Objectives of IATF 16949

IATF 16949 is intended to achieve the following objectives:

• Ensure that commitments made to customers can be fulfilled, as in ISO 9001.
• Ensure consistent product supply, as in ISO 9001.
• Promote continual improvement, as in ISO 9001.
• Ensure consistent product quality while also reducing variation in product quality, with automotive-specific expectations beyond ISO 9001.
• Prevent defects at their source rather than allowing them to occur, with automotive-specific expectations beyond ISO 9001.
• Reduce waste throughout the supply chain for components and products, with automotive-specific expectations beyond ISO 9001.

6 Core Tools that support the objectives of IATF 16949

• APQP — Advanced Product Quality Planning: Plan activities, assign responsibilities and monitor product and process development milestones to meet customer requirements.
• Control Plan (CP): Define the characteristics to be controlled, measurement methods, sample sizes, frequencies, responsibilities and reaction plans for abnormal conditions.
• PPAP — Production Part Approval Process: Prepare evidence and customer submissions to demonstrate that products and processes meet the agreed requirements.
• FMEA — Failure Mode and Effects Analysis: Identify design and process risks, assess their priority and determine actions to prevent or reduce those risks.
• MSA — Measurement Systems Analysis: Assess the reliability of measurement data and select appropriate studies, such as repeatability, reproducibility, bias, linearity and stability.
• SPC — Statistical Process Control: Monitor variation, use control charts and evaluate process capability when the required analytical conditions are met.

The six Core Tools are APQP, Control Plan, PPAP, FMEA, MSA and SPC. Organizations need to determine the document editions and application methods appropriate to customer requirements. AIAG now publishes APQP and Control Plan as separate manuals; see the latest information from AIAG.

Using the six Core Tools together supports quality planning, defect prevention, variation control and process improvement. The Control Plan translates risk analysis results into specific controls at each process step, including measurement methods, monitoring frequencies and actions to take when abnormal conditions are detected.