Workshop Review (10) The concept I Learned From IATF 16949 Through My Experiences
The automotive industry is one of the world’s largest industries and requires a high level of safety. Safety in the automotive industry is critical and therefore highly regulated. Automotive manufacturing companies must comply with specific regulations to be accepted. In the event of safety issues due to product defects or faulty procedures during the manufacturing process, the manufacturer can issue a recall to retrieve either a batch or the entire production run. Product defect recalls can be related to production or stem from raw materials, and can have significant financial consequences.
A group of experts developed a standard known as IATF 16949, that is based on the ISO 9001 standard. This standard is intended to be applied to the supply chain in the automotive industry. Given the extensive chain of suppliers in the automotive industry, a quality system is necessary to ensure that the suppliers can provide high-quality materials to the vehicle assembly plants. This, in turn, will lead to the production of improved quality products for automotive customers worldwide.
IATF 16949 contains the most detailed specifications of all certified systems. It can be divided into three categories: quality system, manufacturing system, and product design. Each system includes a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to follow. For instance, the quality system involves a lot of tracking processes, allowing you to trace back the defective materials used in the final product. This tracking process helps identify problems and risks in the production process accurately.
I work as a supplier management at the company’s headquarters. In this role, I am responsible for auditing the company’s suppliers. During the audit, we examine individual sections of the process one at a time. However, it is essential to have a comprehensive understanding of how all business processes interact and affect quality performance. Ultimately, the core of IATF is to thoroughly examine and implement corrective and preventive measures for their effectiveness. The focus is not just on discovering errors, but on preventing them. On a personal note, I am committed to this standard. As a representative of a manufacturing company and a customer of our supplier, the last thing we want to see is the negative impact of a defective product caused by substandard materials.
