I'm trying to figure out the 'rough' timeline for getting certified to TS, after you've got your "ducks in a row" at your mfg site (ie paperwork, procedures, audits, etc) how long do you have to wait before you can have a registration audit? Does your system have to be working in place for, say, 6 months, 12 months, one month???
I've been asked to give a guesstimate on how long before we can get a site registered to TS, they used to be QS so I think I can guesstimate the time it takes for the 'grunt' work to happen but have no clue for the certification part.
I have no direct contact with their registrar so I'd feel awkard call them, and would feel awkard calling the registrar for my own site since they wouldn't be getting the business anyway.

Thanks!
-Ana

It's a little difficult to answer with an absolute time frame, because it depends on so many factors. However, if we assume you had a fairly robust QS system in place, it should be in the region of 6 months (since your post mentioned this value).

I'd hesitate to say any less, since although there are many commonalities between QS and TS, the underlying 'theme' of the two requirements is very different and you can leverage all of your QS system.

I'm trying to figure out the 'rough' timeline for getting certified to TS, after you've got your "ducks in a row" at your mfg site (ie paperwork, procedures, audits, etc) how long do you have to wait before you can have a registration audit? Does your system have to be working in place for, say, 6 months, 12 months, one month???
I've been asked to give a guesstimate on how long before we can get a site registered to TS, they used to be QS so I think I can guesstimate the time it takes for the 'grunt' work to happen but have no clue for the certification part.
I have no direct contact with their registrar so I'd feel awkard call them, and would feel awkard calling the registrar for my own site since they wouldn't be getting the business anyway.

Thanks!
-Ana

Ana,

Based on my experience, from start to finish: 14-18 months. That means have a working quality management system in place that is "auditable" and subsequently ready for ongoing improvement.

Stijloor.

Remember the TS scheme rules especially rule 2.4.

If you have a new site or one which is new to automotive work and, consequently, don't have 12 months of records, you can only get a letter of conformance rather than a full certificate.

Remember the TS scheme rules especially rule 2.4.

If you have a new site or one which is new to automotive work and, consequently, don't have 12 months of records, you can only get a letter of conformance rather than a full certificate.

I was thinking that because there was an existing QS 9000 based system, most of the requirements should be covered, for example, audits, customer satisfaction and management reviews etc. etc.

I also seem to remember that it wasn't taken as 12 months of implementation, but records which covered the past 12 months. I'm certainly aware of organizations that have been TS registrered, but were under the 12 months imlementation, but had sufficient records.

There must be evidence of a system (not necessarily conforming to TS 16949) in place for at least a year. This must include management reviews, internal audits, process measurements, etc. As a 3rd party auditor I would expect 3-6 months of records showing conformity to TS 16949 before the stage 1 audit.

If I understand correctly - if this plant had all the records/ etc. ready by, say, June 2009, the earliest they could expect to schedule a stage 1 audit would be for Oct-Dec 2009.
That's what I needed to understand, :thanx:
-Ana

If I understand correctly - if this plant had all the records/ etc. ready by, say, June 2009, the earliest they could expect to schedule a stage 1 audit would be for Oct-Dec 2009.

That sounds about right. Maybe September at the earliest.