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The Impact of ISO/TS 16949 on Automotive Industry
Quality Management System
2015-02-13
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) constantly seeks to evaluate and adopt new concepts in the field of quality management. Despite the fact that ISO 9001:2008 sets the quality requirements which are intended to be applicable to all types of organizations, regardless of the type, size, or product provided, ISO has developed sector specific quality management standards. These standards are meant to complement quality management system in defining best practice within certain sectors, and tackle the issues which ISO 9001 does not cover. Some examples of sector-specific quality management standards include ISO/TS 16949 (automotive industry), ISO/TS 29001 (petroleum, petrochemical, and natural gas industries), ISO/TS 17582 (electoral organizations), ISO 13485 (medical devices), and so on.
ISO/TS 16949 standard defines the requirements for the production of automotive-related products, tailored to the needs of each organization based on automotive industry’s best practice. This standard uses ISO 9001 as a starting platform, but it has additional requirements that are specific to automotive industry. The standard was last reviewed in 2009 by the ISO technical committee ISO/TC 176 and the International Automotive Task Force (IATF). The ISO Survey of 2013 shows a growth in the use of ISO/TS 16949 by a 7% in 2013 compared to 2012.
The increased global automotive industry competition and customer pressure have led many producers search new ways how to get better than the competitor, and offer superior quality products. ISO/TS 16949 has had a significant impact in the automotive industry, because it has offered a superior quality management system for automotive operations. The standard has helped the producers from emerging economies establish relationships with producers in developing countries, because the ISO/TS 16949 certificate serves as proof that they are capable of providing products in accordance with the best industry practices.
The ISO Survey 2013 shows that the countries that have mostly implemented ISO/TS 16949 were China, Republic of Korea, and India. 60% of the issued certificates worldwide belonged to Asian companies, which shows that the automotive industry is booming in this part of the world. This standard facilitates international trade, and helps organizations become more competitive. Companies certified to ISO/TS 16949 demonstrate that they are capable of providing quality products. Many companies from the automotive industry have enhanced the organization’s status after implementing the automotive quality management system. The certificated organizations have general improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of quality management, and also other significant changes such as:
• Improved product and process quality
• Good governance
• Increased international recognition
• Improved customer focus
• Improved employee morale
The growth of ISO/TS 16949 certifications came as a result of the countless benefits that automotive producers have enjoyed by implementing this standard. Furthermore, the growth in the use of automotive quality management system also results from automotive consumers mandating certification. This standard is considered to offer better results for producers compared to ISO 9001. ISO/TS 16949 was created with the purpose of complementing the QMS in accordance with the needs of automotive producers. Implementation of ISO/TS 16946 gives businesses dual benefits, firstly by benefiting from continuous improvement of the quality management system, and secondly, by enhancing the businesses ability to achieve high competitiveness in the automotive industry.
PECB (Professional Evaluation and Certification Board) is a certification body for persons on a wide range of international standards. It will soon offer ISO/TS 16949 training and certification services for professionals wanting to gain a comprehensive knowledge in quality management for the automotive industry, its principles, core subjects and issues.
Quality Management Trainings offered by PECB:
• Certified ISO/TS 16949 Lead Implementer (5 days)
• Certified ISO/TS 16949 Lead Auditor (5 days)
• Certified ISO/TS 16949 Foundation (2 days)
• ISO/TS 16949 Introduction (1 day)
Lorika Bina is the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy (TTE) Product Manager at PECB. She is in charge of developing and maintaining training courses related to TTE. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact her at: training@pecb.com
For further information, please visit PECB ISO/TS 16949.
