Hardware quality audits: a better approach

The Air Force has recently released regulations that require that full-scale engineering development or production contracts implement a procedure for the teardown and inspection of selected components, major subsystems, and/or contract end items. An improved approach to compliance is presented. A structured approach to hardware quality audits (HQAs) is described which consists of five steps, as follows: precisely define HQA requirements in the full-scale engineering development statement of work (SOW); establish an HQA plan, including analysis items and schedule; objectively define the elements of the HQA evaluation process; analyze, report, and track HQA assessments using the hardware audit paperless system (HAPS) model; and reward contractor HQA achievements