Artefact · Standards & Organisations
Customer specific requirements
The additional quality requirements an automotive customer places on its suppliers, on top of IATF 16949 and the core tools, which the supplier's quality management system must include.
- Also known as
- Customer-specific requirements
- Type
- Artefact
- Domain
- Standards & Organisations, Automotive & functional safety
Overview
Each automotive customer publishes or agrees its own requirements on how suppliers plan, approve, change and deliver parts. IATF 16949 requires suppliers to identify these customer specific requirements, include them in their quality management system and apply them to each part.
How it works
The supplier keeps a register of the customer specific requirements that apply to it, with the current version of each and an owner. Each requirement is traced to the process that meets it, such as quality planning, PPAP, change notification or problem solving.
When a customer issues a new version, the supplier reviews the changes and updates its processes. Internal audits and the certification body's audits check that the requirements are met for the customers in scope.
Examples
- A customer's own submission level and forms for PPAP.
- A required notice period before any process change.
- A customer's rules for safe launch and its exit criteria.
- A required problem solving format and response time for complaints.
Why it matters
Quality systems managers, customer quality engineers and process owners use them every day. They shape the QMS lifecycle from its scope onwards and the APQP lifecycle from planning, where missing one can lead to a rejected submission.
It matters most to: Automotive Quality Engineer (IATF 16949), Customer Quality Engineer (Automotive), Quality Systems Manager
Common confusions
- Not the same as IATF 16949
- IATF 16949 is the common standard for all automotive suppliers; customer specific requirements are each customer's additions to it.
Related standards
- IATF 16949 (automotive quality management system requirements)
Sources
- Customer Specific Requirements (opens in a new tab), International Automotive Task Force (IATF), 2026-11-10
- About IATF 16949:2016 (opens in a new tab), International Automotive Task Force (IATF), 2026-11-10
Related terms
Part of the Standards & Organisations glossary, with every term in the topic and the lifecycles, tools and standards that use them.
Where it appears on the Hub
Used on 15 pages of the Hub. In each group, the pages that mention it most come first.
Lifecycle stages and gates
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