Customer-Specific Requirements: Keep a Controlled Quality File for Every Programme

IATF 16949 is used alongside customer-specific requirements. The IATF's customer-specific-requirements index shows that different vehicle manufacturers publish and revise their own materials. A generic statement that a supplier is 'IATF compliant' cannot tell a buyer which programme-specific documents were considered. Set up one controlled quality file per customer programme. At minimum, include the programme identifier, part number and revision, manufacturing site, applicable customer-specific requirement, source URL or controlled copy, effective date, owner, review date and evidence status. Link it to the incoming inspection plan and change-control process. When a part changes, assess whether the change affects drawings, materials, tooling, validation, packaging, labelling or traceability. Record the decision and preserve the prior revision. That history is useful both for customer audits and for distributor investigations after a field issue. For external communications, use precise language. A supplier may describe the evidence it holds and the scope to which it applies, but should not imply OEM approval or programme coverage without the supporting approval. This protects the buyer from relying on a claim that the quality file cannot prove. The IATF index below is the source for the existence and revision tracking of customer-specific requirement publications; programme-specific interpretation should remain with the applicable customer and qualified quality team.