The International Automotive Task Force (IATF) has updated its ISO/TS 16949 to IATF 16949 Transition Strategy document to address questions that were raised at the document’s rollout at the 2016 AIAG Quality Summit.
The document provides guidance for suppliers and certification bodies to prepare for a successful transition to the revised automotive quality management system standard IATF 16949. This revised standard replaces ISO/TS 16949:2009, and certificates to this standard will no longer be valid after September 14, 2018.
The guidance document covers:
- Timing requirements to launch and complete the transitions
- Transition audit requirements for certification bodies and suppliers
- IATF 16949 certificate issuance
The revised transition strategy document dated October 3 incorporates frequently asked questions that were approved by the IATF. Along with correcting minor grammatical errors, key changes to the document include:
- A harmonization of two misleading requirements on pages four and 10 (concerning the failure to conduct a transition audit to IATF 16949 in time) was introduced.
- The misunderstanding of the last bullet point on page four (concerning the question at what audits a transition audit is permitted) was eliminated.
- The certification body will be permitted to use one auditor from the transition audit team to participate in the following surveillance audits as audit team member.
- A clarification was added to clarify that a (new) subsequent audit cycle starts from the last day of the transition audit.
The guidance document is applicable to all relevant parties including organizations certified to ISO/TS 16949 or those using the standard, certification bodies, and auditors. The documents supersedes the previously communicated IATF transition plan that was posted on the IATF Global Oversight website in April.
Click here to access the IATF 16949 transition strategy document.