At AIAG’s 2017 Quality Summit, September 19-20, 2017, at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, several automakers provided updates on the IATF 16949 certification process to an audience of over 400 automotive quality processionals and answered the industry’s most common questions.

“Certification to IATF 16949 is required to achieve and maintain your Q1 status,” said Russ Hopkins, head of supplier technical assistance for Ford Motor Company. Hopkins then shared several steps to a successful IATF 16949 transition:

• Confirm dates for the transition audit with your certification body.
• Develop a work plan back from the date of the transition audit.
• Review the requirements and provide feedback regarding any concerns (suppliers contact AIAG, certification bodies contact their oversight offices, and OEM through their IATF representative).
• Allow enough time after the transition audit to address any non-conformances.

Most importantly, Hopkins urged suppliers not to delay. At the Quality Summit in September, he noted that with 51 weeks remaining for the transition, a total of 202 suppliers to Ford had transitioned with 3,500 certifications remaining.

“Globally, over 1,200 audits need to take place each week, which averages out to about one per week per auditor,” he said. “This is doable with the proper planning. It’s doable as long as people do not wait until the last minute.”

Aaron A. Dodak, global supplier quality manager, General Motors, spoke to attendees about a new workshop approved by the IAOB to help develop suppliers and address the significant issues impacting their sites.

“Automotive suppliers are ISO/TS 16949 or IATF compliant, and yet, non-conforming errors still occur,” he said. “Why is that? Is classroom training really effective?”

Instead, the workshop takes a hands-on approach to addressing a real problem at the source, teaching the team to become effective problem-solvers. The workshop includes performing a reverse PFMEA of the issue by walking the factory line with the plant team to verify that PFMEA is correct and up-to-date. In addition, the team checks the Product Control Plan (PCP) to ensure it matches the PFMEA and that the frequency of PCP checks is adequate to keep a nonconforming part from leaving the plant. Finally, the team verifies that the standard work is correct on how to perform the PCP checks.

“The goal,” Dodak said, “is to earn customers for life. That means safety and quality are foundational commitments that can never be compromised.”

IAOB’s Cherie Reiche then addressed some common transition questions that come to her office:

• You must use both ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016 when conducting audits because IATF 16949 is not a stand-alone standard.
• The IATF will not be granting waivers for organizations that cannot meet the transition plan timing.
• ISO/TS 16949 certificates are not valid past their expiration or September 14, 2018 — whichever comes first.

Reiche urged attendees to subscribe to the IATF website for the latest news and updates at www.itafglobaloversight.org.

Carla Kalogeridis is AIAG e-news editor.