What (or who) is a TS16949 "subscriber"?

[Icy Mountain]

What (or who) is a TS16949 "subscriber"?

During the quotation process, every registrar has asked me if the customer that is requesting that we register is a "subscriber".
Icy: I am not sure what that means.
R: Have they given you a mandate and a deadline date?
Icy: Mandate, yes; deadline, not in a firm, drop-dead, way like DC.
R: Well, they're probably not a subscriber.
Icy: What's the difference.
R: If they're subscribers, we must audit 100% of their Customer Specific Requirements; if not, then we just have to sample CSRs.
Icy: Hmmmmmmmm, how would I tell for sure?
R: Ask them.
Icy: I did, they're not sure. Can you make me sure?
R: Hem, haw, etc.

A search of www.iaob.org and www.aiag.org turns up no hits for "subscriber". www.iaob.org only lists Generalchryslerford's CSRs. Are they it? Is there a list? Help me, I'm melting.

 

[Valeri]

If I'm not mistaken, the subscribing members are listed in the front of the TS manual. If not, let me know & I'll send you the list.

 

[Howard Atkins]

I can only see that the copyright is of the national organisations and the big 3.
Is this what you meant?

 

[Icy Mountain]

Huh?

If GeneralChryslerFord were the only subscriber's, I would think we wouldn't be tossing around a cryptic word like "subscriber". It would seem to be a longer list to me. But what do I know? I asked the question.

 

[D.Scott]

I attended a recent RAB lead auditor training class where this question came up. The IAOB who is the monitoring body for CBs is located directly across the hall and we wre fortunate enough to have the head of that body address us on that and other questions. To quote - "A subscriber is anyone who is registered to 16949". This was discussed in light of the old IASG interpretation that it was the names in the book and we were told the new interpretation is "Anyone who is registered to TS16949".

A side note on the Customer Specific requirement mentioned above -
The new scope for the TS16949 certificate must include (on an addendum page) a list of all customers who have customer specific requirements. From what I was told, there is no requirement that these customers be registered to 16949, only that they be automotive - if they have specific requirements, they must be listed. This addendum becomes part of the scope and must be sent as part of the certificate which means you MUST identify your other customers AND, these customer specific requirements MUST be audited as part of the TS16949 process BUT not included in the man days perscribed.

Dave

 

[Sam]

A subscriber is a customer member of the IATF. There are six groups that make up the IATF that have customer members:

IAOB/USA
ANFIA/Italy
CCFA/France
FIEV/France
SMMT/UK
VDA-QMC/Germany

If your customer is a member of one of these groups then he would be called a subscriber to TS16949:2002.

 

[Valeri]

Current subscribing members are: BMW, DaimlerBenz, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, PSA Peugeot-Citroen, Renault and Volkswagon/Audi.

 

[Icy Mountain]

Sam and Valeri,
That narrows it down quite nicely. Thank you.

@D.Scott:
Interpreting what my registrars told me in light of this thread: My registrar will audit 100% of the CSRs for those on Valeri's list. Other "automotive" customers (i.e. a truck manufacturer, or TS16949 registered), their CSRs will only be sampled. Or does every customer that has a TS16949 registration get 100%?

Good info on the lists required on the Certificate. All the registrars made that point.