It is important to note that the general trend is a move away from the national standard schemes to the international ISO/TS 16949:2002, but so far finalised transition dates have not been set for all of them.
However, the Big 3 in the United States DamilerChrysler, General Motors, and Ford have already decided to only accept certification of your quality system to the international ISO/TS 16949. Deadlines are already set for when QS-9000 will be phased out and no longer accepted.
ISO/TS 16949 emerging as the most common requirement
QS-9000, Third edition, will continue to remain a valid set of quality system requirements to which one can become certified beyond December 15, 2003. In fact, this set of requirements is, at least at the present time, set to remain valid through December 14, 2006.
This provides organisations that must be approved a viable option to adopting ISO 9001:2000 or ISO/TS 16949, Second Edition, at the present time. However, it is clear that a hard and fast date for the expiry of QS-9000, Third Edition, has been established. Meaning that it is not a question of whether suppliers will have to move to TS certification, but rather when you have to make the move.
ISO 9001 requirements
Prior or parallel certification of your Quality Management System to ISO 9001 is a prerequisite for ISO/TS 16949 and QS-9000. The automotive standards certificate cannot be issued without the organisation implementing an ISO 9001 management system. Being certified to ISO/TS 16949:2002 implies compliance to ISO 9001.
Where do I go from here?
To get on the road to certification, you should begin by reading about the standards:
You can also find a downloadable Guide to automotive manufacturers' position on ISO/TS 16949 under "related info" on the right.
