VDA 6, Part 1

VDA Quality Management in automotive industryQM System Audit, Volume 6, Part 1 / 4th revised edition 2003

Motivation and benefits

As early as 1991, a workgroup of the VDA/DGQ Technical

Group “Quality Control in Automotive Industry” ela-bora-

ted a specific catalogue of questions based on ISO 9004

and put it into force. In 1995, this catalogue was revised.

As early as 1996, the new German quality standard in au-

tomotive industry “Series of Documents 6”, to which OQS

made a considerable contribution, was re-defined. In De-

cember 1996, OQS conducted the first certification acc.

to the new standard VDA 6.1 world-wide.

10 years after the introduction of the standard, it may be

stated that the endeavours of the German automotive in-

dustry have made a considerable contribution to imple-

menting world-wide harmonization (development of ISO/

TS 16949 in October 1999).

The document VDA 6.1 is a German automotive standard

that is recognized by EAQF in France or AVSQ in Italy as

being equivalent to the national standards. For example,

the VW Group still requires certification acc. to VDA 6.1

from all the direct suppliers even today. However, VW also

recognizes ISO/TS 16949:2009 as being equivalent.

Certification acc. to VDA 6.1 always is a supplement

based on certification acc. to ISO 9001:2008. It is true

that VDA 6.1 is very user friendly and is highly expressive

relating to the quality of the management system (method

based on measurement). Nevertheless, VDA certification

within the direct delivery to the manufacturers is, by now,

only recognized on a national scale or by VW. However,

VDA is still perfectly suitable for the 2nd and 3rd levels of

the subsuppliers. And as it is a method based on mea-su-

rement, it can, in contrast to ISO/TS 16949:2009, make

a very good statement about the organization’s perfor-

mance.

Objectives

n statement about the efficiency of the organization and

its partial areas

n strategic business planning and its implementation on

the basis of concrete business plans

n optimized improvement process

n secured project management, ensuring the start of

production and absolute process control in series pro-

duction (process capability)

n reducing scatter and wastage in the supply chain

n optimizing the value added chain

Target groups

n automotive industry and its subsuppliers

n the overall supply chain of automotive industry; this

means this refers to both direct and indirect suppliers

of products that are installed in the vehicle

Criteria

The document VDA 6.1 is a technical standard. It is no

standard in the traditional sense of the term. It was de-

veloped by a workgroup of German automotive industry

while considering the requirements of ISO 9001:1994 and

ISO 9004.

It does not follow the structure of ISO 9001:2008 but is

subdivided into two focal areas:

n the U part for management (“Unternehmensführung”),

incl. the Z1 part for corporate strategy

n the P part for products and processes

Furthermore, the efficiency of the individual elements is

measured in the audit. This method based on measure-

ment considerably differs from ISO/TS 16949. For here

VDA 6, Part 1

the possible opportunities for improvement are shown ob-

jectively (graphic evaluation). The requirements of VDA 6.1

are presented in a catalogue of questions with an exact

definition / interpretation and will then be evaluated accor-

ding to a specific assessment key.

Important additional requirements of VDA 6.1 as compa-

red to ISO 9001:2008 include:

n strategic short-term, medium-term and long-term

business planning

n identifying people satisfaction and motivation

n high requirements placed on the employees’ technical

qualification

n exact specifications for project management and qua-

lity planning

n absolute process control

n use of special sampling techniques

Accreditation

Quality Austria Training, Certification and Evaluation

GmbH has been accredited for VDA 6.1 by VDA/QMC

since 12/1996. For VDA 6.2 and for VDA 6.4, Quality Aus-

tria Training, Certification and Evaluation GmbH has been

accredited since 03/1999. For each standard, Quality

Austria Training, Certification and Evaluation GmbH is the

first Austrian certification body to be accredited by VDA.

Other relevant standards

various VDA Volumes and the manufacturers’ specifica-

tions, ISO 9001:2008, TS 16949:2009

Quality Austria introduces itself

Quality Austria Training, Certification and Evaluation GmbH

is your competence partner for Integrated Management

Systems in the fields of Quality, Environment and Safety

and Industry Standards as well as Business Excellence.

The services provided by Quality Austria range from trai-

nings in the field of international management trends and

techniques via certification of management systems accor-

ding to international standards and regulations and natio-

nal guidelines and directives and assessments acc. to the

EFQM Excellence Model to awarding the Austria Quality

Seal. The Austrian Excellence Award will be presented

to Austrian organisations in cooperation with the Federal

Ministry for Economic Affairs, Family and Youth. Quality

Austria is accredited by the Federal Ministry for Economic

Affairs, Family and Youth and has numerous international

registrations and accreditations.

Having more than 1.000 auditors, trainers, assessors and

technical experts, Quality Austria secures successful im-

plementation of standards and regulations within the orga-

nisations and provides sector and product specific know-

how with a very high focus on practical work. Based on the

competence network in the field of comprehensive sector

specific, technical and methodological knowledge as well

as comprehensive experience, trends will be influenced

while innovations will be interpreted and tomorrow’s requi-

rements will be co-designed actively and consistently in

corresponding bodies even on an international scale.

The close connection of Quality Austria as a national re-

presentative with the international partner organisations

IQNet, EOQ and EFQM as well as cooperation of Quality

Austria with IPC, VDA-QMC and IATF enable global know-

how to be imparted and turn the organisation into a com-

petent partner. Quality Austria cooperates with some 50

partner and member organisations. Quality Austria is a sta-

ble factor when it comes to creating valuable synergies at

the economic site of Austria.

ContactGerald Perschler

Executive Vice President

Sector Management Automotive

and Aerospace Industries

Auditor, Trainer

gerald.perschler@qualityaustria.com

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VDA 6, Part 1

Quality AustriaTraining, Certification andEvaluation GmbH

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