AS9100 Software for Small Machine Shops (Without the Enterprise QMS)
AS9100 software gets bought for one reason: audit day. The standard demands traceability (material to heat lot to cert), controlled documents, calibrated gages, FAI records, and closed-loop nonconformance handling — and assembling that evidence by hand is why quality managers describe building their QMS 'in my free time over two years.'
The market gap: enterprise QMS platforms run $80–150/user/month, and the category's compliance leader bundles its QMS with a full ERP at roughly $8K+/year plus implementation. Small shops fall through — one owner: 'Trying to get AS9100 certified but I've been delaying because of costs.'
What the auditor actually pulls
'Show me traceability for this job' is the canonical request: job → material lot → mill cert → supplier PO → inspection results → FAI → C of C. If your system can assemble that binder in one click, audit week is boring — which is the goal. Add gage calibration status (with nothing overdue) and an NCR log with closures, and you've covered the requests that sink small shops.
Certification itself costs real money beyond software — registrar audits commonly run $8–10K, and multi-standard aerospace shops report six figures annually across AS9100, NADCAP, and CMMC. Software's job is to stop the evidence-assembly from costing more than the audit.
ISO-ready vs. certified
Most shops under 10 people don't hold AS9100 — but they supply shops that do, which means C of Cs, material trace, and occasional FAI requests arrive anyway. Traveler ships both postures behind one toggle: ISO-ready (doc control, quality logs, gage cal, C of C) for supplying certified customers, and Certified (FAI/AS9102 generation, NCR workflow, audit binder) for shops holding or pursuing the cert. Both are included in the flat $109/month.
Want it handled?
Traveler Cloud does this for $109/month — or follow the steps above yourself, free.
See pricingStraight answers
▸Does software get you AS9100 certified?
No — certification audits your quality system, not your software. But the right software makes the evidence (traceability, FAI, calibration, NCRs) a by-product of running jobs instead of a two-year documentation project.
▸What does AS9100 certification cost a small shop?
Plan on roughly $8–10K for registrar audits, plus your time building the QMS and typically a consultant or dedicated quality hire before the first audit. Recertification runs on a 3-year cycle with annual surveillance.