First Article Inspection (FAI) Made Simple: How to Streamline Your FAIR Process Across the Supply Chain

First Article Inspection (FAI) is essential for ensuring quality and compliance in today’s complex supply chains—but generating and managing First Article Inspection Reports (FAIRs) can feel overwhelming. From meeting AS9102 standards to coordinating across multiple suppliers, the traditional FAIR process is often slow, manual, and error-prone. In this guide, we’ll show you how to modernize your FAI workflow and simplify FAIR documentation with tools that drive speed, accuracy, and collaboration.

What is First Article Inspection (FAI)?

First Article Inspection is a formal process of verifying that a part meets design specifications, engineering drawings, and regulatory requirements before it’s cleared for ongoing production or delivery. This process ensures:

• The supplier’s processes consistently provide conforming parts.
• Issues are identified and corrected early—before they create costly delays.
• Compliance with industry standards such as AS9102 (aerospace) and ISO 9001 (quality management).

What is a FAIR?

A First Article Inspection Report (FAIR) is the documented outcome of the FAI process. It includes detailed measurements, inspection results, and sign-offs to confirm that the first article meets all requirements. FAIRs are often required by customers and auditors as proof of compliance.

Why FAI and FAIR Are Critical to Supply Chain Success

Errors or delays in this process can ripple through your entire supply chain, leading to:

• Costly disruptions when nonconforming parts halt production.
• Compliance risks, especially in aerospace and defense industries.
• Supplier relationship challenges due to inefficient communication.

Unfortunately, most organizations still rely on manual processes—spreadsheets, PDFs, and endless email chains—that introduce errors and create bottlenecks.

The Challenges with Traditional FAI and FAIR Workflows

Legacy systems were designed for an earlier era and often come with challenges, such as:

• Rigid workflows that don’t adapt easily to different supply chain needs.
• Limited real-time collaboration, pushing teams back to email for corrections.
• Steep learning curves for suppliers, slowing adoption.
• High cost and IT overhead to implement and maintain.

In an industry where speed, accuracy, and traceability are mission-critical, these limitations can put your organization at a disadvantage.

A Modern Approach: SmartCert

SmartCert brings the FAI process into the modern era by transforming FAIR management into a centralized, collaborative, and automated experience.

Here’s how SmartCert streamlines FAI and FAIR:

Digital FAIR Creation & Storage:
Generate, share, and store FAIRs in a secure, centralized hub.

Built-in Collaboration:
Suppliers and customers can communicate directly inside the FAIR package, resolving issues faster without endless email threads.

Configurable Workflows:
Easily adapt FAI steps to meet customer requirements and internal quality controls.

Full Traceability:
Track every action—who did what, when, and why—with complete audit trails for compliance.

Integration-Friendly:
Connect SmartCert with your ERP or QMS systems to eliminate redundant data entry and improve efficiency.

The Bottom Line

First Article Inspection isn’t going away—but the inefficiencies of outdated systems should. By modernizing your FAI and FAIR process with SmartCert, you’ll reduce errors, accelerate approvals, and strengthen supply chain collaboration.

Ready to simplify First Article Inspection?
Book a demo today and see how SmartCert helps your team achieve zero-defect documentation.