What are the major changes in the IATF 16949 standard?

The International Automotive Task Force (IATF) 16949 is a quality management system standard specifically developed for the automotive industry. Following is the list of major changes in the IATF 16949:2016 standard (New Requirements with reference to ISO/TS 16949:2009):-

  • Requirements for Internal & Second Party auditor competency
  • Nos of clauses increased from 8 clauses to 10 clauses.
  • Corporate Responsibilities Policies added.
  • Requirement of product with embedded software.
  • Warranty management process including NTF ( No trouble found) and use of automotive industry guidance.
  • Process owners & their responsibilities
  • Provide Guidance on step-by-step development of Supplier QMS
  • Requirements of Second party audits
  • Supplier Development
  • Total Productive Maintenance (with monitoring of MTBF, MTTR, Periodic Overhauling & OEE)
  • Management of Production tooling includes test & inspection tooling
  • Review by Top Management – Process effectiveness, efficiency, warranty, customer scorecard.
  • Documentation of action plan by Top Management, when customer performance targets are not met.
  • New definitions added like production shutdown, special status, trade-off curves, trade-off process, design for assembly, and design for manufacturing.

You may like to read more about: Corporate responsibility policies.


The latest version of the standard, IATF 16949:2016, has Some major changes in detail are:

Increased focus on risk management and mitigation:

The new standard places a greater emphasis on identifying, assessing and mitigating potential risks throughout the organization. This includes risks related to product safety, the environment, and the supply chain. Organizations are expected to have a formalized risk management process in place and to regularly assess and update their risk management plan.

More stringent requirements for supplier management:

IATF 16949:2016 requires organizations to have a robust process for managing their suppliers. This includes establishing supplier quality requirements, conducting supplier assessments, and monitoring supplier performance. The standard also requires organizations to have procedures in place for managing non-conforming products from suppliers and to communicate effectively with suppliers regarding quality issues.

Enhanced requirements for product safety and environmental protection:

The new standard includes increased requirements for product safety and environmental protection. Organizations must have processes in place to identify and manage potential safety and environmental hazards and to ensure that their products meet applicable regulations and standards.

Additional requirements for the management of change:

The IATF 16949:2016 standard includes new requirements for managing changes to the organization’s processes, products, and services. Organizations must have a formal change management process in place and evaluate the potential impact of changes on the quality management system and product safety.

Greater emphasis on the measurement and analysis of customer satisfaction:

The new standard places a stronger emphasis on measuring and analyzing customer satisfaction, and using this information to improve the quality management system and the organization’s products and services. Organizations are expected to regularly collect and analyze customer feedback, and to use this information to identify areas for improvement.

New requirements for internal auditing and management review:

IATF 16949:2016 includes new requirements for internal auditing and management review. Organizations must have a process in place for conducting internal audits to assess the effectiveness of the quality management system, and must regularly review the results of these audits to identify areas for improvement.

A stronger emphasis on leadership engagement and commitment to the quality management system:

The new standard emphasizes the role of senior leadership in driving quality and continuous improvement within the organization. Organizations are expected to have a clear quality policy, and top management must demonstrate their commitment to the quality management system through their actions and decisions.

Overall, these changes reflect the evolving needs of the automotive industry and help ensure that organizations have robust processes in place to deliver high-quality products and services to customers.

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