forms, reports, queries, tables, and VBA logic
- Add customer fields, submission formats, statuses, checklists, and approval rules
- Integrate with inspection, ERP, Access applications, and business systems
- Retain ownership and control of your application and data
| Deployment | Best Fit |
|---|---|
| Access front end + Access back end | Smaller workgroups seeking a fast, economical deployment on a stable local network. |
| Access front end + SQL Server back end | Growing multi-user environments needing stronger concurrency, security controls, scalability, and data-management options. |
Optional QA Suite Add-On
First Article Inspection Software Pricing
Purchase FAI independently or add it to the QA Suite at the discounted same-purchase price.
Stand-Alone
$499
One-time software license
- First Article Inspection application
- FAI records, results, evidence, actions, approvals, and history
- Unlimited users
- Open-source Access front end with Access or SQL Server back end
- No annual software-license fee
If purchased separately and integrated with another Database Providers module later, a $250 integration fee applies per module.
Ask About Stand-AloneAdd to the QA Suite
$299
Discounted same-purchase add-on
- FAI connected to Inspection and NCMR
- Links to Calibration, Documents, Control Plans, and Corrective Action
- Shared part, inspection, and quality records
- Unlimited users
- No annual software-license fee
Important QA Suite Pricing Detail
First Article Inspection is an optional add-on and is not one of the five applications included in the $2,499 core QA Suite. The $299 add-on price applies when FAI is purchased with the QA Suite.
Implementation, customization, data conversion, training, report or form configuration, SQL Server setup, and ongoing support are quoted separately when requested.
Frequently Asked Questions
First Article Inspection Software FAQ
What is first article inspection software?
First article inspection software manages the FAI scope, product and process configuration, characteristic accountability, inspection results, material and process evidence, discrepancies, actions, reviews, approvals, customer response, and permanent history.
Does the software guarantee AS9102C compliance?
No. The open-source application can be configured to support an AS9102C process, but your organization remains responsible for obtaining the standard, identifying customer and regulatory requirements, selecting the correct FAI scope, performing valid verification, and submitting acceptable documentation.
What is the difference between a full and partial FAI?
A full FAI addresses the applicable requirements for the defined product configuration. A partial FAI addresses characteristics affected by a change and retains traceability to the previously accepted FAI for unaffected requirements.
Can an FAI be created from a receiving or in-process inspection?
Yes. When the integrated Inspection and NCMR record is designated as a First Article, relevant product, order, inspection, quantity, traceability, and attachment data can be transferred into the FAI record.
Can drawings, certificates, and inspection reports be attached?
Yes. FAI records can reference or attach drawings, completed forms, material certificates, special-process records, functional tests, photographs, inspection reports, customer documents, and other supporting files.
How are failed FAI characteristics controlled?
The failed result can link to an NCMR that controls affected product, disposition, correction, and reinspection. Corrective action can be linked separately when the issue meets the organization's escalation criteria.
Can the software be customized for customer-specific FAI requirements?
Yes. The open-source Access application can be modified for customer fields, characteristic structures, workflows, forms, reports, checklists, approvals, and submission requirements.
Is First Article Inspection included in the QA Suite?
FAI is available as a discounted optional add-on but is not included among the five core QA Suite applications.
Control the Complete First Article Record
See How the Software Can Fit Your FAI Process
Discuss your FAI triggers, characteristic records, inspection integration, customer submissions, existing data, and Access or SQL Server deployment.