Number of IATF 16949® certified sites by country with 500 or more sites as of Aug. 31, 2021.  There are 80,620 certified sites worldwide up from 75,970 in October 2019. Click on the image to see the full view.

2021 AIAG Quality Summit and IATF® Updates

Participants from 25 countries, along with SimpleQuE’s Shirley Kennedy, attended the 2021 AIAG Quality Summit virtually on October 5 – 6.  The range of topics included Quality 4.0, remote audits, updates from IAOB and the OEMs, the trends for electric and autonomous vehicles, and the rapid transformation of the automotive supply chain to provide the vehicles of the future.

The infographic above shows the latest number of IATF 16949® certified sites by country with 500 or more sites as of Aug. 31, 2021.  

There are 80,620 certified sites worldwide up from 75,970 in October 2019.

The theme of Quality 4.0 was interwoven throughout the summit and it’s breaking and reshaping the entire map of the automotive industry.  The term refers to the future of quality and organizational excellence within the context of Industry 4.0.  In the auto industry, the role of quality professionals is especially critical in these times to lead companies in advancing proven quality disciplines to new, digital and disruptive technologies. 

Interesting and helpful information was shared at the AIAG Quality Summit, including a vision of the future for the automotive industry – electric vehicles, intelligent technology, autonomous driving…a transformation of the automotive supply chain.  This means there is a huge potential for suppliers that can meet these needs and provide exceptional quality products and services. There are many ways to “Electrify Your QMS!”

IATF® Updates from the Quality Summit

What’s Happening Now

Rules 6 will be out July/Aug. 2022, and effective Jan 2023.  This guide establishes the rules for achieving and maintaining IATF® recognition and will include best practices.  One of the significant changes being considered is performance and risk-based audit days instead of the current method, which is based on employee count. Another topic under consideration is eligibility and what companies would be eligible for certification.  IATF® is not in complete agreement as to the future role of remote auditing (especially on the manufacturing floor), so that remains to be determined.

In addition, IATF® is developing an Integrated Performance Complaint platform that will manage complaints as they come from the originator and improve follow-up.  IATF® is also considering expanding its membership to several additional OEMs.

What’s Planned

IATF® 2022 Approved Strategic Objectives

• Create 2^nd Edition of the IATF 16949 Standard – Work will begin on IATF 16949® 2^nd edition in July 2022 with a draft planned for Fall 2023, and release in Jan. 2024. (Historically companies have been given 3 years to upgrade to the new standard after it is published.)  It will incorporate the Sanctioned Interpretations and possibly incorporate universal CSRs if all 10 member manufacturers can consolidate them. The committee will also look at the digitalization of the QMS and its benefits. 
• Establish a CB KPI related to the performance of clients as a way to evaluate CBs.
• Create a single IT system for the management of IATF – currently, the various databases and platforms are managed by different oversight bodies.
• Ensure a consistent QMS for sub-tier auto suppliers – looking at supplier development process requirements. Also, how to capture or even file a performance complaint against the lower tier ISO 9001 certified suppliers.
• Institutionalize IATF QMS for certain suppliers – making the QMS ingrained throughout the culture of the organization and they will be developing a maturity model.

Understand Your Options

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MAQMSR vs IATF 16949®

AIAG’s CQ1-14 4th Edition

AIAG’s CQI-14 Automotive Warranty Management workgroup announced CQI-14 4^th edition will be released by the end of 2021. This revision recognizes the changing vehicle architecture and will help address reduced warranty incidences with more complex vehicle integrations through updated warranty management and effective field claim problem-solving.

OEM Updates at the Quality Summit

Geely – Hua Howard Xu, Vice President of Quality & Supply Chain at Geely Group, spoke about really understanding the expectation of the customer, and the expectation of “amazing quality”.   Geely has ranked 1^st in sales among Chinese brands for 4 consecutive years.  Xu provided insight into their success in the Chinese automotive market by striving for extraordinary and prioritizing user experience to the strategic level. He sees Quality 4.0 as creating a mobility experience that exceeds expectations.

Stellantis – announced they will be moving their IATF® database out of Lotus Notes and into a web-based environment (Auros system) later in October.

Ford – Has spent some time reviewing how FMEA processes affect supplier quality issues and review of software supporting migration to AIAG/VDA FMEA.  (75% of suppliers use Excel spreadsheets for FMEAs that don’t have linkages from foundation FMEA to product FMEA to Control Plan.) The ultimate goal is to improve FMEA execution.  Software supports automatic linkages, visual structure and a web-based or central database.

Ford will be updating 4 processes to drive FMEA improvements:

1. IATF 16949® Ford Specific Requirements – to be issued November 2021 (including a new requirement for FMEA Software to be implemented by Tier 1s by June 2022. Software is not specified.)
   1. Supplier implementation July 2022
   2. IATF® focused FMEA audits for new requirements to begin July 2022
2. Schedule A – deliverables/Expectations
3. GPDS Priority Supplier Process
4. Manufacturing Site Assessment

Ford is in the process of updating the Ford Handbook and does accept the new AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook.

GM – The company’s vision is Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion.  Chris Mailloux, Director of Supplier Quality shared other visions of the future – niche vehicles, off-road, electric, and flying vehicles – new ways of human transport.  Soon Michigan will have the nation’s first electrified road to wirelessly charge EVs.  A whole new workforce will be needed to support these new industries and infrastructure. And the most important resource is people!

Currently, GM’s focus is on how to help suppliers of all tiers.  Companies must adapt faster as change is the new norm.  Chris’ message is to trust your tools and use them effectively and efficiently.  Tools to utilize:

• Team problem solving
• Make problems visible – identify them earlier and take action
• Understand Failure Modes and show how you’re preventing them
• Process control by volume (not based on time)
• Error-proofing and traceability
• Bypass management – to reduce operational risk
• Quality confirmation
• FIFO and traceability

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 to obtain and maintain certification through accredited certification bodies.