Pittsburgh web design offers small businesses an affordable solution for all internet needs!

ISO/TS16949:2002 , the technical specification, was approved and issued in March 2002, as an automotive sector-specific QMS set of requirements which uses ISO 9001:2000 (verbatim) as its base.

It replaced ISO/TS16949:1999 based on ISO 9001:1994, and is intended to be an alternative to QS-9000:1998 and other national automotive OEM supplier requirements. (See QS-9000:1998 Sanctioned Interpretations released for July 1, 2002, at www.QS-9000.org).

As an international ISO specification:

• Anyone can acquire a copy of this International Technical Specification, ISO/TS16949:2002, through ANSI or other locations such as www.AIAG.org;
• Anyone can utilize this document to improve their Quality Management Systems;
• It is an international specification to which an organization can be certified by a 3rd party certification body or registrar

BUT - if your intent is to achieve 3rd party registration to satisfy the requirements of your subscribing automotive customer, then certain added subscribing customer (IATF member) - defined aspects of the registration process and the ISO/TS16949:2002 (called TS-2 from here forward) specification must be satisfied.

The International Automotive Task Force, IATF, has developed its own unique and proprietary registration process and requirements for organization registration, and conducts its own qualifying of registrars and of registrar auditors.

Subscribing Automotive OEM companies will only recognize and accept a TS-2 registration which has been conducted using the prescribed registration process ("rules" available from your registrar), and conducted by registrars that have been selected and contracted by the IATF or its regional offices such as the IAOB in Detroit. Registration to TS-2 by an IATF “selected” registrar is required before such a certificate can show the IATF mark and indicate IATF recognition,

The IATF has asked all registrars to assure that TS16949:2002 (TS-2) registrants meet the following applicability requirements:

1. The TS-2 definition of supplier applicability must apply to the organization seeking registration*¹;
2. One of the registered organization’s customers must list TS-2 as one of the alternatives of a required standard to which its suppliers must comply;
3. Any tier may be registered if it has a direct customer (or potential customer) that requires either compliance or 3rd party registration to TS-2 or QS-9000; and
4. Evidence of being a potential supplier to a customer requiring TS-2 (or QS-9000, etc.) could include an RFQ issued to the organization, or the organization being on the bid list of the TS-2 subscribing customer.
   

Those organizations and suppliers that do not qualify for IATF recognized registration to ISO/TS16949 , or which supply parts and services to a TS-2 registered organization, are encouraged (in some cases required) to maintain ISO9001:2000 registration.

A quotation for registration to ISO/TS16949:2002 can be provided by contacting www.SRIRegistrar.com (this site sponsor) or by reviewing the list of contracted IATF registrars at www.IAOB.org. [Be aware - those listed on the latter site as having applied for TS-2 qualification may not necessarily achieve qualification.]

Suppliers normally obtain registration to TS-2 from their current QS-9000 registrar, but if you are not QS-9000 registered, or your QS-9000 registrar is not a selected TS-2 registrar, contact SRI at www.SRIRegistrar.com or the IAOB site for alternative registrars.

Supplier Training courses relative to preparing for registration to ISO/TS16949:2002 are available from many sources including SRI-Training and through the IAOB and AIAG. The most effective sources for general public training have shown to be the registrar that knows and practically applies these TS-2 criteria.

This web site will be providing more information, comments and advice concerning 3rd party registration to ISO/TS16949:2002 in the near future. If you have questions about TS16949, click here to access our online information request form.