TABLE OF CONTENTS Attention to quality can become the organization s mind-set only if all of its managers indeed all of its people live it.
Tom Peters
While the implementation of all requirements in ISO/TS 16949 is strictly management s responsibility, those in Section 5 of the standard are indeed the responsibility of top management. All clauses in this section commence with the phrase Top management shall . The first four clauses clearly apply to the strategic-planning processes of the organization rather than to specific products. However, it is the board of directors that should take note of these requirements when establishing their vision, values, mission and objectives. These requirements are amongst the most important in the standard. There is a clear linkage between customers needs, policy, objectives and processes. One leads to the other in a continuous cycle as addressed previously in Chapter 1. Although the clauses in Section 5 are not intended as a sequence, each represents a part of a process that establishes direction and keeps the organization on course. If we link the requirements together in a cycle (indicating the headings from ISO/TS 16949 in bold italics type) the cycle commences with a Vision a statement of what we want to be or do and then a Focus on customers for it is the customer that will decide whether or not the organization survives. It is only when you know what your market is, who your customers will be and...
