ISO/TS 16949, the globally recognized quality management standard for the automotive sector, was developed by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF). The IATF have introduced a new version of the Rules, 4th edition. The implementation period allowed for implementation ends on 1 April 2014.

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What are the main changes and how will they impact your business?

• The changes are intended to strengthen the value of the certification.
• There is a new focus on the areas where the operation of the scheme appear not to have been as successful as the IATF expected.
• There will be more emphasis placed on audit performance.
• Looking at the changes in detail identifies that there are very few areas that have not been changed. The changes start in section 1 and continue through to the last appendix.

In short it appears the changes to the Rules align with the IATF strategy of ‘raising the bar’. More emphasis has now been placed on coverage and detail of audits, resulting in an increase in the requirement perspective and the consequences for not performing to expectation, now more severe.

To learn more about the new version download the PDF to get a full overview of the 4th edition.

What happens next?