Client News
Global Steel eyes automotive requirements, set to apply for ISO/TS 16949:2002 certification
Sep 21, 2006
(Manila, Philippines) — Global Steel Philippines, the nation’s largest steel mill, is aligning its certification standards to the requirements of the automotive industry.
The company plans to apply for the technical certification known as ISO/TS 16949:2002. This certification is based on the American (QS-9000), Italian AVSQ, French EAQF, and German VDA 6.1 automotive quality standards. The application is the first for a steel manufacturer in the Philippines.
“This initiative is in line with our organizational strategy. Senior management is involved from the very beginning of the process and GSPI is receiving advice from independent consultants on how best to achieve this certification. At present the company is in the initial phase of setting up quality management system standards specific to the automotive industry. This requires large-scale, systematic documentation compliance and readiness review. The immediate readiness program review will take a minimum of one year, after which the company will apply for a certification audit,” GSPI said in a statement.
Some of the benefits of undertaking the ISO/TS 16949 certification include:
1. Potential to tap the high-end automotive market in the Philippines and export opportunity to Asian and Southeast Asian countries;
2. Maintain world-class process quality;
3. Common quality system approach in supplier development;
4. Reduction in second-party audit; and,
5. Common language to improve understanding of quality requirements
The ISO/TS 16949 certification standard was developed jointly by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) and the national trade associations of America, Germany, UK, Italy, France, and Japan in conjunction with the International Organization for Standards (ISO). The IATF consists of an international group of automotive manufacturers including Daimler Chrysler AG, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, BMW group, and Volkswagen. The Japan Automotive Manufacturers Associations, or JAMA, also participated in its development.