TS 16949 Frequently Asked Questions

(For an in-depth understanding of the ISO/TS 16949:2002 standard, read our free ebook Understanding ISO/TS 16949:2002)

(Note: Please read this TS 16949 FAQ in conjunction with the ISO 9001:2000 FAQ)

What is ISO/TS16949:2002?

ISO/TS 16949:2002 is an ISO Technical Specification, which integrates existing American and European automotive quality management systems standards within the global automotive industry, with the aim of eliminating the need for multiple certifications to satisfy multiple customer requirements.

Using ISO 9001:2000 as its foundation, ISO/TS 16949:2002 specifies the quality management system (QMS) requirements for the design & development, production, installation and servicing of automotive related products. In addition, there are customer specific requirements that are required by individual IATF subscribing vehicle manufacturers.

In the past a variety of standards were in use by various automotive companies around the world. ISO/TS 16949 is designed to eventually replace all of these standards as the single worldwide automotive sector QMS standard. Previous standards include the following:
• QS 9000 (Ford, General Motors, Daimler Chrysler)
• EAQF 94 (PSA Peugeot, Citroën, Renault, FIEV)
• VDA 6 (Audi, BMW, VW, Daimler Chrysler)
• AVSQ ‘94 (Fiat Auto, IVECO)

Who authored ISO/TS16949:2002?
ISO/TS 16949:2002 was developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF), in conjunction with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

The IATF consists of an international group of vehicle manufacturers - BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Volkswagen - plus national trade associations - AIAG (America), VDA (Germany), SMMT (UK), ANFIA (Italy) and FIEV (France).

While the Japanese vehicle manufacturers association, JAMA, were also involved in the development of ISO/TS 16949:2002, they do not formally subscribe to the TS 16949 document as yet or require it of their supply chain.

What are the deadlines set by automotive OEM’s for TS 16949:2002 certification?
Organizations supplying these OEM’s must obtain TS 16949 certification by the following dates:
Dec 14, 2006  Ford Motor Company      
Dec 14, 2006  General Motors              
July 1, 2006    Daimler/Chrysler              
July 1, 2006    Renault                          
July 1, 2006    PSA - Peugeot Citroen      
July 1, 2006    Visteon                          

What is the format of ISO/TS16949:2002?
TS 16949:2002 is built upon all of the requirements, principles and concepts included in ISO 9001:2000, and goes further in specifying supplemental requirements that are specific to the automotive sector.

The TS 16949 specific clauses may:

- Include new requirements over and above ISO 9001 requirements

- Supplement or expand on the existing ISO 9001 requirement

- Call for prescriptive ways to address ISO or TS requirements 

These automotive sector requirements also refer to automotive core tools (reference documents) such as the Advanced Quality Planning (eg. APQP), Part Approval Process (eg. PPAP), Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), FMEA and SPC.

Customer specific requirements are required by individual IATF subscribing customers and are provided separately on their respective websites and on trade association websites representing them (e.g., IAOB).

Who does ISO/TS16949:2002 apply to?
TS 16949 is applicable to the following types of automotive supply chain products and facilities:
1. Cars, trucks (light, medium and heavy), buses, motorcycles.

2. Supplier ‘sites’  providing value-added parts, components, products , sub-assemblies and services up the supply chain to the OEM. TS 16949 requirements may be applied to any site in the supply chain by its customer

3. Supply chain facilities or ‘sites’ that manufacture production materials; production and service parts; assemblies; or provide (value-added) finishing services such as heat treating, welding, painting; etc., for the automotive OEM’s subscribing to this standard.

4. This means that all Tier 1 suppliers providing such products or services directly to IATF subscribing automotive OEM’s must get TS 16949 certification and they in turn may flow TS 16949 conformity or certification requirements down to Tier 2 suppliers and so on. The flow down to tier 2 or 3 has now become more the norm than the exception.

Who/what is excluded from TS 16949:2002
TS 16949 cannot be applied to the following products or organizations:

• The supply chain for agricultural, off-highway (mining, forestry, construction, etc.) vehicles.
• Automotive after-market service parts made to original IATF subscribing OEMspecifications, but not procured and released through them.
• Manufacturers of tooling; production equipment; jigs; fixtures; molds; etc used by theauto industry.
• Remanufactured automobile parts.
• Distribution centers; warehousers; parts packagers; logistics support; and sequencers.
• Support functions (non-manufacturing, whether on-site or off), cannot obtain stand-alone TS 16949 certification. They must be audited and included with the certification ofthe manufacturing site they support.

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