IATF 16949

IATF 16949 Developed by the International Automotive Task Force, IATF 16949 certification is a mandatory industry requirement that aligns automotive quality management systems throughout the world.

What is the difference between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949?
The ISO 9001 applies to all the sites of the organization. At the same time, IATF 16949 is applicable for the organization sites that produce service parts or parts for car assembly, not the aftermarket parts. The ISO 9001 focuses on customer satisfaction, while the IATF 16949 focuses on customer-specific requirements.

What organizations are eligible for compliance with IATF 16949?
Manufacturing sites where production, service parts, or accessory parts are mechanically attached or electrically connected to the vehicle, prior to being supplied to their automotive customer, are the only organizations eligible for certification.

What are the 5 Core Quality Tools?
APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning)
PPAP (Production Part Approval Process)
FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis)
MSA (Measurement Systems Analysis)
SPC (Statistical Process Control)

The IATF 16949 standard is based on the following quality management principles:
Customer focus
Leadership Engagement of people
Process approach
Improvement
Evidence-based decision making
Relationship management

The IATF 16949 Automotive QMS standard defines the quality management system requirements for the design and development, production and if relevant to your organization, relevant, assembly, installation, and services of automotive-related products, such as products with embedded software.

Organizations will get certified to this standard in order to demonstrate their ability to provide consistent products and services that meet customer, statutory and regulatory requirements. Certification is granted by accredited certification bodies (registrars) that will audit an organization at planned intervals to confirm conformance to IATF 16949, which also means ISO 9001.

Sections of the IATF 16949 Standard

Section 0: Introduction
This section introduces the purpose, principles and key concepts of the standard, including risk-based thinking and the process approach.

Section 1: Scope
This section defines the scope of the IATF 16949 standard. In summary, the scope includes specifying requirements for a QMS of any organization.

Section 2: Normative References
The supporting standard referenced in ISO 9001:2015 and is indispensable for its application is IATF 16949:2016, which covers terminology and fundamentals. This and other supporting standards make up the 16949 series.

Section 3: Terms and Definitions
Terminology used throughout this standard comes directly from IATF 16949:2016, Quality management systems – Fundamentals and vocabulary.

Section 4: Context of the Organization
Determine external and internal issues, the needs and expectations of interested parties, quality management system scope and its processes.

Section 5: Leadership
Top management to demonstrate leadership and commitment, establish and communicate a quality policy, and ensure responsibilities and authorities are assigned, communicated and understood.

Section 6: Planning
Organizational Quality Management System Planning to address organizational risks, opportunities, changes and quality objectives.

Section 7: Support
Provide resource needs, ensure employees are competent and aware, and include documented information to support your quality management system.

Section 8: Operation
Plan and control processes needed to meet the requirements for products and services (Design and development, external providers, production and service provision, release of products and services, nonconforming outputs).

Section 9: Performance Evaluation
Monitor, measure, analyze, and evaluate your quality management system.

Section 10: Improvement
Select opportunities for improvement, take action against nonconformities, implement corrective actions as necessary, and continually improve your quality management system.