MAXE is proudly IATF 16949 certified!
What it means to be IATF 16949 approved?
As part of MAXE’s strategic growth aspirations, that is “to be a serious contender for product fitments on the line at the OEMs, such as limited editions and vehicles pre-fitted with specified accessories”, MAXE embarked on a journey of acquiring our IATF 16949 certification. MAXE is ISO 9001 accredited for over 15 years, however it was time to take our quality management system to the next level.
IATF 16949 is a common automotive quality system requirement based on ISO 9001:2015, but with specific requirements for the automotive industry. Many of the automotive OEMs globally recognise the IATF 16949 standard and it is a mandatory requirement for suppliers who intend supplying original equipment to most of the major the motor vehicle manufacturers on the production line. The goal of the IATF 16949 quality management system is to enable MAXE to meet our customer’s requirements efficiently and effectively. The standard focuses on continual improvement, defect prevention and the reduction of variation and waste in the supply chain.
Variation or variability in production is a lack of
consistency. Therefore, when reducing variability in all our production processes it stands to reason that a more consistent product is produced. Reliability is the ability of a product to consistently perform as expected, over time and under various conditions. When a product is reliable, it inspires confidence in the consumer and increases their trust in the brand.
By adopting and implementing the IATF 16949 standard at MAXE within all departments and across all essential processes we are enabled to establish a robust quality management system. In order to achieve our accreditation MAXE had to make a number of investments in equipment, people and training to help us achieve this goal within the targeted timeframe. We invested in a team of people experienced with the management and implementation of the IATF 16949 Quality Management System, we provided basic training on the standard for all employees and more in-depth training for all the relevant process owners.
It gives me great pleasure to announce that in December 2023 all our hard work and effort paid off and MAXE was awarded this highly sought after, internationally accredited certification. We would like to thank the entire MAXE team for their support and the work that they put in achieving this goal. We will still undergo an annual surveillance audit and will have to re-certify every three years. But until then, we are proudly IATF 16949 certified!
