{"id":8393,"date":"2025-03-19T08:17:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T07:17:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/?p=8393"},"modified":"2025-03-25T14:51:11","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T13:51:11","slug":"vda-vs-iatf-16949","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/2025\/03\/vda-vs-iatf-16949\/","title":{"rendered":"VDA vs. IATF 16949: Understanding the Automotive Quality Landscape"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">With today&#8217;s blog post, we are launching an interesting blog series about the useful VDA volumes \u2013 both in relation to and as an alternative to<a href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/standards\/automotive\/iatf16949\/\"> IATF 16949<\/a>:2016.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vda.de\/en\">The German Association of the Automotive Industry<\/a> (VDA) publishes a series of volumes (standards, guidelines etc.) and regulations that serve as standards and guidelines for the automotive industry, both in German-speaking countries and internationally.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">These regulations cover various areas, including:<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Quality management<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Logistics and supplier management<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sustainability and environment<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Product safety and development<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">These regulations are essential for many automotive suppliers and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) to meet the requirements of automotive manufacturers. Additionally, many of these standards are prerequisites for certifications and audits that automotive manufacturers require of their suppliers.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8410\" src=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Figure-1-2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"961\" height=\"385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Figure-1-2.png 961w, https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Figure-1-2-768x308.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 961px) 100vw, 961px\" \/><\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Figure 1. VDA QM System and QM Process standards (VDA 6.X series)<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"heading\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">What is VDA 6.1?<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">VDA 6.1 is an industry-specific quality management system that goes beyond the requirements of ISO 9001 and defines specific criteria for the automotive industry. It is primarily intended for manufacturers and suppliers that produce series and spare parts for the automotive industry.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">The standard evaluates companies using a point-based system and covers various areas, including:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Leadership &amp; Corporate Strategy \u2013 Integrating quality into corporate objectives.<\/li>\r\n<li data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Product Development \u2013 Ensuring quality already at the development phase.<\/li>\r\n<li data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Supplier Management \u2013 Requirements for subcontractors and their quality processes.<\/li>\r\n<li data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Production \u2013 Quality controls, process monitoring, and defect prevention in manufacturing.<\/li>\r\n<li data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Customer Satisfaction and Continuous Improvement \u2013 Focus on reducing defects and customer complaints.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"heading\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Certification according to VDA 6.1<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">To obtain VDA 6.1 certification, a company must meet certain criteria, such as an implemented QMS according to ISO 9001, series production, and supplying the automotive industry, among others.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Companies seeking VDA 6.1 certification must undergo an audit. A point-based system is used:<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 90\u2013100% = Certification passed<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 80\u201389% = Improvement required<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 &lt; 80% = Certification not passed<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-8401\" src=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Figure-2.png\" alt=\"VDA 6.1 certification process\" width=\"907\" height=\"298\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Figure-2.png 907w, https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Figure-2-768x252.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px\" \/><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"heading\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">VDA 6.2 for fabless companies<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">While there are options like VDA 6.1 or <a href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/standards\/automotive\/iatf16949\/\">IATF 16949<\/a> for production sites, these standards do not apply to fabless companies. In this case, there is an interesting opportunity to certify such companies according to VDA 6.2 \u2013 Quality Management for Service Providers in the Automotive Industry.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"content_section blue_bg blog_trenner_section\"><div class=\"row align-center medium-align-spaced\"><div class=\"columns border_solid_square post_thumbnail small-10 medium-5 large-3\"><div  data-ratio=\"1.2783505154639\" class=\"\"><picture><source media=\"(min-width:1024px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/dijaz-maric-1.webp\" width=\"873\" height=\"1116\" type=\"image\/webp\" ><source media=\"(min-width:640px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/dijaz-maric-1-801x1024.webp\" width=\"801\" height=\"1024\" type=\"image\/webp\" ><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/dijaz-maric-1-640x640.webp\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"640\" type=\"image\/webp\" ><\/picture><svg version=\"1.1\" id=\"svg_border_solid_square\" class=\"svg_border_solid_square\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\"\n\t viewBox=\"0 0 337 411.2\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 337 411.2;\" xml:space=\"preserve\">\n<polygon id=\"bg\" class=\"bg\" points=\"65,332.6 337,332.6 336.9,411.2 3.6,411.2 \"\/>\n<path id=\"border\" class=\"border\" d=\"M334,329.6V5.9c0-1.6-1.3-2.9-2.9-2.9l0,0L5.9,3.1C4.3,3.1,3,4.3,3,6v400.8c0,1.6,0.8,1.9,1.8,0.6\n\tl59.6-74.7l266.6-0.1C332.7,332.5,333.9,331.2,334,329.6z\"\/>\n<\/svg><\/div><div class=\"image_bottom_content\"><p>Dijaz Maric, QM &amp; Reliability Engineering Consultant<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><div class=\"columns post_content small-12 medium-6 large-7\"><p>Do you want to learn more about the implementation of<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/standards\/automotive\/iatf16949\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">IATF 16949 <\/a>or other standard in the <a href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/automotive\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Automotive sector<\/a><\/strong>? Please contact us at <strong><a href=\"mailto:info@lorit-consultancy.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">info@lorit-consultancy.com<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for bespoke consultancy or join one of our\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">upcoming online courses<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<a class=\"add_logo_border\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/automotive\/\"><span>Learn more<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"single_content_section single_post_section content_section\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"post_content columns\"><\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">VDA 6.2 is a quality management standard, specifically for service companies in the automotive sector. While VDA 6.1 applies to manufacturing companies, VDA 6.2 is aimed at companies that provide services, such as:<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Engineering and development service providers (including system, hardware and software)<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Logistics companies<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 IT service providers for the automotive industry<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dealers, leasing companies, or workshops<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">\u00b7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Customer service providers<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"heading\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">Difference from IATF 16949<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">While IATF 16949 is intended for manufacturing companies, VDA 6.2 remains the alternative for fabless service providers in the automotive industry. If your company provides services to automotive manufacturers or suppliers, a VDA 6.2 certification can be a competitive advantage.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">E.g. BMW Welt in Munich as service provider, has certified its quality management system according to VDA 6.2.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"heading\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">VDA quality management system 6.X standards<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">VDA 6.4 \u2013 Quality Management for Production Equipment Manufacturers in the Automotive Industry is another QMS standard. It is specifically aimed at machinery and equipment manufacturers, as well as tool manufacturers, who work for the automotive industry.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">The quality management system standards VDA 6.1, VDA 6.2, and VDA 6.4 are commonly referred to as the &#8220;VDA 6.X Standards.&#8221; Strictly speaking, there are additional standards or regulations within the VDA 6.X series, but certification is only possible according to the three above mentioned standards.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">Thus, we come to the end of the first part of this blog series, where we discussed the QMS standards according to VDA and their relation to, and in some cases, role as an alternative to IATF 16949. How widely these are applied in practice remains questionable, and we will evaluate this once again at the end of the blog series.<\/p>\r\n<p data-prosemirror-content-type=\"node\" data-prosemirror-node-name=\"paragraph\" data-prosemirror-node-block=\"true\">In the next part of the blog, we will take a look at the process audits according to VDA 6.3 and the product audit VDA 6.5, which have become standards in the automotive industry and are required by every OEM, and IATF 16949 auditors. Stay tuned!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<p>By <a href=\"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/about-us\/#dijaz-maric\">Dijaz Maric<\/a>, Quality Management &amp; Reliability Engineering Consultant<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With today&#8217;s blog post, we are launching an interesting blog series about the useful VDA volumes \u2013 both in relation to and as an alternative to IATF 16949:2016. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) publishes a series of volumes (standards, guidelines etc.) and regulations that serve as standards and guidelines for the automotive [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":8397,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[87,91,93],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-functional-safety","category-safety","category-automotive"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8393"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8419,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8393\/revisions\/8419"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lorit-consultancy.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}