The automotive industry in Germany

The application of internationally recognised management systems along the value chains is indispensable in the automotive industry: Germany's industrial sector with the highest turnover by far is not only closely intertwined with other sectors due to its dependence on raw materials from abroad, such as minerals, metals, leather, natural rubber or plastics, and its strong focus on exports, but is also globally networked.

Many car manufacturers produce in their own plants abroad and a large proportion of the parts used by the automotive industry within Germany are imported. Systemic solutions are needed to ensure quality, legal compliance and other strategic goals worldwide.

Certifications with GUTcert

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National and international experience in certification in the automotive industry

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Integrated audits by multi-qualified auditors save time, money and resources - worldwide

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Car production line, car parts and a family laughing out of a car window

Our service for the automotive industry

A car must drive reliably, be expertly made from good material and be safe - regardless of production location, supplier or batch. Without a uniform standard throughout the entire manufacturing chain, this goal cannot be achieved.

IATF 16949 is the world's most comprehensive standard for quality management in the automotive industry. And certification according to IATF 16949 is almost always a basic prerequisite for playing in the league of car manufacturers.

As a partner of the globally active AFNOR Groupe, we would be happy to prepare a quotation for you for certification according to IATF 16949 - also in combination with other management systems.

 

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Seminars on the topic of quality management

The automotive industry is strongly affected by constantly increasing quality and innovation pressure. Quality management certified according to ISO 9001 is therefore particularly worthwhile, as the standard explicitly addresses innovation-promoting topics such as strategic opportunities and risks or knowledge management. First and foremost, however, the standard contributes significantly to optimising existing company processes: For example, a certified quality management system also opens up scope for developing new ideas.

 

Offer of the GUTcert Academy

Seminars on the topic of quality management

Compared to other sectors, the environmental impact of vehicle manufacturing is rather low - water consumption is the main factor. Nevertheless, more and more companies in the automotive industry are addressing their impact on the environment: for the sake of sustainability, and for reasons of legal conformity, sustainability-related performance is backed up with credible evidence.

An ISO 14001-certified or EMAS-validated environmental management system forms the basis for the continuous improvement of environmental performance and helps your company to meet legal requirements through the economical use of raw materials and energy, to permanently reduce costs and to respond to the ever louder calls for more ecological action.

 

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Seminars on the topic of environmental management

By introducing an energy management system according to ISO 50001, potential savings can be identified and energy sources can be used more efficiently. In addition, a certified system protects you against the particularly complex legislation in this area.

As an accredited certification body with a wide range of approvals, we issue certificates that not only fulfil the standard requirements, but also guarantee recognition by state authorities.

For example, state benefits or tax refunds, such as the Special Compensation Scheme (BesAR) under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and the successor regulation to the Peak Compensation Scheme under the SpaEfV, are linked to the operation of a systematic EnMS in accordance with ISO 50001, EMAS or (for SMEs) an Alternative System. Our certification is worth your money.

 

Offer of the GUTcert Academy

Seminars on energy management

A climate-friendly orientation is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive industry. It is about own operational emissions, but above all about more climate-friendly vehicle models.

The main driver of GHG emissions in the automotive supply chain is the metalworking sector: its process emissions account for more than a third of total emissions. And emissions in the supply chain from raw material extraction to direct suppliers are almost ten times higher than at the company's own sites.

Climate neutrality therefore involves a variety of technical and technological innovations: Energy reduction, transition in supply to renewable energy sources, technological innovations and compensation of those emissions that are still indispensable. Working together to reduce pollution and emissions in the chain upstream of the workbench is indispensable.

A functioning climate strategy in one's own organisation is therefore essential. It is based on a solid greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. The Corporate Carbon Footprint serves as a management tool to identify the main CO2 emissions, to determine mitigation measures, to implement cost reduction plans and to build trust. If individual products are to be assessed for their emission intensity, the Product Carbon Footprint is used (more information also available at www.climateneutrality.com).

 

Offer of the GUTcert Academy

Seminars on the topic of climate management

An occupational safety and health management system (SGAMS) certified according to ISO 45001 helps to minimise accident and illness-related absences in your workforce. When introducing and maintaining an SGAMS, there are primarily links to environmental management. But other systems can also be easily linked.

As a member of the globally represented AFNOR Group, GUTcert offers you certifications worldwide - also in combination with, for example, environmental or quality management.

 

Offer of the GUTcert Academy

Seminars on the topic of occupational health and safety management

Increasingly, evidence of sustainability-related performance is becoming mandatory criteria for major tenders and the awarding of contracts in the value chain of the automotive industry. The motivation arises on the one hand directly from the reporting obligation of the CSR-RUG for listed companies or indirectly for small and medium-sized enterprises as part of the supply chain of large companies.

According to CSR-RUG, all large German vehicle manufacturers are obliged to publish their non-financial indicators and to promote sustainability in their own value chain. Therefore, they require their own suppliers to provide statements and key figures regarding the essential points of sustainability in their context. Sustainability management and a sustainability report validated according to common standards are proven tools for companies to present their economic, environmental and social performance to business partners, customers, NGOs and the public.

The sustainability report is also an advantage when it comes to filling out evaluations for supply chains that are common in Germany, such as EcoVadis.

In addition to the standardised management systems, the certifiable sustainability standards of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) are also of interest to companies that process aluminium for their products. The ASI Performance Standard and the complementary ASI Chain of Custody Standard were developed to assess the sustainability performance of companies at every stage of the value chain. The aim of the initiative is to increase customer acceptance of aluminium-containing products and to reduce negative environmental impacts through energy-efficient recycling.

 

Offer of the GUTcert Academy

Seminars on the topic of sustainability

Integrated management systems

If the different requirements are combined in an integrated system approach, this minimises the overall expense for setting up and maintaining the entire management system. Price advantages of up to 50% compared to the separate handling of the individual procedures are not uncommon. In addition to cost benefits, integrated management systems also bring organisational simplifications. Combining audit dates, for example, reduces the time required to a single on-site audit, the duration of which is significantly shorter than the sum of the individual audits.

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GUTcert networks

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As the first accredited conformity assessment body for the verification of certifications according to "ASI Performance Standard" and the complementary "ASI Chain of Custody Standard" in Germany, we work closely with the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI).

Selected publications

Be smart: Benefit from the experience of our customers and concentrated GUTcert knowledge in white papers, presentations and guides on various topics.

Guide from energy management to climate management

Guide from energy management to climate management (D / EN)

You already have an energy management system according to ISO 50001? Then you don't have far to go to climate management: our guide shows you how to do this in a structured way - over 5 steps in 14 steps.

Which certifications are particularly relevant for the metal and steel industry?