Contingency plans (IATF only)
Plain-language summary
Plan for the bad days: documented, tested contingency plans for whatever could interrupt supply — equipment failure, utility interruption, labour shortage, key supplier failure, cyber-attack — so the customer keeps receiving conforming parts.
What the clause is really asking
Automotive lines cannot stop. Identify your interruption risks, write plans to keep supplying (or recover fast), validate product conformity after restart, test the plans periodically, review them annually, and notify customers when an event threatens supply. In South Africa, load-shedding and logistics disruption belong at the top of the list.
What auditors look for
Auditors want the documented plans, the risk list behind them, evidence of periodic testing (simulation or real event review), top-management involvement, the post-restart product verification step, and customer notification mechanics. After any real interruption: was the plan followed and updated?
Typical evidence
Contingency plan covering the listed scenarios; test/simulation records; restart verification instructions; customer notification records; annual review evidence.
How to comply — recommendations
Build one contingency matrix: event, response, owner, recovery time, customer comms. Use real load-shedding events as your 'tests' — document what happened, what failed, what was changed. That is honest evidence auditors respect.
Common nonconformities
Plan exists but never tested; cyber-attack scenario missing (now explicitly expected); restart product verification skipped after a breakdown; customers learning of supply problems from missed deliveries instead of notification.
Related clauses
Builds on ISO 9001 6.1; ISO 45001 8.2 (emergency)
Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard. Refer to your licensed copy of ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 for the authoritative text.