Synopsis: 

This presentation will describe AAR Specification for Quality Assurance, M-1003. The specification applies to new, reconditioned, repaired, modified, requalified, and secondhand materials and products for use in North American Railway Interchange Service. The provisions of M-1003 are mandatory when referenced in the Field Manual of the AAR Interchange Rules, AAR Circular Letter or in the AAR standard describing the requirements of the product or service being supplied (see Appendix A for current listing).

All M-1003 applications must be submitted online at http://aar.iirx.net. The application process is a simple 6-step process: 1. User Registration 2. Contractor Information 3. Activity Code Selection 4. File Attachments 5. Signature and Title Approval, and 6. Final Review.
Applications are required for initial certification only. The following documents must be provided as part of a complete application package:
• Quality assurance manual approved by senior management official
• Organization chart depicting QA function
• Company quality policy statement
• Brief description of QA program
• Statement describing the scope of product/service provided
• Listing of current AAR approvals or certificates relating to the product/service (if applicable)
• Proof of pending sales to the North American Railway Interchange Service

About Mr. Guillen

Don Guillen is the manager of Quality Assurance program for the AAR with Transportation Technology Center, Inc. (TTCI) a wholly owned subsidiary of the Association of American Railroads (AAR). As the program manager, he has oversight of the four quality assurance auditing agencies that employ over 50 auditors positioned throughout North America who perform quality audits on approximately 1,000 railroad facilities. In addition, he manages the industry’s quality registrar that has oversight of the QA database for processing and maintaining AAR Accredited Auditor certifications, M-1003 facility certifications, audit reports, committee balloting, and the 7.1 nonconformance program. He also plans and executes quality training seminars and conferences for the industry.

He has over 25-years of railroad experience, 13-years at TTCI and 12-years with railway industry suppliers. During his career at TTCI he was a Senior Engineer where he served as a project manager working on research and test programs. As the AAR Quality Assurance Committee Manager his experience consists of quality management systems, Six Sigma, people management, maintaining and developing quality and technical specifications per AAR standards and data analysis. He holds a BS degree in Civil Engineering from Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colorado