Contingency plans (IATF only)
Plain-language summary
Plan for the bad days: documented, tested contingency plans for whatever could interrupt supply — equipment failure, utility interruption, labour shortage, key supplier failure, cyber-attack — so the customer keeps receiving conforming parts.
What the clause is really asking
Automotive lines cannot stop. Identify your interruption risks, write plans to keep supplying (or recover fast), validate product conformity after restart, test the plans periodically, review them annually, and notify customers when an event threatens supply. In South Africa, load-shedding and logistics disruption belong at the top of the list.
What auditors look for
Auditors want the documented plans, the risk list behind them, evidence of periodic testing (simulation or real event review), top-management involvement, the post-restart product verification step, and customer notification mechanics. After any real interruption: was the plan followed and updated?
Typical evidence
Contingency plan covering the listed scenarios; test/simulation records; restart verification instructions; customer notification records; annual review evidence.
How to comply — recommendations
Build one contingency matrix: event, response, owner, recovery time, customer comms. Use real load-shedding events as your 'tests' — document what happened, what failed, what was changed. That is honest evidence auditors respect.
Common nonconformities
Plan exists but never tested; cyber-attack scenario missing (now explicitly expected); restart product verification skipped after a breakdown; customers learning of supply problems from missed deliveries instead of notification.
Related clauses
Builds on ISO 9001 6.1; ISO 45001 8.2 (emergency)
In the book
Chapter 6 — Planning — Risk, Opportunity and the Discipline of Change treats this clause family in full: what it is really asking, what auditors look for, the evidence that satisfies, how to make it work on a real floor, and where companies stumble. This IATF requirement is covered in the Automotive Edition, in the same six blocks as the ISO clause around it.
Get the free ISO 9001:2026 Readiness Scorecard
Free, instant download. We'll only email you the occasional practical quality update — no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of the relevant standard for the authoritative text.