Development of a Lean Quality Management System: An Integrated Management System

The automotive industry and in particular the automotive supplier industry need to master significant challenges in the future. The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) require products of highest quality at lowest cost from their suppliers. In order to assure quality, all large automotive manufacturers require an independently certified quality management system, in particular ISO/TS 16949, from their suppliers. These quality management systems often involve a substantial efforts both in time, work and documentation and are thus frequently not consequently followed or face little employee acceptance. On the other hand, companies try to reduce production cost by establishing stable and efficient processes with methods and tools of lean management. This paper deals with an approach which integrates these two management systems, i.e. quality management and lean management, to an integrated and comprehensive Lean Quality Management System. Methods and tools of lean management are used to fulfil the requirements of the quality management system. Two pilot projects served to validate the developed integrated management system.