IATF 16949 certification

Automotive Quality Management System

The IATF 16949:2016 – Certification of the Automotive Sector Quality Management System standard replaces the old ISO/TS 16949, and represents a revised version of the management system.

Standards developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), of which leading automobile manufacturers in the world are members (BMW, Daimler, FIAT, Ford, General Motors, PSA Group, Renault and Volkswagen), were last modified with the version named IATF 16949:2016.

This standard is the most widespread in the world among the Quality Management Systems in the automotive industry, and harmonises the different audits and certification systems in the global automotive supply chain.

The new standard redefines the requirements of the quality management system for organisations in the automotive sector.

High Level Structure (HLS)

It is based on the most recent version of the ISO 9001:2015, having been founded on its structure and requirements, ex. High Level Structure – HLS. This means that an organisation in the automotive sector that requests IATF 16949 certification must also meet the requirements of ISO 9001:2015.

Therefore, the new IATF loses the configuration of Technical Specification, also known as TS, and the possibility of being read alone.

Peculiarities

Compared to the ISO 9001:2015 standard, IATF 16949:2016 focuses on some specific requirements:

• The issuing of a business plan that pays attention to efficiency performance as well as effectiveness. More specifically, an evaluation of the costs of non-quality, of the performance of client delivery, and of production system efficiency is required. We advise creating a dashboard of indicators typical of the Lean Six Sigma and TQM.
• Quality organigram on all shifts
• Identification in the field of the documentation of the technical specifications and drawings of any moulds and equipment.
• Identification of all the legal and standard requirements the product must meet
• Organisation and cleanliness of the work station (ex. 5S)
• Internal and external laboratories in conformity with ISO IEC 17025
• Segregation of the non-conform products and management of suspected non-conform products
• Process and product audits
• Impact of the corrective actions
• Pull-type manufacturing
• Risk-Based Thinking approach for the product and process based on the FMEA technique
• Identification and management of critical characteristics
• APQP – Advanced Product Quality Planning
• PPAP – Production Part Approval Process
• Issuing of specific control plans for the prototype, pre-series, and series with highlighting of the critical characteristics
• Operator awareness of the critical characteristics
• SPC – Statistical Process Control
• MSA – Measurement System Analysis
• Reduction in system set-up times
• Preventive and predictive maintenance
• Planning of the plant and layout
• Data analysis and problem solving
• Fail-safe systems
• Emergency plans

New provisions compared ISO/TS 16949

The latest modifications made to this standard include the concept of corporate social responsibility, greater attention paid to product safety requirements, increased transparency in the representation of suppliers and sub-contractors, management of the software integrated into the product, integration of risk management with emergency plants, increased focus on the field of required “context” as requested by the client.

ECO Certificazioni boasts a team of qualified assessors and three-decades of experience in the Certification of Management Systems and demonstrated expertise in the Automotive field.

Recipients

The standard is applicable to the sites of organisations where production and/or replacements parts relative to the automotive industry are manufactured, ex. passenger vehicles, motorcycles, lorries for heavy duty transport, lightweight commercial vehicles and buses, and the replacement parts specified by the client.