What is the difference between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949?

The difference between ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 can be summarized as follows:

ISO 9001

Industry Applicability: It's a universal standard suitable for all types of organizations across various industries.

Purpose: Focuses on the establishment of a quality management system that emphasizes customer satisfaction, leadership, engagement of people, process approach, improvement, evidence-based decision making, and relationship management.

Requirements: Contains broad requirements applicable to all types of organizations and doesn't contain industry-specific criteria.

Certification: Certification is available to any organization that meets the standard's requirements.

IATF 16949

Industry Applicability: It's a standard specifically designed for the automotive industry.

Purpose: In addition to the quality management principles of ISO 9001, IATF 16949 adds specific requirements related to automotive production and relevant service parts organizations.

Requirements: IATF 16949 includes all the requirements of ISO 9001 and adds more stringent and detailed requirements specific to the automotive industry, such as control of product safety-related parts, warranty management, and manufacturing feasibility analysis.

Certification: Certification is mainly relevant to automotive manufacturers and suppliers. Organizations seeking certification to IATF 16949 must already comply with ISO 9001 or achieve compliance simultaneously.

While ISO 9001 sets a foundational framework for quality management systems that can be applied to any organization, IATF 16949 builds upon those foundations with additional requirements specifically tailored to the automotive industry. The focus of IATF 16949 is more specialized, incorporating industry-specific needs, expectations, and regulations, making it more rigorous and detailed for those in the automotive supply chain.