What Customer-Specific Requirements Are and Why They Matter
IATF 16949 is a quality management system standard for automotive production and service parts organisations. Unlike ISO 9001 — which is intended to be applied consistently across all sectors — IATF 16949 explicitly recognises that OEM customers have specific requirements that go beyond the standard's baseline requirements. These customer-specific requirements (CSRs) are documented separately by each OEM and are referenced in the IATF 16949 standard as mandatory for suppliers to that OEM.
Non-compliance with your customer's CSRs is non-compliance with IATF 16949 for that customer relationship — even if your quality management system otherwise fully conforms to the standard. IATF 16949 certification auditors are required to assess CSR compliance during the certification audit. A supplier certified to IATF 16949 but found to be non-compliant with their customer's CSRs is subject to a major non-conformance at the audit.
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