VDA 6.3 Process Audit
Evaluate Automotive Process Capability from Product Development to Series Production
Knowledge Kraft helps automotive organizations assess manufacturing and product-realization processes using the VDA 6.3 process-audit approach.
Our audits identify operational risks, evaluate implementation effectiveness and provide prioritized improvement actions for internal processes, suppliers and new business decisions.
VDA 6.3 Process Audit at a Glance
Service objective: To evaluate whether automotive processes are capable, controlled and consistently implemented across the product lifecycle.
Suitable For
- Automotive manufacturers
- Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers
- Sub-tier suppliers
- New supplier selection
- New product or process launches
- Existing suppliers with performance concerns
- Internal manufacturing-process reviews
- Customer-audit preparation
- Organizations responding to VDA 6.3 findings
Knowledge Kraft Can Support
- Potential analysis
- Product-development process audit
- Supplier-management process audit
- Manufacturing-process audit
- Customer-service process audit
- Internal process audit
- Supplier process audit
- Audit-report review
- Corrective-action planning
- Re-audit and effectiveness verification
- VDA 6.3 readiness assessment
What Is a VDA 6.3 Process Audit?
VDA 6.3 is an established automotive process-audit method used to evaluate processes throughout the supply chain, from product and process development through supplier management, production and customer service.
The current publication is VDA 6.3:2023, fourth edition. VDA QMC describes its application across the supply chain from development to series production and from purchasing to after-sales activities.
Unlike a general system audit, a VDA 6.3 audit focuses closely on:
- Process inputs and outputs
- Product and customer requirements
- Process risks
- Resources and competence
- Control methods
- Manufacturing implementation
- Performance results
- Effectiveness of corrective actions
Challenges We Help Customers Address
- Process audits are treated as checklist exercises
- Audit findings do not reflect actual product risk
- Process owners are unfamiliar with VDA 6.3 expectations
- FMEA, Control Plan and shop-floor controls are inconsistent
- Supplier capability has not been objectively evaluated
- Launch risks are not identified early enough
- Special characteristics lack effective controls
- Process performance data is unavailable during audits
- Corrective actions address symptoms rather than causes
- Previous audit findings recur
- Internal auditors lack process or product knowledge
- The organization is preparing for an OEM or Tier 1 audit
What Knowledge Kraft Delivers
Knowledge Kraft can plan and conduct VDA 6.3-based audits according to the organization’s products, processes, suppliers and customer requirements.
- Defining audit scope and objectives
- Reviewing customer-specific requirements
- Preparing risk-based audit plans
- Reviewing process documentation
- Conducting onsite process assessments
- Following product and process trails
- Reviewing APQP, FMEA and Control Plans
- Evaluating equipment, tooling and measurement controls
- Reviewing process performance and capability
- Assessing supplier and sub-supplier controls
- Classifying and communicating findings
- Developing prioritized corrective-action plans
- Reviewing root-cause analysis
- Conducting follow-up or re-audits
- Preparing teams for customer VDA 6.3 audits
Frequently Asked Questions
VDA 6.3:2023 is the current fourth edition.
No. It is a process-audit method. Organizations may be assessed using VDA 6.3, but they are not certified to it in the same manner as IATF 16949.
A potential analysis evaluates whether a prospective supplier or location appears capable of successfully realizing a proposed product or project before or during supplier nomination.
Yes. It can be used for internal process audits as well as supplier audits, subject to suitable auditor competence.
Requirements depend on whether the audit is internal, customer-directed or performed as an external service. Customer-specific competence requirements may exceed the basic VDA guidance.
The applicable process elements and questions depend on the audit scope, product lifecycle stage and objectives.
Yes. We can help prioritize findings, review root causes and verify implementation effectiveness.