Infrastructure
Plain-language summary
Provide and maintain the buildings, equipment, utilities, transport and IT your processes need to make conforming product — maintained being the operative word.
What the clause is really asking
Determine what infrastructure product conformity depends on, provide it, and keep it serviceable: buildings, machinery, utilities, ICT, transport. The unwritten core is maintenance — infrastructure that exists but breaks down constantly fails this clause.
What auditors look for
Auditors look at the maintenance system: preventive schedules vs actual completion, breakdown trends on key equipment, the state of the building where it affects product (roof leaks over storage, compressed air quality). IT backup/recovery increasingly gets pulled in here.
Typical evidence
Equipment register; preventive maintenance plans and records; breakdown logs; facility maintenance evidence; IT continuity arrangements.
How to comply — recommendations
A simple PM schedule honoured beats a sophisticated one ignored. Track schedule adherence as a KPI and let recurring breakdowns trigger root-cause work, not just repairs.
Common nonconformities
PM schedules months in arrears; repeat breakdowns on the same asset without analysis; product stored under known roof leaks; no data backup ever tested.
Related clauses
IATF 16949: extended by 7.1.3.1 & TPM 8.5.1.5; ISO 45001 7.1
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.