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Group certification of IATF 16949

Discussion in 'IATF 16949:2016 - Automotive Quality Systems' started by Stephen Dallas, Mar 17, 2019.

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  1. Stephen Dallas

    Stephen Dallas Member

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    Hi all - I'm looking to get people's feedback on the following: When you have a group of companies owned by a parent company, how does the IATF accreditation work? For example if the parent company have a group quality policy and IATF accreditation, would the other companies need their own or could they just refer back to the parent company's quality policy?
    It occurs whilst looking through the standard that some clauses (for example Context of the organisation or Planning) could be audited at a higher group level than others (Calibration?) which would be audited on a more localised basis.
    Thanks everyone.
     
    Stephen Dallas, Mar 17, 2019
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  2. Andy Nichols

    Andy Nichols Moderator Staff Member

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    Hi Stephen: Welcome!

    First, let's get the terminology correct, to avoid confusion. An organization is Certified to IATF 16949, not accredited. That's a term used for labs or conformity assessment organizations, for example.

    So, the basic rule is that only MANUFACTURING sites can be IATF 16949 certified and all other sites, like HQ, warehouses, Engineering Centers are considered "support" sites and, as a result can only be ISO 9001 certified. The certification can be an umbrella one and all sites/locations can share the corporate policy etc. And, yes, you are correct. There will be parts of the standard which apply to the whole organization, but start at the top - Context, Quality Policy, Objectives, Ethics Policy, etc and then many others are "played out" in alignment with those corporate requirements, at the local site level )calibration is a classic example).

    I was involved in supporting many corporate schemes for ISO/TS 16949 and there are a number of considerations when looking into which option makes most sense. Certification should run smoothly, but it amazes me how even basics are overlooked by the CBs.
     
    Andy Nichols, Mar 17, 2019
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  3. tony s

    tony s Well-Known Member

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    Depending on the nature of the companies within the group. If the affiliate companies only serve as support to the parent company's products and services, then they can use the same quality policy. For group of companies with varied products and services (e.g. one site is providing warehousing services to other organizations, another is car rentals, while another has airport security services), it is better to have more specific quality policies.
     
    tony s, Mar 18, 2019
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  4. Stephen Dallas

    Stephen Dallas Member

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    Hi Andy, many thanks for your reply, much appreciated - Steve
     
    Stephen Dallas, Mar 18, 2019
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  5. Stephen Dallas

    Stephen Dallas Member

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    Hi Tony, thanks for the reply. Great point, will bear this in mind.
     
    Stephen Dallas, Mar 18, 2019
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