ISO/TS 16949 


Introduction
ISO/TS 16949 has replaced QS-9000 as the key quality standard in the Automotive sector. With present day mergers and acquisitions and with manufacturing centres being set up in low cost countries there are, effectively, no international barriers to the sourcing of components. However, consistent high quality supply remains a prerequisite to commercial success. ISO/TS 16949 represents another step on the road to safeguarding your company's future.

OEM’s such as Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault, Fiat, BMW, Daimler Benz and Volkswagen support ISO/TS 16949. Japanese and Korean manufacturers may also recognize ISO/TS16949:2002 as a valid supplier approval mechanism but you should check the position via the IAOB website www.iaob.org.

Note that some customer specifics may be incorporated into purchasing agreements

What is ISO/TS16949:2002?
ISO/ TS16949:2002 is an ISO Technical Specification which aligns existing US, German, French and Italian automotive quality system standards within the global automotive industry. ISO/TS16949:2002 specifies the quality system requirements for the design/ development, production , installation and servicing of automotive-related products (with a few exceptions).

Who are the authors of ISO/TS16949:2002?
ISO/ TS16949 was written by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF). The IATF consists of an international group of vehicle manufacturers, BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat Auto, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault SA and Volkswagen, plus national trade associations, AIAG ( America), VDA ( Germany), SMMT (UK), ANFIA ( Italy) and FIEV (France).

The Japanese vehicle manufacturers:2002, and are expected to join IATF as association, JAMA, have been involved in the development of ISO/TS16949 full members.

What are the Eligibility requirements for ISO/TS16949:2002?
  • ISO/TS16949:2002 is applicable to automotive production and service part organizations.
  • Any potential supplier can only be accepted for registration if they have a documented request for quotation or is on a bid list of a subscribing customer.

This means that:
  • ISO/TS 16949:2002 are also applicable to vehicle manufacturing plants such as Jaguar, DaimlerChrysler, Land Rover etc.
  • Some organizations that were previously certified to QS-9000 may not be eligible for ISO/TS 16949:2002 registration such as stockists who have no automotive customers.
  • Organizations which have automotive and non-automotive product will require separate certification for these separate product groups. They would have ISO/TS16949:2002 certification for their automotive activities, and ISO 9001:2000 (or an alternative specified by their non-automotive customers) for their non-automotive business.
  • 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 registration.

Will ISO/TS16949 be accepted in addition to current automotive standards such as VDA 6.1?

Yes. Along with customer specific requirements, ISO/TS16949 has been accepted as equivalent to the following automotive quality standards:
  • VDA 6.1 ( Germany)
  • AVSQ ( Italy)
  • EAQF (France)

What are the benefits of Certification to ISO/TS 16949?

Organizations can be certified against one international automotive management system standard. This should lead to such benefits as:
  • A reduction in multiple 3rd party registrations freeing up time and supplier resources for other quality activities and improvement opportunities
  • A reduction in 2nd party audits again freeing up time
  • Giving a common quality system approach in the supply chain for development and consistency, allowing organizations within the supply chain to work more effectively together.
  • The use of common terminology, which will improve understanding of quality requirements, making implementation and maintenance of the system easier.
  • ISO/ TS16949 certification bring accepted and recognized globally.

Who can I contact for further information?

If you have a customer pressing you to implement an ISO/TS 16949 quality management system and need advice contact CLM Training to discuss the options.