Automotive Industry Quality Management System IATF 16949:2016 Edition.

IATF stands for International Automotive Task Force. The IATF is an international group of automotive manufacturers that are dedicated to providing high-quality auto parts all over the world. IATF put together a list of stringent requirements to ensure quality in all IATF 16949:2016 certified products.

1. Introduction

The International Automotive Task Force (IATF) was established in 1996 by leading global automotive manufacturers and associations to create a specialized organization for coordinating international automotive quality system standards. Based on the ISO 9001:2000 standard and recognized by ISO/TC 176, the IATF developed the ISO/TS 16949:2002 standard. This was updated in 2009 to ISO/TS 16949:2009, and the latest version in use is IATF 16949:2016.

The IATF was formed to harmonize international automotive quality system standards and is composed of major automotive manufacturers and associations from around the world.

2. IATF 16949:2016 Application Conditions

  1. Business License Validity: The institution’s business license must be valid for more than 1 year.
  2. Address Consistency: For manufacturing enterprises, the address on the business license must match the address of the site being audited.
  3. Industry Qualifications: Relevant automotive industry qualifications must be provided.
  4. Scope of Business: The business license must cover production and operations within the automotive industry.

3. IATF 16949:2016 Certification Process

  1. Application Submission: Submit an application for certification, including required documentation and fees.
  2. Pre-audit (Optional): Conduct a pre-audit to assess current compliance and identify areas needing improvement.
  3. Stage 1 Audit: Perform an initial audit to review the management system’s documentation and readiness for the main audit.
  4. Stage 2 Audit: Conduct a detailed audit to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the management system.
  5. Audit Report: Prepare a report detailing the audit findings, including any non-conformities.
  6. Certification Decision: The certification body reviews the audit report and decides on certification.
  7. Issuance of Certificate: Upon confirmation of compliance, the certification body issues an IATF 16949:2016 certificate.
  8. Surveillance Audits: Conduct periodic surveillance audits to ensure ongoing compliance and effectiveness of the management system.