Mark Hammar When creating a quality management system (QMS) for your company, there are many different standard sets of requirements to choose from, such as AS9100 Rev D and IATF 16949:2016. This can make it difficult to decide which you should use, especially because both of these standards are based on ISO 9001:2015, which is an internationally recognized QMS standard that can be used by itself. IATF 16949 vs. AS9100D standards simply add additional requirements, and the main difference is the focus of these requirements.
AS9100 is for use in the aerospace industry, while IATF 16949 is used in the automotive industry. The additions to the standard are the important requirements that these two industries have determined to be necessary to make a QMS work for their specific industry needs. Below is some information on the additions from each of these standards, which can help you to understand what each industry sees as important.
What are the main additions for AS9100 and IATF 16949?
Along with making small additions throughout the standard, both industries have added many main clauses that are specific to their needs. For the aircraft, space and defense industry, AS9100 (released by International Aerospace Quality Group) has additions that focus on problems such as product safety, management of the exact configuration of each product, and the prevention of the use of counterfeit parts. Two requirements that show up in many places without a separate clause are requirements for managing on-time delivery and human factors which may affect how processes are carried out.
To understand some of the aerospace terms used in AS9100, see this article: Five special aerospace terms in AS9100 Rev D.
By comparison, IATF 16949 (released by the International Automotive Task Force) has added many requirements around process design and control, competence for specific individuals, tools to be used (such as statistical tools), and measurement system analysis. There are also required controls on external providers, as well as controls necessary for the production processes (such as production scheduling and total productive maintenance). It also includes very specific control requirements for nonconforming products.
Additional requirements for improvement activities, such as error proofing and problem solving are also included as very specific to the automotive industry application of the QMS. Learn more about error-proofing in the article How to establish an error-proofing process according to IATF 16949.
IATF 16949 vs. AS9100D – Specific clause additions
Many of the main changes are due to the Annex SL changes to ISO 9001:2015, which changed the structure and order of many requirements. Both standards were modified to match these changes, and the additional requirements are added into this structure. Below is a table showing these main clause additions to the main ISO 9001:2015 structure for easy comparison (with clause numbers included):
Your customer requirements help determine which standard to use
It is important to remember that you are implementing a QMS to benefit your company and find ways of improving your processes for consistent products and services that meet customer needs. For the most part, the requirements of your customers can help you to determine what standard to use for your company. Even in the aerospace business, if none of your customers require AS9100 then simply using ISO 9001:2015 might be an adequate QMS for you. However, if you want to use your QMS to attract more customers in the aerospace industry, using AS9100 may help to make this happen. The same goes for the automotive industry and the IATF 16949. You need to decide what is best for you.
For a better understanding of the whole AS9100 standard, download this free whitepaper: Clause-by-clause explanation of AS9100 Rev D.
