TheideaofcreatingtheAECoccurredataJEDECmeetinginthesummerof1992.GeraldServais(DelcoElectronics-GeneralMotors)metJerryJennings(Chrysler)andtheresultingconversationincludedsomeofthemutualdifficultiesbeingexperiencedintheareaofelectronicpartqualification.Theautomotivebusinesssegmentwasbecomingasmallerpercentageoftheelectronicpartsmarketand,assuch,wasnotreceivingthesupplierattentiononceenjoyed.Theideaofcommonqualificationspecificationswasmentionedasapossiblewaytoimprovethissituation.AtasubsequentJEDECmeeting,Mr.ServaisdiscussedthispossiblecooperationwithRobertKnoell(Ford).Theseinitialdiscussionsindicatedtheconceptwasprobablyfeasible.Mr.KnoelldiscussedthisideawithhisbossEarlFischerandameetingwassetupatDelcoElectronicsinJanuary1993.Atthismeeting,thevariousqualificationapproachesusedbyeachcompanywerediscussed.ItwasdecidedthattheideaofcommonqualificationspecificationswasviableandworkbeganonQ100(StressTestQualificationforIntegratedCircuits)shortlythereafter.DuringthedevelopmentofQ100,primaryICsuppliershadanopportunitytocommentonthedocument.TheinitialreleaseofCDF-AECQ100(nowshortenedtoAECQ100)waspresentedtoallofourICsuppliersatameetinginDenveronJune1994.ThisdocumentrepresentedthepreferredqualificationdocumentforChrysler,DelcoElectronics,andFord.Itencouragedtheexchangeofqualificationdataandstatedthatifapartwasqualifiedtothisdocumentitwasqualifiedforallthreecompanies.Thisdocumentdidnotinvolvepart-pricingissuesorpreventthethreecompaniesfromusingotherqualificationrequirementsforspecialconditions.

Followingthisinitialstart,qualificationspecificationsforotherpartcategoriesweredeveloped:
AEC-Q101fordiscretepartsandAEC-Q200forpassiveparts.Asanoutgrowthofthese
activities,theAEChostsanannualReliabilityWorkshop.Atthe1995WorkshopinIndianapolis,thefollowingphotooftheAECfounderswastaken.