{{Short description, Automobile quality management system standard
VDA 6.1 is a German quality management system standard. It was initiated by the automobile industry. The first VDA standard was for the exchange of surface models, and was named "
VDA-FS
VDA-FS is a CAD data exchange format for the transfer of freeform surface modelling, surface models from one Computer-aided design, CAD system to another.
Its name is an abbreviation of "", which translates to the "automotive industry association - ...
". It has been superseded along the way, by a subset of the "Initial Graphics Exchange Specification" (
IGES
The Initial Graphics Exchange Specification (IGES) is a vendor-neutral List of file formats, file format that allows the CAD data exchange, digital exchange of information among computer-aided design (CAD) systems. It is an ASCII-based textual for ...
); referred to, simply, as "VDA". Aside from this exchange standard, VDA also developed " VDA-PS", a library standard for standard parts, now known as " DIN 66304".
Based on ISO 9001:1994, the quality management system includes all elements of QS-9000, with an additional four requirements specific to VDA 6.1 as follows:
* Element 06.3 on "Recognition of Product Risk": This the risk of the product, failing to fulfil its stipulated function, and its effect on the whole assembly.
* Element Z1.5 on "
Employee Satisfaction
Job satisfaction, employee satisfaction or work satisfaction is a measure of workers' contentment with their job, whether they like the job or individual aspects or facets of jobs, such as nature of work or supervision. Job satisfaction can be me ...
": This covers the
perception
Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...
of the company employees, as well as their needs and expectations, that will be met through the company's quality system.
* Element 07.3 on " Quotation Structure": A customer or market is offered products for purchase or made available to own or to use.
* Element 12.4 on "Quality History": This section covers the quality history of customer-supplied products and gives an overview of the situation during a particular period.
The VDA standard is broken into two parts:
* Management
* Products and Processes.
Any company seeking
certification
Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
must achieve at least 90 percent compliance in a formal quality audit.
Sanctioned interpretations of VDA 6.1 are available, clarifying some of the elements, so as to assist companies and registrars to understand the requirements better. There are also a number of other manuals, which must be read in conjunction with the VDA 6.1 manual, and is aimed at facilitating better understanding of what is required.
More elaborated versions of this standard are VDA 6.2 and VDA 6.4.
See also
*
Verband der Automobilindustrie
The German Association of the Automotive Industry or VDA () is a German interest group of the German automobile industry, both automobile manufactures and automobile component suppliers. It is member of the European Automobile Manufacturers As ...