Combining Sector Specific Quality Standards - TS 16949, AS9100 and ISO 9001

TPMB4

Quite Involved in Discussions
Curiosity makes me ask this question... What is so different between the sector specific quality standards that really merits separate standards?

Just seen a matrix between AS and 9001. Seriously why can't TS, AS and standard ISO9001 just be combined into one universal standard? At the moment you can exclude certain parts of 9001 such as design if you can justify it. A nearly universal standard could also be used but by having exclusions you can support and justify you can leave out say aerospace or automotive clauses if not useful/applicable.

Is there really so much different to warrant sector specific standards? Could it be beneficial to have one standard? I am guessing pharma / medical devices might have to be excluded but aero and auto with general iso 9001 seems to me to be possible. That way a company that supplies into two or more sectors only has one certification. Is that the true reason?

It would also get rid of auto and aero quality arguments that I seem to have read about on here recently.

As I said, I am curious about this as I do not know enough to know the answer but I bet someone on here does.
 

AgnieszkaSz

Involved In Discussions
I don't have experience from aero, but I do have experience in combining the requirements of ISO/TS 16949 and IRIS (railway) in one system. My comment is that these are two different worlds - not because of product specifics, but because of production scale. Automotive has long series production in mind - the product remains practically unchanged for several years with volume reaching 1M pieces per year; it is expensive to apply it to short series. Railway, on the other hand (I suppose that is valid for aero too) has "changeable" products (versions can change after, say, 40 pieces) and short series - 150 pieces or so. It is a true balance act to set up the production system so that it copes with both long and short series. Not only production - the engineers and technicians must apply different approach to each area, purchasing for short series can be a nightmare too. So - in life it is possible, but such systems requires even more detailed scrutiny than a system designed for compliance with one standard.
 

WCHorn

Rubber, Too Glamorous?
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It would require Mister Spock to perform a third-party Vulcan mind meld on automotive and aerospace to get them on the same page. They each have a division in the Society of Automotive Engineers; that's the most commonality to expect. I believe the egos involved in those industries would never allow them to agree on a common quality system.
 
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