ISO/TS 16949 is an ISO technical specification which aligns existing US, German, French and Italian automotive quality system standards within the global automotive industry.

 

It specifies the quality system requirements for the design/development, production, installation and servicing of automotive-related products.The global automotive industry demands world class levels of product quality, productivity and competitiveness as well as continual improvement. To achieve this goal many vehicle manufacturers insist that suppliers adhere to strict technical specifications laid out in a quality management standard for suppliers to the automotive sector, known as ISO /TS 16949. ISO/TS 16949 has been developed by the industry, the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), to encourage improvement in both the supply chain and the certification process. In fact, for the majority of leading vehicle manufacturers, certification to this specification is a mandatory requirement for doing business.

This specification aligns and supersedes existing US, German, French and Italian automotive quality system standards, including QS-9000, VDA6.1, EAQF and ASQ. It specifies the quality system requirements for the design/development, production, installation and servicing of all automotive-related products. First published in March 1999 and revised in 2002, there are now over 25,000 certificates issued in 80 countries and economies.
 

Who is it relevant to?

ISO/TS 16949is relevant to all types of automotive supply companies, from small manufacturers to multi-site multinational organizations located anywhere in the world. However, it is only applicable to sites where production or service parts are manufactured.Organizations wishing to break into the automotive market must wait until they are on an automotive customer's potential supplier list before they can progress with certification to this specification.
 

Benefits of ISO/TS 16949 - Automotive - Sector Specific QMS

• Licence to trade
For most vehicle manufacturers, certification is a mandatory requirement that is internationally recognized – helping you to do business worldwide.

• Reduces waste and prevents defects
The specification is based on ISO 9001 and encourages a process approach. Understanding the inter-relationship of processes through the use of the standard can enable improved product and process quality and ultimately avoids variation in the supply chain.

• Flexible and easy to adopt
ISO /TS 16949 is based on ISO 9001, making the process approach easy to adopt and integrate with other key management systems including ISO 14001 Environment and ISO 45001 Occupational Health and Safety. It also complements many existing business improvement tools, such as FMEA, PPAP and Six Sigma.

• Brand reputation
Certification can provide additional confidence and consistency to all interested parties in global sourcing, enabling greater business opportunities and attracting more investment prospects.

• Saves money by avoiding duplication
For suppliers to a number of different vehicle manufacturers, certification to ISO/TS 16949 avoids the need for multiple certificates to VDA6.1, EAQF, QS-9000 and AVSF, thereby eliminating duplication in preparation and documentation as well as second- and third-party audits.
 

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