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:
a) Client´s location shall not be included in a corporate scheme until it has been included in the legal contract between DQS and client
b) Client shall provide DQS information related to previous and/or existing certification to IATF 16949 before contract signature
c) Client shall notify DQS of significant changes relating to its legal status, ownership status (e.g. mergers, acquisitions, alliances, joint ventures, etc.), management structure (e.g., top management, key decision –making staff, etc.), organizational status (e.g. key managerial, contact address or location, scope of operations, major changes of the processes), relocation of the manufacturing process(es) or support activities (see section 5.15), closure or relocation of a manufacturing site, extended manufacturing site, or a standalone remote support location (see section 5.15), scope of operations under the quality management system, including any new locations and/or support relationships to be covered in the certification scope, outsourcing of quality management system processes to other organizations or customer dissatisfaction scenarios that require certification body notification as described in IATF OEM customer-specific requirements (e.g., special status conditions, etc.).
d) 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.
e) Client shall provide pre-audit planning information to DQS latest 30day prior to the Audit start.
f) Additional to 5.3.1 of the “DQS Audit and Certification regulation”, DQS can suspend the IATF certificate after internal analysis of the situation, based on different reasons, e.g.: - major nonconformity raised during surveillance or recertification audit, - DQS is acknowledged about an IATF OEM performance compliant or IATF OEM special status (by the IATF OEM, by VDA or IATF via CRN, by the client)
g) The timeframe for suspension is usually a maximum of 127 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.
h) 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.
i) Client shall not refuse the request of DQS to provide the final audit and nonconformity reports to the IATF
j) 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.)
k) Consultants to the client cannot be physically present at the client’s site during the audit or participate in the audit in any way.
l) Client inform DQS prior to transfer to a new IATF-recognized certification body.
m) Client shall work with DQS to resolve open issues related to it´s transfer to or from another IATF recognized certification body
n) Client shall remove all references to IATF certification for all internal and external marketing channels – including, but not limited to, websites and printed and electronic media – when it´s certification is cancelled, withdrawn or expired
o) 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.