Automotive ISO Standard

This standard was developed from the ISO 9001 Quality standard and adapted for use in the Automotive industry by a range of key players within that industry. Since then it has been updated several times by experts from around the globe to ensure that it matches both the needs of the ISO approach and the Automotive industry writ large.

Because of this inception process, the Automotive industry is keen that suppliers use this standard to optimise their operations and keep quality and reliability in line with what the larger manufacturers need in order to produce a repeating high quality output.  Thus many smaller suppliers find that to be long term players in this industry, they are effectively obliged to get this standard.

Nonetheless, it does provide the framework and efficiencies to match the typical other ISO standards and any organisation that may already have ISO 9001 Quality standard, will gain the benefits in the process of adopting the TS/IATF 16949 Automotive standard.

What’s in a name? Is it TS or IATF? Does it matter?

The original version was called the ISO/TS 16949 and related to a version dated 2009. This has now been updated to IATF 16949:2016. No run solely by the International Automotive Task Force (hence the initial acronym change), this now represents the latest version of this standard.

All old TS standards have had to be transitioned to this new version by September 2018.

The new version still utilises the ISO approach, and has adopted the latest structure and risk approaches adopted recently by other ISO standards.

So what does the IATF 16949 cover?

As with all standards, this ensures an efficient and effective internal process, combined with high training and strong controls on quality, customer satisfaction assessment and review.

In line with the needs of the Automotive industry, it also ensures supply chain efficiencies, order processing and reliability issues too.