Certifications for remote locations

I am pretty sure I already know the answer to my question, but as I am not familiar with the ISO 16949 standard, I want to be completely sure.

The thing is: I asked a potential supplier to fill out a quality questionnaire and asked for their certifications. They answered by telling me that, as a rule, they don't fill out customer documents but did send me a certificate for ISO 16949:2009. This certificate is made out to their head office (situated in another country), as well as some remote locations (all of these also situated in other countries).

So I asked if they don't hold their own certification and they replied by telling me that their head office simply has a 'general one', which means that they automatically are certified as well. I call bullshit (esp. since a couple of their locations are specifically mentioned on the certificate). But I want to know for sure, so I am wondering whether someone who is more familair with ISO 16949 can shed a light on this for me.

Thanks beforehand!

 

I can tell you that I work at a head office (planning and design are done here) that supports a couple of manufacturing sites.

The way it works is: the head office cannot be certified by itself to TS16949 (see 1.1) because no manufacturing is occurring at the head office. So our certificate is TIED to the manufacturing sites. When they're audited, we're audited too (though not as in depth as they are).

Each site then receives their individual certificate: Site 1 + head office listed as a support site and Site 2 + head office listed as a support site .

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks a lot for your fast reply, Casana14! It seems to be the other way around here: manufacturing is done at the head office and the remote locations are sales offices.
But in order to be able to use an ISO 16949 certificate as your own, you a. need to be audited too and b. will be mentioned on the certificate as well, right?

 

First, as previously stated TS is location dependent. So each location will have it's own addressed certificate.

But, as the remote locations are simply sales offices, why would you want a certificate? They may not even be eligible for TS certification as no manufacturing takes place. If your parts are coming from the head office, that's the location I would be concerned with.

 

I have no idea whether they'd be eligible for TS certification or not, to be honest (as I have no experience whatsoever with the standard). I was merely looking for info as the potential supplier informed me that the head office holds a certification and THUS they (the sales office) are certified as well. I found that quite hard to believe.

Thanks, everyone!

 

Every company of the group should have her own certificate for all the processes who pilot, but for all the processes piloted by the central site they are excluded from the certification

 

Only production sites can have certificates.
The other sites that support with say design, sales, purchasing etc will be mentioned on the annex to the production site as remote support sites.