STMicroelectronics Awarded ISO/TS16949 Certification

The new certification is the result of a three-year company-wide project led by STs Corporate Quality Team to incorporate the most advanced quality management concepts and practices into its quality management system. To replace its existing ISO9000:1994 certification, which was due to expire in December 2003, ST decided not only to move to the latest ISO9001:2000 standard but also that the Company would adopt the automobile version, ISO/TS16949:2002, which is even more demanding as automotive components must operate reliably over a wider temperature range than is normally required in commercial products. Furthermore, ST decided to aim for worldwide qualification, rather than the more common and less challenging practice of seeking certification for individual sites. ISO9001:2000 is a generic quality management standard designed to replace the older ISO9000:1994 standard. The most significant difference is a change from an approach based on management procedures to one based on organizational processes, enabling organizations to link more directly the objectives and effectiveness of their business. Among the improvements over the earlier standard is a greater emphasis on continual improvement and customer satisfaction. ISO/TS16949 is designed to replace the existing QS9000 in defining quality system requirements for use in the automotive supply chain. ISO/TS16949 certification is necessary for automotive customers but not required for most other customers. After a seven-month audit of ST sites, the ISO/TS 16949 certification was granted by ANFIA/Italy (Associazione Nazionale Fra Industrie Automobilistiche) on behalf of the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) composed of the International Automotive Oversight Bureau (IAOB/USA), Comittee des Constructeurs Francais dAutomobiles (CCFA/France), Federation des Industries des Equipements pour Vehicules (FIEV/France), Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT/UK), Verband der Automobilindustrie - Qualitatsmanagement Center (VDA - QMC/Germany) and ANFIA/Italy.