2019 AIAG Core Tools Revision Update

On the heels of the revision of ISO/TS 16949 to IATF 16949®, the AIAG (USA) and VDA-QMC (Germany) are collaborating to improve the automotive Core Tools.  These AIAG Core Tools are the building blocks of an effective quality management system and include Advanced Product Quality Planning & Control Plan (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Measurement System Analysis (MSA), and Statistical Process Control (SPC). Their starting point, aimed at improving risk assessment automotive industry wide, is the FMEA manual.

What is the AIAG?

The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) was established in 1982 and the German Industry Automotive Assn. (VDA-QMC) in 1997.  Each organization serves as the IATF® oversite office in their respective country. Both organizations serve the automotive industry by standardizing publications for the industry and by providing automotive industry training.

Currently suppliers to both North American and German OEMs are required to use different FMEA rating tables for severity, occurrence, and detection.  This has created confusion and related frustration for both suppliers and OEMs. The primary goal of the current collaboration is to revise the rating tables to provide a common rating scale for risk accepted by all German and North American OEMs.  The secondary goal is to update the manual in areas that need revision to support risk analysis and harmonize the documents overall. This is a great opportunity to combine the strengths from each FMEA manual with improved risk assessment tools that will support the advancing technology of the automotive industry.

2019 Revised AIAG and VDA FMEA Manual Release Date

The targeted release of the revised FMEA manual is June 2019 followed by the OEM release of their customer-specific requirements to support the changes.  AIAG and VDA-QMC plan further collaboration to continue harmonization and update of all automotive core tools manuals. These tools have proved so useful that they have also been adopted by the aerospace and defense manufacturing sectors. SimpleQuE has developed the AIAG and VDA FMEA Overview training needed for companies to implement the updated requirements.  Let our automotive experts partner with you as you roll out your FMEA upgrades to meet automotive customer demand and take your FMEA risk analysis to a higher level.

About the author:  Kim Roan has completed her undergrad in Mechanical Engineering and her Master’s in Psychology with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Kim is a simpleQuE consultant with over 20 years of automotive industry experience with 11 years working for a German automotive supplier in the USA and experience supplying OEMs in North America, Germany and Asia across the years of her career.

We Can Help: IATF 16949^® Experts a Click Away

If you’re searching for an IATF 16949:2016 consultant, our team at simpleQuE is well-positioned to support your IATF 16949® and MAQMSR consulting (Minimum Automotive Quality Management System Requirements), certification, maintenance, training and internal auditing needs. Our consultants are qualified, certified, and are experts on the automotive standards, customer-specific requirements, and AIAG or VDA core tools. In addition, many are current or former 3rd party auditors who bring valuable insight because of the knowledge gained from auditing for certification bodies.

SimpleQuE also offers a full line-up of IATF 16949® training courses which includes AIAG and VDA Core Tools, Root Cause Analysis and Problem Solving, Requirements and Implementation.  With IATF® also putting a major focus on internal auditor competency, it is essential to have IATF 16949® Internal Auditor Training. Our IATF 16949® auditor training utilizes the process audit approach. Contact Our IATF® consultants to learn more about the customized services offered to match your certification and training needs.

Obtaining and maintaining IATF 16949®, and meeting all of the related Customer Specific Requirements (CSRs), is difficult, which is why we’ve created free IATF 16949® tools, checklists and resources for your use. 

SimpleQuE is not associated with the IATF®, IAOB, ANAB®, IAQG®, and is not a certification body. SimpleQuE is an independent consulting, training, and second-party auditing service provider that assists a company on a path for the company to obtain and maintain certification through accredited certification bodies.