Quality Management Center in the Association of the Automotive Industry
The Quality Management Center in the Association of the Automotive Industry eV (QMC) is an institution of the German automobile manufacturers and their suppliers . The association was founded on August 1st, 1997 and is part of the Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) based in Berlin .
Organization and tasks
The task of the QMC is the development of new systems and methods within the automotive value chain , the design of complete quality management systems and the development of innovations and standards.
The developments of the QMC are controlled by the quality management committee . This committee is the highest body for quality management in the automotive industry . It is composed of the member companies and specifies the orientation of the VDA-QMC. Manufacturers and suppliers are represented equally by their quality management managers, and the VDA itself by a managing director.
The specialist lecture
The main tasks of the specialist unit are to control the VDA-QMC working groups and monitor the VDA-QMC regulations.
In 2011, 25 working groups are working on different QM topics, for example to develop future-oriented standards and update existing ones.
The German automotive industry has further developed the requirements specified in ISO 9001 and documented them in the VDA 6.1, VDA 6.2 and VDA 6.4 regulations. Approved certification bodies can issue certificate supplements to prove the conformity of these regulations . The VDA-QMC specialist unit monitors these activities and performs the following tasks:
- Introduction and further development of the VDA regulations
- Approval and monitoring of the certification bodies
- Approval and monitoring of third-party - Auditors
- Cooperation with original equipment manufacturers to ensure quality along the automotive supply chain
- Development and maintenance of the VDA 6.x database with strategic information for monitoring and controlling the VDA 6.x regulations
VDA QMC oversight office
To control the operative business of the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) , the “ legal entities ” were set up, which are also binding contractual partners of the certification companies .
- tasks
- Implementation and monitoring of the IATF 16949 certification process
- Coordination with the other oversight offices to ensure global consistency of the IATF 16949 certification process
- Support of the IATF in harmonization efforts with other automobile manufacturers
- Development and maintenance of a central IATF database with strategic information for monitoring and controlling the worldwide IATF 16949
Initial and continuing education
The content developed in the working groups is passed on to employees in the automotive industry in industry-specific quality management training courses. Employees and consultants develop the subject matter themselves and can thus impart and pass it on first hand.