Frequently Asked Questions
General
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We are always looking for new talents to join us, whether as PRI employees in one of our several offices around the world or as a Independent Contractors. Go to our Careers section to find out more or contact us if you have any questions.
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A list of current PRI Qualification Members (Paid) can be found here.
A list of our PRI Qualification Participants (No Fee) can be found here.Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org
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Contact the appropriate Staff Engineer or your customer.
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The Staff Engineer’s role is to review audit reports, work with Auditees to close out any non-conformances identified during the audit and review process, and act as supporting staff to their assigned Task Group(s) during technical and procedural discussions. The Staff Engineer offers a perspective unaffected by commercial or other influences, with a consistent approach to audit reviews. The Staff Engineer also provides one focal point during the audit review process for the Supplier and ensures that responses are sufficient and will be understood by technical representatives of the Task Group who provide the final review.
Join the Team
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Log into eAuditNet and under Supplier Applications, go into Supplier Audit and select the specific Audit number for which you would like to print the certificate. In the upper right corner select “Actions”. Click on “Print Certificate”. You will be directed to another page. Click the link on the bottom left to print the certificate or scope of accreditation.
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This question is not specifically addressed in procedures, but the answer is it could. You will need to check with your Staff Engineer or Task Group to see how it may impact your cumulative delinquent days.
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Key contacts are listed below:
Nadcap: PRINadcap@p-r-i.org
MedAccred: MedAccred@p-r-i.org
PRI Registrar: PRIRegistrar@p-r-i.org
QPL: QPLadmin@p-r-i.org
PRI Training: PRI-Training@p-r-i.org
PRI Qualification: PRIQualification@p-r-i.org
TPG: TPG@p-r-i.org
CAAP: CAAP@p-r-i.org
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, the safety and wellbeing of our customers, employees and contractors is our highest priority. We will all experience challenges during this time and, like you, we are doing our best in difficult circumstances.
Supported by our external professional risk management service, PRI has been actively monitoring the COVID-19 situation around the world to ensure we are following the very latest advice. We will continue to monitor all the countries where we do business to determine if any changes are needed in reaction to the virus.
We are aware that PRI administers and manages a number of programs that our stakeholders rely on, and we take this responsibility seriously. We are in the process of reaching out to all our customers and contractors directly as part of our efforts to maintain the high level of service you have come to expect, while mitigating risk as much as we can. It is inevitable, however, that many of our audits, training courses and other events are being postponed.
We will continue to communicate with everyone as the situation develops and encourage you to contact us if you have questions.
MedAccred
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MedAccred is a medical device industry-led audit and accreditation program for critical manufacturing processes. Auditors with extensive critical manufacturing process experience and expertise conduct rigorous process audits across the complex global supply chain.
MedAccred process audits are very different from Quality Systems audits, but the combination of the two audits result in a significant improvement in final product quality and repeatability of the process. This fresh approach to optimizing quality in critical manufacturing processes will result in improving final product quality and most importantly patient safety.
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
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Simon Adam from DePuy Synthes, Johnson & Johnson, in Cork, Ireland had the original vision to start the program in 2010. A series of meetings took place with industry leaders and the FDA prior to the first Subscribing companies Philips, Johnson & Johnson, and Stryker joining the program in 2014.
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
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- Improved product quality
- Reduced scrap / Reduced re-work
- Improved operations and process discipline
- Opportunity to reduce liability insurance premiums
- Opportunity to expand business
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
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Yes, a current valid QMS certification is required prior to a MedAccred audit, such as ISO 13485, ISO 9001, 9100, etc.
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org
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Subscribers:
- Baxter
- Boston Scientific
- Johnson & Johnson
- Medtronic, Philips
- Stryker
- Bayer
- BD
Other Actively Participating OEMs and Contract Manufacturers:
- Advanced Bionics
- Benchmark Electronics
- Cordis (a Cardinal Health Co.)
- Flex
- GE Healthcare
- Illumina
- Kaynes Technologies
- Kimball Electronics
- Mack
- Paragon Medical
- Plexus
- Sanmina
- Sterigenics
- Steris
- Steri-Tek
- Zimmer Biomet
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org
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This is a key question and it is really one that must be resolved between you and your customer(s). Most Suppliers pursue MedAccred accreditation because it has been recommended by their customer(s), although some make the decision independently. It is up to you to balance the needs of your customer(s) and your business with the demands of the MedAccred audit.
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Yes, MedAccred is a global program and conducts audits anywhere in the world where manufacturing for the medical device industry occurs.
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
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- Cable & Wire Harness
- Printed Boards (Bare Boards)
- Flexible
- Rigid
- Printed Circuit Board Assemblies (PCBA)
- Heat Treating
- Metal Systems (Carbon & Alloy Steel / Tool Steel / Stainless Steel / pH Steel/ Cast Iron / Aluminum Alloys / Titanium Alloys/ Heat Resisting Alloys / Other Nonferrous Metals)
- Heat Treating Processes (Normalizing / Annealing / Hardening & Tempering / Solution & Aging / Carburizing / Nitriding / Stress Relieving
- Heat Treating Equipment (Furnace / Pyrometry / Instrumentation / Atmospheric Control / Quench Systems / Refrigeration)
- Brazing (Vacuum Brazing / Atmosphere Brazing)
- Plastics – Extrusion
- Tubing/Profile
- Blown Film
- Co-Extrusion
- Over-Jacketing
- Ram Extrusion
- Sheet Film
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- Plastics – Injection Molding
- Compression Molding
- Injection Blow Molding
- Insert Molding
- Overmolding
- Transfer Molding
- Plastics – Mechanical Assembly
- Adhesives / Bonding
- Mechanical Fasteners
- Plastics Welding
- Heat Staking
- Sterilization
- Ethylene oxide
- Radiation (Gamma & E-Beam)
- Sterile Device Packaging
- Forming Sterile Barrier Systems
- Assembly of Packaging Systems
- Sealing
- Welding
- Electron Beam
- Fusion Welding
- Laser Welding
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
- Plastics – Injection Molding
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Companies actively involved in the MedAccred program are committed to working to improve product quality and enhancing patient safety. They leverage the expertise from many of the leading medical device companies to develop specific critical manufacturing process Audit Criteria (AC).
The annual MedAccred critical process audits have become part of their quality management oversight. Utilizing this approach, MedAccred enables companies to effectively address their purchasing controls through the tiers in their supply chain.
Through MedAccred, companies verify Suppliers have critical process capabilities, necessary equipment and maintenance, controls, qualified personnel, process validation and sub-tier controls. The real value is the final product quality improvement achieved through this innovative supply chain oversight approach and its impact on patient safety.
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
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Yes, we offer training courses to medical device industry critical process Suppliers through PRI Training. These courses are used as tools to improve personnel quality and critical process manufacturing capabilities. Courses are held around the world in multiple languages by Instructors who are industry experts with hands-on technical experience.
Course content can be customized to meet individual company needs and is available in a range of formats from public and hosted sessions, to onsite sessions customized for delivery at company facilities, and webinars. Current course offerings include quality related courses which provide an understanding of key quality principles such as: Root Cause Corrective Action – MedAccred style, Internal Auditing, Statistical Process Control and Problem Solving Tools. There are also MedAccred Audit Preparation courses that provide in-depth training on specific technical areas, such as Pyrometry – Heat Treating, as well as Medical Device Process Validation and MedAccred Audit Criteria Review courses.
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Yes, you can find the rules governing MedAccred are detailed in PD1300, which is available on eAuditNet. under Resources / Documents / Procedures and Forms / Program Documents
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The first step is to contact Performance Review Institute Scheduling staff to request the audit. They will give you access to eAuditNet so you can access the relevant Audit Criteria and associated reference material to help in your audit preparation. They will also provide you with a quote detailing the audit duration and cost.
It is recommended that you conduct a self-audit using the MedAccred Audit Criteria. Where any nonconformances are found, the root cause(s) should be identified and addressed via sustaining corrective action. When you feel you are prepared – or you are confident in the timeline you have established for your audit preparation – please contact us again to arrange the initial audit.
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A great place to start would be to review the Audit Criteria (AC) and conduct an initial assessment on your manufacturing operations. The MedAccred staff is happy to address any questions you have.
In addition, you can schedule a pre-assessment audit with a MedAccred Auditor to identify any gaps you might want to address prior to scheduling your accreditation audit.
Additional support is available from the US Government funding for US manufacturing facilities through the MedMMAP Program. Go to www.MedMMAP.org for more information
To learn more about MedAccred, and how your company could benefit from participating in the program, please contact MedAccred@p-r-i.org.
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Nadcap
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PRI is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1990 by SAE International. PRI administers Nadcap. Nadcap is the leading worldwide cooperative program of major companies designed to manage a cost-effective consensus approach to special processes and products and provide continual improvement within the aerospace and defense industries.
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Nadcap audits are rightly recognized across the global aerospace industry as one of the most in-depth, requiring thorough preparation and technical excellence. Achieving Nadcap accreditation is a significant accomplishment and companies understandably want to benefit from their hard work. Some of the ways to do this are listed below, with additional suggestions and more detail included in the Nadcap Business Development Tool.
- Write to your customers to notify them
- Issue a press release to local and trade media
- Add the Nadcap mark of conformity to your company stationery and website
- Communicate about it on social media
Want to know more? Contact us here.
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The Nadcap meeting agendas and minutes are now stored on eAuditNet under Resources / Documents / “Meeting Information”
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There are around 200 Nadcap Auditors with an average of 30 years experience in their field.
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There are over 50 major aerospace Prime Subscribers, most of whom require Nadcap accreditation throughout their supply chain.
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Preparation is the key to a successful audit. We recommend that you review the resources that have been developed to help companies have successful Nadcap audits.
The available non-technical resources have been summarized by the Nadcap Supplier Support Committee here.
Technical resources are available in eAuditNet: Resources/Documents/Public Documents.
If you can’t find what you need, please contact us.
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Attending a Nadcap meeting to participate in a Nadcap Task Group discussion is the best way to meet this objective as you have direct contact with the Nadcap Subscriber members that wrote the requirements.
You can also use the post-audit survey in eAuditNet to raise any concerns related to the audit. The results are reviewed by the Nadcap Task Group and the NMC Oversight Team.
Of course, you can contact PRI staff with any questions or comments as well as use the SSC Request Form.
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Nadcap accreditation does not equal customer approval. However, some customers may use Nadcap as a part of their supplier approval process. Please contact your customer(s) for details of their exact approval processes and requirements.
Please be aware that you do not need to have aerospace customer approvals in order to have a Nadcap audit. There are processes in place to allow for this and we will work with you to arrange your Nadcap audit accordingly.
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- Surveys performed on the Nadcap accredited Supplier base indicate an average 40% reduction in audits following Nadcap accreditation.
- Over half of Nadcap accredited companies report that accreditation has helped to increase sales and/or attract new business.
- 85% of Nadcap accredited companies report a measured improvement in quality as a result of being Nadcap accredited.
- More than two-thirds of aerospace industry representatives believe Nadcap contributes to the overall aerospace industry’s safety record.
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Through careful planning and preparing utilizing the resources on the webpage, such as the mentoring program, thorough self-audit, and achieving merit.
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Audit checklists are created as Word documents due to the complexity of the required numbering convention. Excel does not have the same numbering capability as Word. Additionally, creating 2 versions, both Word and Excel, would be time consuming and increase the likelihood of errors.
But for Nadcap in response to your requests, the Nadcap Supplier Support Committee (SSC) has created simple work instructions, so you can convert the Word version of the checklists to the Excel format. This tool can assist you while completing the self-audit, by using a spreadsheet format for easy completion, and by using filters to determine any unanswered questions on the checklist.
The instructions are located on eAuditNet: Resources/Documents/Public Documents/General Nadcap User Information / Audit Information/Checklist Instructions – Word to Excel.
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Contact your SSC Task Group Representative or complete the SSC Request Form on the PRI website
For technical issues, contact your Staff Engineer.
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Contact PRI for general/non-technical questions at +1.724.772.8661, or for Nadcap suggestions, complete an SSC Request Form which can be found on the PRI website.
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The Attendees Guide for each Nadcap meeting identifies the Subscriber experts for each commodity. The Attendees Guide for the next Nadcap meeting can be found on the upcoming Nadcap meeting page on the PRI website.
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Nadcap meetings take place three times per year, according to guidelines put in place by the Nadcap Management Council. A number of factors figure into the decision about the location, including accessibility, proximity to aerospace activity and attractiveness to visitors.
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The primary purpose of the Nadcap meeting is the Task Groups. The SSC has held the general meetings at various times over the years. Because most Suppliers attend Nadcap meetings to participate in Task Groups, SSC meeting attendance has been greatest when it has been held at the end of the day, when Task Group meetings have concluded.
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Each Task Group is to have a Supplier appointed as that Task Group representative to the SSC. It is the responsibility of the SSC representative to be a conduit for information between the Task Group and the SSC, including report outs from SSC meetings.
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The Nadcap Supplier Support Committee (SSC) is a group of industry volunteers whose mission is to represent the Nadcap Supplier community and work with the Nadcap Management Council (NMC) to enhance the effectiveness and economical value of the Nadcap system for the mutual benefit of Suppliers and Subscribers.
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The NMC assigned metrics to each Task Group to gauge their performance. The metrics are established to chart progress to meeting specific goals and chart the program.
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Absolutely not. In fact, a failed audit creates more work for Auditors and Staff Engineers than a successful audit. Auditors and Staff Engineers want Suppliers to be well prepared and have successful audits, because successful audits mean less work and quicker closure for all involved, from the Supplier to the Auditor, Staff, and Task Group Subscribers.
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Word and PDF copies of Nadcap checklists are available for Suppliers on eAuditNet: Resources/Documents/Public Documents/Audit Criteria and click on the specific Commodity Folder.
In addition, if you would like to convert the WORD checklists to Excel, the Nadcap SSC has developed instructions to do so. The instructions are located on eAuditNet: Resources/Documents/Public Documents/General Nadcap User Information / Audit Information/Checklist Instructions – Word to Excel.
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Agendas and minutes for the Nadcap Management Council, Task Group and Supplier Support Committee meetings are posted on eAuditNet under Resources / Documents / Meeting Information.
In addition, the SSC Chair publishes a report via email after each Nadcap meeting.Want to know more? Contact us here.
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Nadcap audits take place all over the world. More than half are conducted in the Americas, nearly one-third in Europe and over 10% in Asia.
The number of audits taking place continues to increase year on year.
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Approximately 6,000 Nadcap audits are conducted annually around the world.
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PRI Training
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Since its inauguration in 2008, PRI Training has been positioned as a program developed with industry to support the Nadcap process. In particular, PRI Training helps Suppliers by upskilling them in areas openly related to Nadcap accreditation. Each year, PRI Training plans to offer 3-5 new courses on topics to help companies continually improve their operations. New courses will be a mix of instructor-led sessions and e-learning programs that can be accessed on this training site.
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Log in to the PRI Training Learn Center and select the tile for your completed course. You can then select "Download Certificate" from the top right of the screen.
You must create your account, including completing your full name, before your course finishes in order for a valid certificate to be issued.
Only participants who attend 80% or more of the session(s) they are registered to are eligible for a course completion certificate.
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PRI Training accepts Visa, MasterCard and/or American Express and Discover payments directly on this site. Browse courses, add to cart and checkout when you're ready.
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Click here to become a PRI Training Instructor.
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PRI Training programs are taught by professionals that are subject matter experts in the courses they teach. Instructors undergo a rigorous screening process and complete a formal training program. An average Instructor has 15 years’ experience in the quality field with additional expertise in adult learning and facilitation.
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PRI Training offers training in four different delivery methods; public sessions, hosted sessions, onsite sessions and public and private e-learning. Training is available in 9 different languages in the following categories: Quality training, Nadcap Audit Criteria Review, Nadcap Audit Preparation and special process training.
For a current list, please refer to the PRI Training Course Listings.
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PRI Training training is currently available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Mandarin, Japanese and Russian with additional translations to follow. Browse Courses by language to see what's available on the calendar.
If you have a need for courses in a language not currently listed, please Contact Us for information on translation services.
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Contact us today! PRI Training has staff in the Americas, Asia and Europe ready to help you purchase your course, schedule your onsite training, and provide advice to help you with your professional development.
PRI Certification
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To get a QMS certification, you can contact PRI Certification who will be happy to discuss all options with you.
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The OASIS database is a product of the International Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG). OASIS houses Supplier and audit assessment data for all companies who hold an accredited certification in any of the AQMS series of Standards (i.e. – 9100, 9110 and 9120). Publication in the OASIS database is a requirement of the aerospace standards. As a certified aerospace Supplier, you are charged an initial $500 fee to be registered in OASIS. This registration typically runs for three years. Subsequently, you are charged $375 to maintain your certification at your re-assessment. PRI Registrar charges the appropriate amount as a pass-through cost to you. In other words, we are billed by OASIS and we pass that charge on to you without any type of mark-up.
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When you are being assessed to one of the quality/environmental standards, your audit is not simply pass/fail. Any non-conformances to the standard will be identified by your Auditor and you will be given the opportunity to address and correct them. Please note that you will need to become compliant and correct those non-conformances before you will be issued a certificate of registration.
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PRI Certification typically issues certification for a three year cycle. However, surveillance audits must be performed at least once a year after your certificate has been issued to ensure that you have maintained compliance to the appropriate standard.
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PRI Registrar recommends that your quality system, along with your quality manual, management review, and internal audits are in place for six months prior to being assessed to a quality standard. Please note that this is a PRI Registrar recommendation (other registrars may use different criteria.) There are certain circumstances where the amount of time can be more or less. You also have the option of performing a pre-assessment audit 3-4 months after your quality system is in place to determine readiness.
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There are many factors to consider so it is important to understand that not all certification bodies are the same.
Selecting a certification body accredited by a certifying body such as ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), is a good first step.
Reputation is another key factor when deciding on a certification body.
The certification body selected should have prior experience in your industry and previously certified hundreds or even thousands of customers.
The geographic proximity and size of an organization is another deciding factor.
The costs associated with obtaining and maintaining your management system can add up over time, so it is important to ask questions and understand all the associated costs.
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Qualified Products Listing (QPL)
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Register (at no cost) on the eAuditNet (EAN) website. Go to “Resources” → Online QPL → select a Standard Number via the dropdown arrow → click “Search”
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org
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You can find J2360 Gear Lubricant Oil Qualified Product List on the PRI website under QPL / Lubricant Review Institute / “QPL Listing” – DATE Version (EXCEL Document).
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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You can find the cost to list a lubricant on the PRI-QPL on the PRI website under QPL / Lubricant Review Institute / “Pricing Structure”.
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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Review the applicable Aerospace Material Specification (AMS) or Aerospace Standard (AS) and in the “Qualification” section of the document. This section will identify if the product is required to be listed on a Qualified Product Listing (QPL).
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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Review the applicable Aerospace Material Specification (AMS) or Aerospace Standard (AS) and in the “Qualification” section of the document will identify the administrator of the Qualified Product Listing (QPL).
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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Register (at no cost) on the eAuditNet website. Go to “Resources” → Documents → Public Documents → QPL Programs
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org
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The fee structure is posted on the www.eAuditNet.com website → Resources → Documents → Public Documents → QPL Program → QPL Fee Structure as of January 1, 2015.
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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You can find the most recent Lubricant Review Institute (LRI) meeting schedule on the Lubricant Review Institute page / “LRI (Lubricant Review Institute ) Committee Meeting Schedule”
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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Details of the Gear Lubricant Program can be found on the PRI website on the Lubricant Review Institute page / “Program Document PD4000 Rev
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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You can find the process to submit a gear lubricant to the Lubricant Review Institute (LRI) on the PRI website under QPL / Lubricant Review Institute / “Program Document PD4000 Rev
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
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You can find the applicable documents for submitting to the Lubricant Review Institute (LRI) on the PRI website on the LRI page / Affidavits, RGL Forms and GL Forms
Want to know more? Contact us at QPLadmin@p-r-i.org.
PRI Counterfeit Avoidance Accreditation Program (CAAP)
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The PRI Counterfeit Avoidance Accreditation Program (CAAP) started meeting in 2015 with the first checklist published in 2016.
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There are eight CAAP Subscribers.
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There are currently accreditations for both EEE parts and Distributors. The most up-to-date list can be found in the Counterfeit Avoidance QML at www.eAuditNet.com
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As a relatively new program, the number of audits is still growing. We are working with the Subscribers to assist them in best utilizing this program and in flowing it out to their supply chain.
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All of the CAAP Subscribers have added an acceptance of the CAAP accreditation into their requirements as part of their approval and maintenance process. This will then reduce the number of audits that Subscribers have to perform and allows them to focus their resources in other areas. Want to know more?
Contact us here.
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There are many benefits: one benefit is ensuring that a company is compliant with the appropriate counterfeit avoidance standard and thereby decreasing the risk of introducing counterfeit parts into the supply chain; another is a reduced number of audits from the Subscribing OEMs, as they accept CAAP accreditation as a means of showing compliance with their counterfeit part prevention requirements.
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Acheiving CAAP accreditation is a significant accomplishment and companies understandably want to benefit from their hard work. Some of the ways to do this are listed below:
- Write to your customers to notify them
- Issue a press release to local and trade media
- Add the CAAP mark of conformity to your company stationery and website
- Communicate about it on social media
For more help in promoting your accomplishment, please visit the CAAP Accreditation section.
Want to know more? Contact us here.
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The best way to succeed is to prepare. Performing a self audit to the appropriate Audit Criteria (AC) and ensure that each question can be answered “Yes” is a critical step in this process. If a question cannot be answered “Yes”, corrective action shoud be taken to address this prior to the CAAP audit.
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Transportation and Power Generation
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In 2010, PRI developed an Industry Managed program for oversight of Transportation and Power Generation (TPG) special processors. TPG improves manufacturing process controls and performance and reduces compliance risk in the transportation and power generation industries. Industry representatives participate in the management of the TPG program and technical groups that award accreditation to successful auditees. Accreditation is achieved after having completed a rigorous independent technical audit conducted by Performance Review Institute and participating in an industry-managed audit review process. Accredited companies feature on a Qualified Manufacturers List, which is accessed by Quality and Procurement professionals to source Suppliers.
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The length and cost of the audit will depend on what scopes need to be audited and be accredited to. Most audits are 2-4 days; a quote can be obtained at www.eAuditNet.com. The cost is inclusive of Auditor travel and expenses and PRI Audit Reviewer time.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org
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TPG accreditation can result in fewer customer audits; more industry visibility and exposure to new business; higher quality output; reduced cost; and process efficiency.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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The TPG program is global; in 2018 over 50% of the audits were conducted in Asia.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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Nearly 100 audits are conducted annually.
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TPG currently has over 120 approved specialist Auditors around the globe.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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TPG started in 2011, when GE Transportation (now Wabtec) and PRI worked together to build a program modeled after the aerospace industry’s Nadcap program. Accreditations were first issued in 2012.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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Approximately 100 accreditations are active.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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Yes. In fact, the accreditation received may provide opportunities for Suppliers to be discovered by other groups within Wabtec/GE Transportation and/or other industry stakeholders.
Accredited Suppliers will be added to the Wabtec/GE Transportation approved supplier list, as well as included in the TPG QML (Qualified Manufacturer List) at eAuditNet.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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Initial accreditation lasts 12 months, after which you will be expected to have a reaccreditation audit conducted.
TPG Program allows suppliers to achieve a “merit” status, whereby future accreditations will last 18 or 24 months.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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Preparation guidelines and a suggested timeline can be found at eAuditNet.com. Start your preparation as early as possible.
Want to know more? Contact us at TPG@p-r-i.org.
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The Performance Review Institute (PRI) administers the TPG program. PRI will schedule an audit and assign an approved auditor who will conduct the audit using TPG program audit criteria. At the end of the audit, any non-conformity issues will be raised, and non-conformance reports issued. PRI will administer closeout of the non-conformance reports and upon completion will present the completed audit package to a task group made up of members from industry that will review it and vote on its acceptability for approval. Accreditation is granted when all nonconformances are closed.
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TPG Task Groups are composed of personnel with expertise in the particular critical process for which suppliers are to be accredited (e.g. NDT, Heat Treating). The Task Group has responsibilities for the accreditation program including deploying the accreditation process, voting on audit accreditation, recommendations for auditor hiring and training needs, standard and audit criteria development, and continuous improvement.
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The TPG program accredits companies performing critical processes such as Castings, Heat Treating, NDT, Steel Manufacturing, Surface enhancement and Welding in the transportation and power generation industries. Each critical process area is comprised of sub processes. For example, the Heat Treating scope is comprised of carburizing, nitriding, induction hardening and tempering, pyrometry, and hardness testing sub-processes.
The TPG audit will include each subprocess that is performed at your facility on critical parts identified by GE Renewables. After successfully completing the audit, a certification will be issued for the critical process area and the QML (Qualified Manufacturer List) will detail the audit scope. Continuing the heat treating example, a certificate will be issued for the process area Heat Treating and the QML will detail the scope of the audit- carburizing, nitriding, induction hardening and tempering, pyrometry, and or hardness testing.
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- Higher Quality – Lower Cost
- Industry-accepted technical requirements facilitating process discipline, greater operational efficiency and continuous improvement resulting in higher quality and lower overall cost – reduction of scrap and rework
- Process Efficiency Improvement
- Helps suppliers develop a structured approach to special process and product manufacturing
- More Industry Visibility
- Enhances the supplier’s compliance status – Company accreditations listed in eAuditNet
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TPG auditors are technical experts with experience in the critical process areas being audited. They are contracted and trained by PRI to perform critical process audits. TPG Task Groups define requirements for general education, experience, professional accomplishments, and technical specific requirements.
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Yes. Pre-audit preparation is extremely important to achieve a successful TPG audit result and pre-audit preparation starts with conducting an effective self-audit using the audit criteria assigned in the scheduled audit. Obtain copies of the audit criteria as soon as possible and carefully review the self-audit requirements.
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A self-audit is an audit conducted by the auditee using the audit criteria assigned to the accreditation audit. The TPG program requires the self-audit to be completed and uploaded to eAuditNet 30 days prior to the audit start date. Self-audit requirements are located at the beginning of the audit criteria. Review the self-audit requirements carefully. The expectation for completing the self-audit is that each question in the audit criteria is answered along with notations identifying the location of evidence of compliance. Any NCRs identified during the self-audit must be corrected prior to the accreditation audit. If NCRs are not corrected, they will be written as NCRs in the accreditation audit. PRI technical staff are available to help answer your questions about audit criteria requirements as they arise during the self-audit.
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TPG audits are conducted by TPG qualified auditors at the facility being accredited following general auditing protocols including an opening meeting, daily progress summaries, and a closing meeting. Auditors will review and answer each question in the assigned audit criteria. Any questions that are found to be non-compliant will be answered No and an NCR written. All identified NCRs will be reviewed at the closing meeting.
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Each NCR requires a response that includes 4 required elements: immediate corrective actions taken, root cause of the nonconformance, impact of all identified causes and the root cause, and action taken to prevent recurrence along with objective evidence of all actions taken.
NCR responses are reviewed by PRI technical experts and accepted when the response is determined to be satisfactory. NCR responses that are incomplete or not satisfactory will be returned to the auditee for correction.
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Based on 30 years of data obtained from the Nadcap program, it takes 50 days on average to accredit an audit after it has been conducted. The time to accredit an audit is primarily affected by the number and severity of the identified NCRs and the timeliness and completeness of NCR responses.
PRI Qualifications
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PRI Qualification is a global industry-managed program for aerospace manufacturing personnel development and qualification. It empowers all parties to influence, collaborate and be part of a new approach to skills management by developing Bodies of Knowledge and assessments (online theory and practical).
PRI Qualification is one way in which the challenges of transitioning knowledge from one generation to the next can be addressed. The program also provides a method of measuring global workforce capabilities to ensure consistent, high standards are maintained. PRI Qualification also approves Training Providers to deliver courses aligned with the Bodies of Knowledge.
For more information on PRI Qualification, please visit the PRI Qualification pages or contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification was launched in 2009 to support a major aerospace OEM’s special process personnel examination program. In 2012, the program transitioned to an industry-managed approach with multiple companies working together to create Bodies of Knowledge and assessments. The first Body of Knowledge was released in 2013 and the first industry-managed theory assessment was made available in 2014.
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You can contact PRI Qualification by email at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org or by phone at +1-724-772-8644.
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All industry-managed theory assessments cost $300 and can be purchased at PRIQualification.org.
For more information on PRI Qualification assessments, please visit our Assessments Page.Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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If you are taking an online theory assessment you can leave feedback on individual questions as you progress through the assessment. There is also an opportunity to leave feedback on the entire assessment once it has been completed. This feedback is regularly reviewed by PRI Qualification to ensure assessment quality is maintained.
Body of Knowledge feedback can be submitted here.
To give feedback on any other aspect of the PRI Qualification program, please email PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification Participants help to create Bodies of Knowledge and are also able to participate in the strategic management of the program. There is no charge to be a PRI Qualification Participant. PRI Qualification Members pay an annual fee to take part in the development and approval of the assessments.
To find out more, please visit the PRI Qualification Participate page.Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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A PRI Qualification Certificate of Qualification is valid for 3 to 5 years depending upon the assessment taken, with most being valid for 5 years.
If you would like to check the validity of a specific assessment, please contact PRI Qualification by email at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org or by phone at +1-724-772-8644.
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A Body of Knowledge (BoK) is a free document developed by industry experts that describes the knowledge and experience required to perform special process manufacturing roles.
PRI Qualification currently offers BoKs in three levels:Process Operator/Technician: Understand and perform the basic hands-on operations of the special process. Qualification is through online multiple-choice theory assessments.
Process Planner: Capable of selecting manufacturing processes and interpreting process procedures to conform to customer specifications and requirements. Capable of problem solving and resolving day-to-day issues. Qualification is through online multiple-choice exam and forms a pre-requisite for Owner level qualification.
Process Owner: Capable of writing, reviewing and approving processes, procedures and qualifications of lower levels (Operator and Planner). Capable of designing new processes and resolving issues on all other levels. Qualification is based on a submitted portfolio including Planner level exam results, experience survey, resume and employer sign-off.
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PRI Qualification defines this as someone who is capable of writing, reviewing and approving processes, procedures and qualifications of lower levels (Operator and Planner), and capable of designing new processes and resolving issues on all other levels. Qualification is based on a submitted portfolio including Planner level exam results, experience survey, resume and employer sign-off.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification defines this as someone who is capable of selecting manufacturing processes and interpreting process procedures to conform to customer specifications and requirements and capable of problem solving and resolving day-to-day issues. Qualification is through online multiple-choice exam and forms a pre-requisite for Owner level qualification.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification defines this as someone who understands and performs the basic hands-on operations of the special process. Qualification is through online multiple-choice theory assessments.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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Any organization can get involved by joining the PRI Qualification Management Council, or one of our technical Review Boards.
Contact PRIQualification@p-r-i.og for more information.
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PRI Qualification currently has industry-collaborative Review Boards or sub-teams active in the following areas:
- Additive Manufacturing
- Brazing
- Chemical Processing
- Coatings Applicator
- Composite Repair
- Heat Treating
- Welding
To find out more about what these teams of technical experts produce, please visit our PRI Qualification Bodies of Knowledge page.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification participants benefit from industry collaboration, enjoying the opportunity to build relationships with other industry members as well as ensuring industry best practices are shared amongst industry.
Training Providers can benefit from benchmarking their existing courses against a PRI Qualification Body of Knowledge that has been created through collaborative industry effort, and they can reach additional potential students by building their network via PRI Qualification.
Companies large or small, can use PRI Qualification Bodies of Knowledge and PRI Qualification Assessments to benchmark the competency of their manufacturing personnel to ensure that they hold sufficient theoretical knowledge to perform a practical task. A PRI Qualification Certificate of Qualification is also proof that a facility has invested in the continued professional development of its employees.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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Any Training Provider interested in joining the Approved Training Provider List can apply for Approved Training Provider status by submitting an application to the appropriate Review Board. There is no charge to apply.
If you would like more information, please contact PRI Qualification by email at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org or by phone at +1-724-772-8644.
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PRI Qualification currently offers two types of assessments:
PRI Qualification Industry Managed Assessments: These assessments have been created through industry collaboration and assessment content is derived from PRI Qualification Bodies of Knowledge. Each question has been approved by industry experts who serve on PRI Qualification Review Boards.
Private Assessments: These assessments are administered by PRI Qualification on behalf of two major OEMs: Honeywell and Sikorsky. These assessments are the intellectual property of the OEMs and they are taken at the direct request of the OEM to fulfill their requirements.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification Review Boards are technical working groups who create the Bodies of Knowledge and accompanying assessments. Anybody can contribute to the development of the Bodies of Knowledge but participation in the Assessment development is restricted to PRI Qualification Members.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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Any organization (OEM, supplier, training provider, airline, MRO etc.) is welcome to participate on a Review Board or on our PRI Qualification Management Council.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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You can come along to a face-to-face meeting at the Nadcap meetings or join an upcoming teleconference.
Email PRIQualification@p-r-i.org to be added to our distribution list.
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Review Board participants are helping to shape the future of the aerospace industry by creating documents which are the foundation of special process training and development. They also benefit from industry collaboration, enjoying the opportunity to build relationships with other industry members as well as ensuring industry best practices are shared.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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Review Boards typically meet once per month for 1 hour via WebEx Teleconference. Face-to-face meetings are held during Nadcap meetings.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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Typically 1-2 hours per month depending upon meeting frequency and Review Board activity level
***PRI Qualification Review Boards & Sub-teams***
- Additive Manufacturing
- Brazing
- Chemical Processing
- Coatings Applicator
- Composite Repair
- Heat-Treating
- Welding
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification beta testing is a process that allows us to deliver robust assessments that are tested in their entirety to ensure questions are both technically and grammatically accurate, and that the time limit and questions are written at the correct level of difficulty.
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PRI Qualification beta testing is open to any interested individual regardless of employer. You can participate in beta testing by contacting PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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It is free to participate as a beta tester for a PRI Qualification assessment.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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You’ll be providing valuable feedback to industry through participating in PRI Qualification beta testing and you’ll receive a free PRI Qualification Certification of Qualification if you pass the assessment.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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PRI Qualification beta testing is done online via our assessment website, PRIQualification.org, and there is no time restriction to participate.
Want to know more? Contact us at PRIQualification@p-r-i.org.
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