IATF 16949 AUTOMOBILE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

IATF 16949:2016 specified requirements for automotive suppliers and has been written and adopted by the industry as the new international quality management system. IATF 16949 certification specifies the quality management system requirements for the design/development, production, installation and servicing of all automotive-related products.

IATF 16949:2016 specification are prepared by a group of vehicle manufacturers known as the International Organization for Standardization (IATF). The IATF consists of General Motors Corporation, BMW Group, Fiat Auto, Ford Motor Company, DaimlerChrysler, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault SA and Volkswagen, plus national trade associations, AIAG (America), VDA (Germany), SMMT (UK), ANFIA (Italy) and FIEV (France)

On Road Automobile manufacturers are making IATF 16949 certification a mandatory requirement or encouraging their suppliers to upgrade to the new technical specification.

IATF 16949 goals are :

Customer specific requirements
Requirements related to safety and the environment, in addition to quality
Requirements for Supplier Development
Cross functional approach for implementation
Advanced product quality planning – APQP,
PPAP,
FMEA & Control Plan,
MSA & SPC

KEY BENEFITS OF ACHIEVING IATF 16949 CERTIFICATION TO YOUR ORGANIZATION

The benefits of IATF 16949 certification, which is a quality management system standard for the automotive industry, include:

IATF 16949:2016 implementation improves / leads to
Policies & Objectives set by 'top management'
Understanding of customer's requirements with a view to achieving Customer Satisfaction
Conformance to Legal and Regulatory Requirements
Improved internal and external Communications
Understanding of the organization's processes
Clear responsibilities and authorities agreed for all staff
Improved use of time and resources
Reduced wastage
Greater consistency and traceability of products and services
Improved morale and motivation
Customer Confidence, Satisfaction and Trust
Level of Assurance in Organizational Quality
Organizational Profitability
Ability to Differentiate Organization for Competitive Advantage
Organizational Credibility & Reputation

IATF 16949 REQUIREMENTS

The organization shall:

Identify the processes of the organization & interaction of these processes,
Determine operational controls to ensure processes are effective,
Control any outsourced processes that affect product conformity
Ensure the availability of adequate resources and information
Monitor, measure and analyse processes, and
Implement necessary actions to achieve planned objectives and targets

IATF 16949 DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

IATF 16949 documentation shall include:

The quality management system documentation shall include

Quality policy and quality objectives,
Quality manual,
Documented procedures & work instructions,
Documents and records needed for effective implementation of processes,
Quality requirements by the applicable regulatory authorities.

The extent of IATF 16949 documentation may vary from one organization to another due to the:

Size of organization and type of activities
Complexity of processes and their interaction
Competence of personnel

Documentation may be in any form or type of medium

IATF 16949 IS APPLICABLE TO WHICH INDUSTRIES?

IATF 16949 certification requirements are applicable to the following types of automotive supplier:

Trucks (light, medium and heavy), buses, Cars, motorcycles.
Supplier providing parts, components, products , sub-assemblies and services such as heat treating, welding, painting; etc., for the automotive OEM's subscribing to this standard.

WHAT ARE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT IN IATF 16949 THAN ISO 9001?

There are about 130 additional requirements in IATF 16949 certification. Many of the additions clarify rather than impose additional requirements. A progressive organization could easily interpret ISO 9001:2015 and do all the things required in IATF 16949.

WHAT ARE IATF 16949 SPECIFICATION?

Defines requirements for the design, development, production, installation and servicing of automotive related products
Is applicable to organizational where customer-specific product is manufactured for production and/or service applications.
Is applicable throughout the automotive supply chain
Support functions as design & development centers and distribution centers cannot obtain stand-alone certification to IATF 16949. They are to be audited as part of the site they support.