Application of ISO 9000 in Automotive Industry

[richg1]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me whether ISO 9000 and related Quality Systems practiced by the major car manufacturers, requires the implementation of product feedback from customers?

I know that in other industries with ISO 9000 implemented, we had these type of procedures and measures in place, but I was not sure whether this was a specific requirement of the ISO standards.

Thanks.

 

[jpankask]

I don't think it is a "requirement" of QS-9000 but I do believe that the product feedback is required in the new TS-16949 standard. My company did not do this in the past but started to in preparation for our TS upgrade.

 

[jonell]

ISO 9001:2000 does not require gathering feedback from the customer. I know this for a fact, as I just completed the upgrade from the 1994 stanadard in November. However, the TS-16949:2002 standard does require this. In fact, we were told by our registration auditor, that unless we had 12 months of customer feedback data, that he would be unable to complete an audit with our company.

 

[oilgasindustry]

ISO/TS 16949 says (as a supplement to ISO 9001:2000 subclause 8.2.1):

"Customer satisfaction with the organization shall be monitored through continual evaluation of performance of the realization processes"

and then provides a list of performance indicators that includes:

"customer notifications related to quality or delivery issues"

Assuming we understand the term "realisation process" then we are left to interpret the term "notification". IMHO, the organisation shall be prepared to "gather feedback" in the passive sense, in other words when "notifications" are received, these shall be gathered, then analysed etc. There is no requirement (in TS 16949) to pro-actively "gather feedback" e.g. by asking for it, e.g. by customer surveys etc. (If and when this may be "good practice" is outside the scope of ISO 9001/TS 16949 certification.) By the way, the actual term "gather" is not used anywhere in TS 29001.

HOwever, there is clearly scope for zealous interpretation, and I wonder if and how these are resolved. How are 16949 certification bodies accredited? How do they handle interpretations and disseminate the "answers"?

Kind regards

 

[oilgasindustry]

My post above relates to "jonell"'s remarks on "customer feedback". The first post (by richg1) was about "implementation of product feedback from customers" and my post above is perhaps only part of the response.

In my reading, there is no requirement in 9001 or 16949 for "implementing product feedback" (does this mean by implementing surveys, for example?). However, there are requirements to implement process(es) for handling certain types of feedback, both from suppliers and from customers.

ISO 9001:2000 itself includes (cl. 7.2.3):
"The organization shall determine and implement effective arrangements for communicating with customers in relation to ... customer feedback ...."
But this (to me) means responding to such feedback when received; not seeking it.

ISO/TS 16949 says:
"7.5.1.7 Feedback of information from service
"A process for communication of information on service concerns to manufacturing, engineering and design activities shall be established and maintained."
This (to me) is about the internal handling of such feedback after it is received.
ISO 9001:2000 clause 5.5.2 places responsibility on "top management" for "ensuring that processes needed for the quality management system are established, implemented and maintained", so although "implemented" is not explicitly included in the 16949 supplementary requirement above, "implemented" is included by the blanket ISO 9001:2000 requirement.