Opponents of QS-9000's Third Edition claim the Big Three's new demands are inefficient and unreasonable.
Supporters say the changes are no big deal.
Your QS-9000 Second Edition registration is now officially obsolete. As of January 1, your QS-9000 quality system should already be in compliance with the Third Edition of the standard. If it isn't, you only have until your first audit this year to make it so. Although the Third Edition itself is a fait accompli, quality professionals are still debating the merits and failings of the changes it entails. Some say the changes amount to little more than a clarification of what was already required in the Second Edition, while others protest that the added restrictions inhibit improvement efforts, waste time and resources, and tighten the Big Three's chokehold on automotive suppliers that are just struggling to survive.