Certifications that matter

ISO 9001 is the baseline quality-management certification and should be the floor for any supplier. For automotive and other regulated work, IATF 16949 adds the process discipline those programs require. Ask for current certificates with expiry dates, not a logo on a website.

  • ISO 9001: the general quality-management baseline.
  • IATF 16949: automotive process control, layered on top of 9001.
  • Current certificates with scope and expiry, verified at the source.

PPAP and first-article

The Production Part Approval Process documents that a supplier can make your part to spec before full production starts. A first-article inspection report measures the first parts against every drawing dimension. Together they catch problems while they are cheap to fix.

NOTE
Agree on the PPAP level and the dimensions to be reported up front. Reworking an approval package after the first shipment is the most common cause of a slipped launch.

Records that ship with each lot

Every production lot should arrive with its own inspection records, material certifications, and a certificate of conformance. These are what let your team accept a shipment without re-measuring it. Standard lead time on a qualified program runs 4 to 8 weeks, and the quality package should keep pace with the parts.