The IATF 16949 standard provides guidance and tools for companies and organizations who want to ensure that their products consistently meet customer requirements and that quality and customer satisfaction are consistently improved. On October 3rd, 2016 IATF 16949:2016 was published by the IATF. Requirements for certification to IATF 16949 are defined in the 2016 Revision 5 of the rules for achieving and maintaining IATF recognition. IATF 16949 defines the criteria for an automotive-based QMS with the goal to become 3rd party registered. It can be used by any supplier, large or small, and should be applied throughout the automotive supply chain. In fact, there over 65,000 suppliers worldwide which are currently certified to ISO/TS 16949. All requirements of IATF 16949 are applicable unless suppliers do not provide product design related functions. Requirements are generic and are intended to be applicable to any supplier providing design and development, production and, when relevant, assembly, installation and services of automotive related products, including products with embedded software. The IATF 16949 standard is applicable to sites of the organization where manufacturing of customer-specified production parts, service parts, and/or accessory parts occur. The standard is based on seven Quality Management Principles, including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. IATF 16949:2016 (1st edition) represents an innovative document, given the strong orientation to the customer, with inclusion of a number of consolidated previous customer specific requirements. ISO/TS 16949 (along with supporting technical publications developed by original equipment manufacturers [herein referred to as OEMs] and the national automotive trade associations) introduced a common set of techniques and methods for common product and process development for automotive manufacturing worldwide. The IATF maintains strong cooperation with ISO by continuing liaison committee status ensuring continued alignment with ISO 9001. IATF 16949 emphasizes the development of a process oriented quality management system that provides for continual improvement, defect prevention and reduction of variation and waste in the supply chain. The goal is to meet customer requirements efficiently and effectively. The purpose of IATF 16949 is to develop a consensus regarding international fundamental quality system requirements, primarily for the participating companies’ direct suppliers of production materials, product or service parts or finishing services (e.g., heat treating, painting and plating).Develop policies and procedures for the common IATF third party registration scheme to ensure consistency worldwide. Provide appropriate training to support ISO/TS 16949 requirements and the IATF registration scheme. Establish formal liaisons with appropriate bodies to support IATF objectives.
User questions & answers