Mumbai, May 2017 – Globally acclaimed German safety and quality expert, TÜV SÜD will conduct transition and initial audits for automotive manufacturers for compliance with IATF 16949, a new Global Industry Standard. IATF 16949 is aligned with and refers to the most recent version of ISO's quality management systems standard, ISO 9001:2015, fully respecting its structure and requirements.

IATF 16949 plays an essential role in ensuring quality requirements are met, thus reducing the risk of product and service failure for automotive production, service and/or accessory parts organisations. Certification to IATF 16949 is mandatory for organisations who wish to manufacture parts for the automotive industry.

As an IATF-recognised certification body, TÃœV SÃœD will conduct transition for organisations currently certified to ISO/TS 16949 and initial audits for organisations requiring automotive certification. For manufacturers partnering with TÃœV SÃœD for the first time, pre-assessments might be undertaken to analyse organisational readiness for certification against IATF 16949, on request of the organisations. As a part of IATF 16949 services, TÃœV SÃœD will enable automotive manufactures to gain a competitive edge. With over 100 years of experience in automotive solutions, TÃœV SÃœD is globally recognised for providing innovation-based services for product and process improvement for the automotive industry.

IATF 16949 certification also demonstrates a manufacturer's adherence to the QMS requirements for a process of continuous improvement with an emphasis on defect prevention and reduction of waste in the supply chain. Most leading automotive manufacturers are likely to work only with companies that are IATF 16949 certified, as it proves suppliers' adhere to the strict technical specifications in the standard.

IATF 16949 is aimed to facilitate a globally harmonised quality management system requirement and combining all previous and published national automotive quality standards such as QS-9000, VDA 6.1, EAQF 94 and AVSQ.