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The International Automotive Task Force (IATF) has released revised Rules for achieving IATF Recognition, 3rd Edition for ISO/TS 16949:2002 - October 1, 2008. These requirements and any annexes are binding for Intertek, and therefore must be understood by our clients with ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification. Some of the changes in the Revised Rules 3rd Edition that may affect our clients include: - Clients cannot refuse an Intertek witness auditor or an IATF/IAOB witness auditor.
- New client letter initiated for major nonconformances - If issued, the client has 20 working days to submit root cause and correction (full corrective action must be closed or 100% resolved within 90 days).
- Revised letter initiated for requesting audit planning documents - Failure to submit these documents could result in additional time added at the beginning of the audit, as directed by the IAOB. This additional time would be used prior to the audit for the auditor to obtain and review the documents and spend time on-site doing the audit planning. The client could incur additional costs related to on-site audit planning.
- The new Rules 3rd Edition replace the 2nd Edition. All related Rules Sanctioned Interpretations (SI) and Rules Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) issued prior are now obsolete.
- The new Rules includes portions of ISO/IEC 17021:2006, the standard used by the IATF to define the automotive sector-specific requirements managing its certification scheme to ISO/TS 16949:2002.
- Once established, the surveillance interval (annual/semi-annual) shall be maintained for the three-year audit cycle. The frequency will not change based on any special status conditions, TS suspension, etc., although a special surveillance visit may be required in such cases.
- At least one member of the Initial Audit team will paricipate in all Surveillance visits for the three-year audit cycle. For each subsequent Recertification and Surveillance audit, different auditors shall be used. If this requirement cannot be met, Intertek will have to request approval form the IATF Oversight office.
Additionally, the ISO/TS 16949:2002 specification is being revised to reflect the changes in ISO 9001:2008. This document will be issued during the first quarter of 2009. The IATF global website contains a variety of additional information on ISO/TS 16949, including OEM Customer Specific Requirements, TS Rules Sanctioned Interpretations and FAQ's, the ISO/TS 16949:2009 Transition Process, and other important information. Any questions related to ISO/TS 16949 or its Rules may be directed to Vickie Betras at Intertek for clarification.
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