Why Should Businesses Go For IATF 16949 Audit in 2021?
Implementing IATF 16949 standards is a big step forward for any company or business, and certainly a big challenge as well. Making this decision and implementing the standard is not easy, but in most cases, companies are driven by customer requirements or their improvements. However, it’s not easy to convince your senior management that it is a wise investment idea because it is difficult to prove the link between implementation and increased profits unless it is an explicit request from the customer. If the implementation is an initiative from within the company, the key to gaining project approval is to present to your senior management the benefits that IATF 16949 will bring to your company.
Why is the IATF 16949 audit a good option for your firm?
The benefits of IATF 16949 cannot be overstated; companies large and small have reaped tremendous benefits from using the standard, finding cost savings and efficiency gains. Here is an explanation of these six key benefits and why they are important.
Improve your credibility and image – Because IATF 16949 audit is an internationally recognized standard, it has become the basis for establishing quality management systems (QMS) around the world, replacing many previously published requirements. When a company or business is looking for any supplier, it’s often required to have a QMS based on IATF 16949 in order to be considered. This is true if you’re competing for jobs in the automotive industry. In these cases, obtaining IATF 16949 certification is usually mandatory.
Qualification for automotive industry supplies–
this is one of the main drivers for a company to become IATF 16949 certified. In order to gain access to major automotive customers, you need to demonstrate that you can deliver a quality product without defects, and IATF 16949 certification will demonstrate this.
Improve your customer satisfaction –
One of the quality management principles underlying the requirements of IATF 16949 is to improve customer satisfaction by planning and working to meet customer requirements. By increasing customer satisfaction, you will retain more loyal customers, because happy and satisfied customers are the key to retaining their loyalty. And such customers will bring in additional revenue.
Better process integration –
By examining the interaction of the overall process through the IATF 16949 process approach, you will be able to more easily identify efficiency gains and cost savings. This is accomplished by eliminating the waste that can be generated by maintaining processes without considering the inefficiencies that can occur when processes are handed over. Better processes can also be used to improve efficiency and move toward reducing errors and resulting rework, which can improve cost savings.
Employee engagement –
Employees who are involved in improving the processes they work with are happier and more engaged. Who better than those engaged in the process to identify areas for improvement and to help test and drive those improvements through the implementation process? Employees who are involved are more productive and will help the company improve and preserve better, especially when they understand how the quality of the process depends on them.
IATF 16949 is a path to excellence
The international character of IATF 16949 has been confirmed and it raises the bar even higher than ISO 9001. If your organization has implemented ISO 9001 audit and you want to make your quality management system even better, IATF 16949 may be a logical choice. Even businesses not involved in the automotive industry recognize the value of this standard and the benefits it brings to their business, so many have started to implement some of the key tools IATF 16949 offers.
Certifying & implementing an IATF 16949 audit can require significant effort and financial resources, but it brings companies into the family of companies that work harder and are more successful than their competitors in terms of customer satisfaction and quality management.
