QS 9000/TS 16949: Quality system for automotive industry

Courtesy: QS 9000/TS 16949: Quality system for automotive industry

The mechanism for improving results has also been the subject of much research. Lo et al (2007)  identified operational improvements (cycle time reduction, inventory reductions, etc.) as following from certification. Buttle (1997)  and Santos (2002)  both indicated internal process improvements in organizations leading to externally observable improvements. Hendricks and Singhal (2001)results indicate that firms outperform their control group during the post-implementation period and effective implementation of total quality management principles and philosophies leads to significant wealth creation. The benefit of increased international trade and domestic market share, in addition to the internal benefits such as customer satisfaction, interdepartmental communications, work processes, and customer/supplier partnerships derived, far exceeds any and all initial investment, according to Alcorn.

With permission of BSI Group ISO 9000 was first published in 1987. It was based on the BS 5750 series of standards from BSI that were proposed to ISO in 1979. However, its history can be traced back some twenty years before that, to the publication of the Department of Defense MIL-Q-9858 standard in 1959. MIL-Q-9858 was revised into the NATO AQAP series of standards in 1969, which in turn were revised into the BS 5179 series of guidance standards published in 1974, and finally revised into the BS 5750 series of requirements standards in 1979 before being submitted to ISO. BSI has been certifying organizations for their quality management systems since 1978. Its first certification  (FM 00001) is still extant and held by Tarmac, a successor to the original company which held this certificate. Today BSI claims to certify organizations at nearly 70,000 sites globally. The development of the ISO 9000 series is shown in the diagram to the right.

The goal for Quality System Requirements QS-9000 is the
development of fundamental quality systems that provide for continuous
improvement, emphasizing defect prevention and the reduction of
variation and waste in the supply chain.
QS-9000 defines the fundamental quality system expectations of
Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Truck Manufacturers and other
subscribing companies for internal and external suppliers of production
and service parts and materials. These companies are committed to
working with suppliers to ensure customer satisfaction beginning with
conformance to quality requirements, and continuing with reduction
of variation and waste to benefit the final customer, the supply base,
and themselves.
QS-9000 is a harmonization of Chrysler’s Supplier Quality Assurance
Manual, Ford’s Q-101 Quality System Standard, and General Motors’
NAO Targets for Excellence, with input from the Truck Manufacturers.
ISO 9001:1994 Section 4 has been adopted as the foundation for
QS-9000 and is printed in Section I in italic type. Interpretations and
supplemental quality system requirements have been harmonized and
are printed in normal type. While other companies may adopt this
document, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors retain full control over
the content except for ISO 9001:1994, of which copyright remains with
the International Organization for Standardization.

The word “shall” indicates mandatory requirements. The word “should”
indicates a mandatory requirement with some flexibility allowed in
compliance methodology. Suppliers choosing other approaches to
satisfy a “should” must be able to show that their approach meets the
intent of QS-9000. All QS-9000 requirements shall be addressed in
the quality system documentation, but not necessarily by individual
procedures.
Where “typical”, “example”, or “e.g.” are used, any suggestions given
are for guidance only