Key Points Certifications like AS9100, ISO 9001, and ITAR registration tell you a shop passed an external audit. They don't tell you how the shop behaves on a normal Tuesday Inspection equipment matters as much as machining equipment: a shop that can't measure it can't control it Security posture is now a hard filter for defense work, not a nice-to-have The right pre-engagement questions reveal whether a shop is a parts supplier or an engineering partner Culture fit shows in how a shop answers your questions before the request for quote (RFQ) is ever sent You've been through the RFQ cycle enough times to know the pattern. A shop looks good on paper. The quote comes back reasonable. You award the work. Then, six weeks into production, you're managing a quality escape, chasing documentation, or fielding a request to relax a tolerance that was agreed to in writing.