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  • A GUIDE TO IATF 16949


  • 06 June 2017
  • The IATF 16949 technical standard, formerly known as ISO/TS 16949 or simply TS 16949, governs several aspects of quality management within the automotive industry. Learn more about IATF 16949.
  • What Is IATF 16949?
  • The IATF 16949 technical standard, formerly known as ISO/TS 16949 or simply TS 16949, governs several aspects of quality management within the automotive industry. Originally published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1999, the most recent revision of IATF 16949 was adopted and published in 2016 by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF).
  • IATF 16949 specifically addresses the following aspects of quality management systems in the automotive industry:
  • •Process efficiency and effectiveness
  • •Customer satisfaction
  • •Continuous improvement
  • •Defect prevention
  • •Supply chain optimization
  • IATF 16949 is not a stand-alone quality management standard, but is implemented as a supplement to, and is to be used in conjunction with, ISO 9001:2015, a quality management standard applied to businesses across several industries. However, the generality of ISO 9001 combined with the specialized considerations of the automotive industry meant that a more automotive-specific standard had to be created to bridge the gap. TS 16949 was created in response to that need.
  • Since its initial development in 1999, the Automotive Standard has steadily grown into an international standard for the automotive industry. In the years following its establishment, TS 16949 has undergone several changes and iterations, adapting to the constantly changing automotive industry. The latest of these revisions was developed and published in October 2016 by the IATF with approval by a quality committee of the ISO. As a result of the change in publisher, this latest revision is formally called IATF 16949:2016, or simply IATF 16949.
  • Like all certification standards, the publication of the new IATF 16949 standard means automotive manufacturers certified in the 2009 iteration will need to transition to meet the new requirements of the 2016 revision. The deadline for this transition is September 14, 2018, which is the date all TS 16949 certifications will expire and will no longer be available for renewal.
  • As automotive businesses prepare for the transition from TS 16949:2009 to IATF 16949:2016, it is crucial for both certified and uncertified organizations to understand the key differences between the 2009 and 2016 revisions, the benefits of IATF 16949 certification and how to appropriately prepare for either the transition or for first time certification.
  • About the IATF
  • One of the first things most will notice about the new IATF 16949:2016 standard is the change in name.
  • The IATF is a quality control group consisting of manufacturers and trade groups associated with the automotive industry. The purpose of the IATF is to control the quality of products within the automotive industry on behalf of their customers. Just a few manufacturer members include the BMW Group, FCA Italy S.p.A. (formerly Fiat Group Automobile), Daimler AG, the FCA USA LLC (formerly the Chrysler Group), General Motors Company, Ford Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroen, Volkswagen AG and Renault SA. Trade groups involved in the IATF include the AIAG of the United States, ANFIA of Italy, FIEV of France, VDA of Germany and SMMT of the United Kingdom.
  • Previously, the standard was called ISO/TS 16949, indicating that the standard had been published by the International Organization of Standards (ISO) and received the two-thirds vote necessary to be approved as a technical specification, denoted by the TS in the name. The 2016 publication however, was developed by the IATF and approved by the ISO, leading to the new revision being called IATF 16949 instead.
  • IATF 16949 and ISO 9001
  • Like many industry quality management system standards, IATF 16949 is designed to work in conjunction with the most recent version of ISO 9001, just as TS 16949:2009 was designed to work with ISO 9001:2008. Together, these two standards define the requirements of quality management systems along with the development, production and installation of automotive parts. This supplementary quality of IATF 16949 means organizations seeking certification must comply with both IATF 16949:2016 and ISO 9001:2015 standards.
  • Some of the big changes to the ISO 9001:2015 that directly relate to IATF 16949 include:
  • •Altered formatting using an Annex SL model with a 10-clause structure
  • •More comprehensive approaches to external processes, products and services
  • •Increased focuses on interested parties, stakeholders and company performance
  • •Expanded focus on risk-based thinking and risk mitigation
  • •Clarification of organizational concepts like organizational context and knowledge
  • Key Differences Between ISO/TS 16949 and IATF 16949
  • Unlike its predecessors, IATF 16949 follows the structure of ISO 9001:2015 without containing the text. This is primarily because IATF 16949 requires complete conformance with ISO 9001:2015 requirements and is specifically designed to be used in conjunction with ISO 9001. IATF 16949 accomplishes these goals by mimicking the 10-part structure used in ISO 9001:2015 and sharing similar headings and section content with the new ISO 9001 standard. This makes the standards easier to use together, while simultaneously ensuring all ISO 9001 requirements are associated with the correct IATF 16949 text.
  • Beyond this structural difference, there are numerous key updates to the ISO/TS 16949 text that are apparent in the 2016 revision. Most of these changes reflect the changes in the automotive industry and marketplace that have occurred between 2009 and 2016. Some of these changes are listed below, while more extensive changes are explained further on in this text:
  • •Incorporation of product safety requirements and considerations throughout the manufacturing process and product lifespan
  • •Addition of corporate responsibility policies and standards, including but not limited to codes of conduct and ¡°whistle blowing¡± policies
  • •Expansion of risk analysis considerations and processes beyond ISO 9001 requirements
  • •Clarification of requirements pertaining to nonconforming, reworked or repaired products
  • •Enhancement of manufacturing feasibility analysis requirements to cover a wider range of processes, products and procedural changes
  • •Defined explanations of first, second and third party auditor requirements and duties, specifically pertaining to competency assurance
  • •and documentation
  • •Additional requirements and considerations related to the management of embedded software within automotive products
  • •Expanded process requirements for assessing and selecting suppliers
  • •Enhancement and expansion of requirements related to product identification and traceability
  • •Incorporation of alternative process controls, including protocols relating to temporary process alterations
  • •Clarification of Customer Specific Requirements (CSRs) and incorporation of traditional CSRs into normal processes to reduce the number of specialty CSRs manufacturers and suppliers are expected to implement
  • •Inclusion of warranty management process requirements, specifically in businesses where warranties are expected by customers
  • •Elaboration of expectations related to Total Productive Maintenance, contingency planning, management reviews and the frequency of internal audits
  • •Addition of requirements pertaining to documentation of organizational compliance and error-proofing


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