It is important to note that the general trend is a move away from the national standard schemes to the international ISO/TS 16949, but so far finalised transition dates have not been set for all of them.
However, the Big 3 in the United States DamilerChrysler, General Motors, and Ford have already decided to only accept certification of your quality system to the international ISO/TS 16949.
ISO 9001 requirements
Prior or parallel certification of your Quality Management System to ISO 9001 is a prerequisite for ISO/TS 16949 and VDA 6.1. The automotive standards certificate cannot be issued without the organisation implementing an ISO 9001 management system. Being certified to ISO/TS 16949 implies compliance to ISO 9001.
Where do I go from here?
To get on the road to certification, you should begin by reading about the standards:
You can also find a downloadable Guide to automotive manufacturers' position on ISO/TS 16949 under "related info" on the right.
