DQS Assessment and Certification Regulations
 Annex Automotive 
 

 

1. Scope and Applicability 

This “Automotive Annex to DQS Audit and Certification Regulations” apply to all audit and certification services offered and rendered to clients of the international DQS Group according to IATF 16949. These regulations are only valid in combination with the general DQS Audit and Certification Regulation available in English language at https://dqsglobal.com/intl/about/accreditation-and-notification/dqs-group-auditing-and-certification-rules or upon request from every DQS office. 

2. Program Requirements 

For Clients applying for IATF 16949 certification/registration, the additional terms and conditions apply:  

  1. Client shall notify DQS of any changes relating to its legal, commercial (e.g. joint venture, sub-contracting with other organizations), ownership (e.g. merger), organizational status (e.g. key managerial, contact address or location, scope of operations, major changes of the processes) or IATF OEM customer special status, in writing, within ten (10) calendar days of implementation of the change. Failure by the client to inform DQS of a change is considered as a breach of contract and DQS shall take appropriate action in response. 
  1. Additional to 5.3.1 of the “DQS Audit and Certification regulation”, DQS may be automatically suspends the certificates after internal analysis of situation, based on different reasons, e.g.: 
    - in case of major nonconformity raised during surveillance or recertification audit, or  
    - DQS receives a performance compliant from an IATF OEM member, or  
    - the client advises DQS of an IATF special status conditions. 
    The timeframe for suspension is usually a maximum of 90 days from the start of the decertification process according to IATF rules and ends with a withdrawal or lifting of the suspension e.g. based on a successfully completed special audit or closed corrective action plan. 
  1. Client cannot refuse an IATF witness audit of DQS, the presence of a DQS witness auditor and/or the presence of IATF representatives or their delegates at client’s facility. The right to refuse an assigned auditor is also restricted to justified cases of conflicts of interest. 
  1. Client cannot refuse the request of DQS to provide the final report to the IATF. 
  1. The only use of the IATF logo related to this certification scheme is as displayed on the certificate issued by DQS. Any other use of the IATF logo, separately or not, is prohibited. (Note: The client can make copies of the IATF 16949 certificate bearing the IATF logo for marketing and advertising purposes.) 
  1. Consultants to the client cannot be physically present at the client’s site during the audit or participate in the audit in any way. 
  1. Client inform DQS prior to transfer to a new IATF-recognized certification body. 
  1. Client agrees to comply with the “Rules for achieving and maintaining IATF recognition” document in the current version and all sanctioned interpretations and clarifications of that document that are published by the IATF.