What is the difference between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949?

As both ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 focus on quality management, one can get confused about their
similarities and differences. Although the similarities between the two are extensive, there are some
critical differences. This article will help you understand the differences between the requirements
of ISO 9001:2015 versus IATF 16949.

What is ISO 9001:2015?

The ISO 9001:2015 standard is a globally recognized standard that focuses on delivering all products and services and aims to enhance their quality. In this standard, ten sections include the organization’s context, leadership, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and continual improvement. To achieve compliance, this standard requires that organizations demonstrate a consistent ability to deliver high-quality products and services to customers while simultaneously conforming to regulations. Additionally, the standard also requires that companies showcase clear-cut goals of enhancing satisfaction by demonstrating continual improvement activities and maintenance of processes that help with conformity.

Essentially, the ISO 9001 standard provides a set of policies that helps organizations build a Quality Management System (QMS). The purpose of the QMS is to help organizations deliver high-quality goods or products. This is done by implementing the seven quality principles: relationship management, customer focus, leadership, evidence-based decision-making, continual improvement, the process approach and employee engagement. By implementing the seven principles into an organization, companies can foster a culture of continual improvement. This environment of continual improvement allows organizations to uncover hidden opportunities and discover inherent risks, helping the business expand, save more and build brand credibility.

What is IATF 16949?

The standard was initially known as the ISO/TC 16949. The purpose of this standard is to create
QMS focuses explicitly on the automotive industry. The International Automotive Task Force
(IATF) developed the basis of the standard in 1999 and, in 2002, expanded the requirements to
include recommendations from ISO 9001.

Differences between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949

One of the most fundamental differences between the two standards is the entities that they are
responsible for. As mentioned above, the ISO 9001 standard is managed by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) while the IATF is devised by the IATF and significant
suggestions from the automakers, automotive industry members, and groups like automotive
industry action group.

Another crucial difference between the two standards is that ISO 9001 focuses on customer
satisfaction, but IATF 16949 centres on necessitating compliance with company-specific
requirements. Moreover, ISO 9001 can only be applied to any location-operated organization,
whereas IATF 16949 focuses on organizations that develop, produce or service auto parts but does
not include any recommendations for aftermarket parts.

When we compare the clauses between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, there are particularly significant
differences, including:
Section 4 (context of the organization): The ISO 9001 standard provides references for the QMS
and its processes, whereas IATF 16949 also addresses the conformance of products and product safety.

Section 5 (leadership): The focus of ISO 9001 is on leadership and commitment, whereas, IATF
16949 focuses on issues of process owners, corporate responsibility and process effectiveness.
Section 6 (planning): ISO 9001 urges organizations to address risks and opportunities, whereas,
IATF 16949 includes recommendations for preventive actions, risk analysis and contingency
planning.

Section 7 (support): ISO 9001 touches upon measurement traceability, infrastructure, resources and
people, whereas IATF 16949 focuses on recommendations about equipment planning, facility, plant
maintenance, going on to elaborate on laboratory requirements and calibration.
Section 8 (operations): The ISO 9001 standard references different issues, including development
planning, design, control, operational planning and providing recommendations to the extent of
control or externally provided processes or services. In contrast, IATF 16949 provides further
requirements concerning second-party audits, supplier monitoring, product design skills and
confidentiality.
Section 9 (performance evaluation): The ISO 9001 standard focuses on concepts like monitoring,
measurement, analysis and evaluation, whereas IATF 16949 focuses on specifications for issues
such as the application of statistical concepts and statistical tools.
Section 10 (improvement): ISO 9001 emphasizes non-conformity and corrective actions whereas
IATF 16949 touches on additional issues like warranty management systems, error proofing and
problem-solving.

Beyond the differences

Although there are many significant differences between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949, it is crucial to
remember that the IATF 16949 standard is essentially based upon the recommendations of ISO
9001. Some say that the IATF 16949 is, in a manner, an extension of ISO 9001.

Therefore adhering to either standard will deliver benefits such as:
Reduced waste
Improved internal management
Higher employee engagement
Increased efficiency, profit and productivity
Better customer acquisition and retention
Consistency in quality
Measurable outcomes that can be regularly monitored
Enhanced brand credibility
Boosted marketing efforts
Greater managerial visibility

Conclusion

Compared to ISO 9001 requirements, IATF 16949 is more specific for the
automotive industry and contains additional customer-specific requirements that must be
implemented. Therefore, we can say that the IATF 16949 expands on the controls and requirements
of ISO 9001.?