IATF 16949 Automotive Quality Management Systems
To meet customer, industry and regulatory requirements for safety and reliability, organisations must implement a standards-based quality management system.
Applicable to all organisations that manufacture components, assemblies or parts in the supply chain, including Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), IATF 16949 helps manufacturers meet customer requirements efficiently and effectively.
Key Benefits
Improve Decision Making
Use data to make evidence-based decisions around resources, processes and risks.
Optimise Processes
Understand process interactions to maximise efficiency and reduce costs by embedding a continual improvement culture.
Supply the Automotive Industry
IATF 16949 certification demonstrates the ability to supply high-quality, defect-free products to the automotive industry, improving brand reputation.
Engage Employees
Involving employees in improving their work processes leads to better safety and productivity outcomes.
What Is It?
Following best-practice QMS Standards, IATF 16949 describes a systematic approach to quality management.
Automotive industry organisations require a systemic approach to quality management that provides for continual improvement, defect prevention and the reduction of supply chain variation and waste.The IATF 16949 Standard defines a quality management system for automotive production and relevant service parts organisations. Based on ISO 9001, it draws on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle and risk-based thinking to create a framework for organisational improvement.
Scope
IATF 16949 describes requirements for a QMS covering the design, development, production, assembly, installation and services of automotive-related products, including those with embedded software.
Context of the Organisation
The organization must understand the external and internal factors that may affect its ability to achieve the desired results.
Leadership
The organisation’s leaders must commit to continuing improvement, providing sufficient resources, ensuring the quality policy and objectives are in place, and clearly communicating roles, responsibilities and authorities clear.
Planning
Planning must address actions to address risks and opportunities; quality objectives and how to achieve them; and change management.
Support
The organisation must ensure sufficient resources are allocated to the quality management system, and carefully monitor their use and effectiveness.
Operation
The organisation should plan, implement and control processes to meet requirements for providing its products and services.
Performance Evaluation
The organisation must be able to demonstrate and verify process capability as specified by the customer’s approval process requirements.
Improvement
IATF 16949 requires a commitment to continuous improvement, managing nonconformities, solving problems, error-proofing, managing warranties and taking corrective action when required.
The Real Life Applications of Risk-Based Thinking
All organisations face risks and opportunities. Risk-based thinking can help you understand which risks to avoid, and which to embrace.