Supplier QMS development (IATF only)
Plain-language summary
Push your supply chain up the QMS ladder: unless the customer agrees otherwise, suppliers should be developed from basic conformity toward ISO 9001 certification and beyond (with automotive-software suppliers assessed appropriately).
What the clause is really asking
The default expectation: suppliers ISO 9001-certified, progressing via defined steps potentially toward IATF compliance/certification, based on risk and customer requirements. Automotive product software suppliers need software capability assessment (8.4.2.3.1).
What auditors look for
Auditors ask for your supplier QMS status register and the development plan for those below target: who is where on the ladder, what progression was agreed, customer waivers on file where the default is relaxed.
Typical evidence
Supplier certification register with expiries; development plans/letters; customer agreements on alternative approaches; software supplier assessments.
How to comply — recommendations
Track certification status and expiry per supplier (a column on your ASL). For small local suppliers below ISO 9001, document the risk-based plan or the customer's acceptance — silence is the finding.
Common nonconformities
No visibility of supplier certification status; expired certificates unnoticed; no development path for uncertified critical suppliers.
Related clauses
Builds on ISO 9001 8.4.2
In the book
Chapter 8 — Operation — Where the Product Is Won or Lost 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.
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