This is the global technical specification and quality management standard for the automotive industry. The ISO/TS 16949 was originally created in 1999 to harmonize different assessment and certification schemes worldwide in the supply chain for the automotive sector.
Background
International Automotive Task Force (IATF) is a group of automotive manufacturers ( which includes The BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company, Renault, Volkswagen AG and Vehicle Manufacturers’ Trade Associations among others), who aim at providing improved quality products to automotive customers worldwide. The IATF 16949 is a QMS prepared by IATF and the Technical Committee of ISO to provide for continual improvement, emphasizing on defect prevention, variation reduction and wastage in the supply chain of the automotive industry.