TS 16949 is a technical specification and not a standard yet, published now by the ISO organization as opposed to the AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group). Many more automotive OEMs are accepting TS 16949 in lieu of other certification schemes.
TS 16949 may eliminate your international customers' requirements for other registration standards or requirements. At present, TS 16949 is an optional requirement, however, it is being actively updated to the ISO 9001:2000 format and requirements. While the future status of QS-9000 or its update has not been announced, speculation is that it will not, in fact, be updated. The ISO 9001/2:1994 has already been declared obsolete by December 15, 2003.

• Goal of the technical specification is fundamental quality system that provides continuous improvement , enphasizes defect prevention and reduction of waste in the supply chain
• The technical specification defines the fundamental quality system requirements
• Quality related requirements

The additional requirements to ISO 9000 : 1994 which form the automotive technical specifications of ISO/TS 16949 1999(E) are drawn from four automotive standards / requirements. They are :

• VDA 6.1 : Quality System Audit
• QS-9000 Requirements Third Edition.
• AVSQ 94 : ANFIA Volutazione Sisteuir Qualita Guida Per Iutilissatre
• EAQF 94 Evaluation Aptitude Qualite Fournisseurs.

An analysis of the ISO/TS 16949 , by comparing it to each of the four standards / requirements from which it has developed . Points to these conclusions : ¨

• The elements of the ISO/TS are closely aligned with the elements of four automotive standards
• Most of the elements of the ISO/TS can be traced to a minimum of one of the four automotive standard. Many elements can be traced to all four standard