Who can apply IATF 16949?

Organizations in the automotive supply chain that meet the following criteria may implement IATF 16949 and seek certification:

a) Scope of application

• IATF 16949, together with ISO 9001:2015, specifies quality management system requirements for the design and development, production and, where applicable, assembly and servicing of automotive-related products.

b) The term “automotive” includes passenger cars, trucks (light, medium and heavy), buses and motorcycles.

c) Manufacturing and service sites in the automotive supply chain include:

• Sites where value-added manufacturing processes take place.
• Supplier facilities that provide value-added parts, components, products, subassemblies and services within the supply chain of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
• Supplier facilities in the automotive supply chain that manufacture production materials and parts;
• Facilities that manufacture assembled products or provide value-added finishing services, such as heat treatment, welding, painting and electroplating, for OEMs applying this standard.
• Supporting functions, whether located on site or elsewhere — such as design centres, headquarters and distribution centres — must be included in the audit but cannot obtain independent certification under this standard.

Note: the following products and organizations are outside the scope described in this article:

• Supply chains for motorized vehicles used for industrial, agricultural or off-highway purposes, such as mining, forestry and construction.
• Automotive aftermarket parts manufactured to the requirements of IATF-registered OEMs but not purchased or released through those OEMs.
• Manufacturers of tools, production equipment, jigs, fixtures and moulds used in the automotive industry.
• Remanufactured or reworked automotive parts.
• Distribution centres, warehouses, parts-packaging providers, logistics support providers and subsequent services.
• Supporting functions that do not perform manufacturing, whether on site or off site, cannot be certified independently to IATF 16949. They must be audited and included within the IATF 16949 certification of the manufacturing site they support.