You have your IATF 16949 certificate, your internal audits are performed regularly, and your PPAP processes are running smoothly. Then, your customer arrives for a supplier audit, and the auditor asks:
“When was your last CQI-9 assessment conducted?”
It is not uncommon for companies to hear this question for the first time during an audit. However, CQI Special Process Assessments are featured in many OEM Customer Specific Requirements (CSR). Consequently, they are indirectly scrutinized under the scope of IATF 16949 and, above all, serve as vital guides for managing the risks associated with “special” processes.
What is CQI?
CQI stands for Continual Quality Improvement. It is a series of documents published by the AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group). These manuals provide guidelines focused on Special Process Assessments and the improvement of field quality processes.
Each CQI assessment contains quality requirements, evaluation criteria, and audit questions specific to a particular manufacturing process. The goal is to systematically evaluate risks and continuously improve the process. It is a unique pool of knowledge that distills “lessons learned” from the global automotive supply chain into practical applications.
Which CQI Covers Which Process?
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CQI-9 — Heat Treat System Assessment: Covers processes such as hardening, annealing, normalizing, and carburizing. Key focuses include furnace management, atmosphere control, and monitoring of process parameters.
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CQI-11 — Plating System Assessment: Covers electrochemical plating processes such as nickel, chrome, zinc, and copper plating.
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CQI-12 — Coating System Assessment: Covers surface preparation, application conditions, curing, and quality control requirements for paint and coating applications.
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CQI-15 — Welding System Assessment: Covers welding processes like arc, resistance, and laser welding. Process capability studies and operator competency are central themes.
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CQI-17 — Soldering System Assessment: Primarily for electronics, evaluating wave and reflow soldering processes.
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CQI-23 — Molding System Assessment: Covers molding processes, focusing on tool management and process parameter monitoring.
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CQI-27 — Casting System Assessment: Specific to sand and shell mold casting processes.
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CQI-29 — Brazing System Assessment: Provides a holistic evaluation specifically for brazing processes.
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CQI-30 — Rubber Molding: Covers the entire rubber production cycle from mixing to the finished part.
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CQI-35 — Cable Harness: Offers a comprehensive approach to the specific requirements of wire harness manufacturing.
How is the Assessment Performed?
Each CQI document provides an assessment form with a scoring system. Any requirements that are not fully met must be reported with evidence, followed by the creation of an action plan.
Who Can Perform It?
CQI assessments can take three forms:
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Internal Assessment: Conducted by the company’s own trained personnel for routine monitoring.
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Second-Party Assessment: Conducted by the customer (OEM or Tier 1) on their supplier.
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Third-Party Assessment: Conducted by independent consultants or certification bodies, valuable for both preparation and unbiased observation.
Why Are Companies Caught Unprepared?
The most common scenario I observe in the field is this: a company is IATF 16949 certified and passes regular audits, but the CQI assessment was performed merely as a “box-ticking” exercise. This often happens because certification bodies may not focus on it, and it remains off the agenda until a customer explicitly demands it.
The realization usually comes too late—when a new export customer or an existing OEM requests an audit, or worse, when a problem arises from a special process. A true CQI assessment requires reviewing process parameters, verifying equipment calibrations, and often rewriting process procedures. These steps cannot be rushed.
Proactive Approach: Turn Assessment into Opportunity
Companies that transform CQI assessments from a “customer requirement” into a routine management tool discover a significant benefit: efficiency.
Systematically reviewing process parameters reduces production losses and scrap rates. For instance, a company tracking welding parameters according to CQI-15 simultaneously brings rework costs under control. In this light, the assessment becomes an improvement tool driven by process efficiency rather than customer pressure.
Conclusion: Don’t Wait for the CQI Request; Do It First
Assess your own processes in CQI format before your customer asks. Identify the gaps, prepare your action plan, and start the improvement.
Instead of being caught off guard, being able to say, “We have already done this; here are our results and our improvement plan,” will set you apart in supplier evaluations.
If you want to train your team, evaluate your current implementation, or build your system correctly from scratch, you can review our training programs and document kits.
Norma Systems — From Standards to Working Systems.