The German trade association for the automotive industry is known by the initials VDA (Verband der deutschen Automobilindustrie E.V.) and given the size and importance of the automotive sector within the German economy it enjoys a good reputation and substantial influence. In 1997 the VDA set up a Quality Management Centre (QMC) for the benefit of German automotive OEM’s and their suppliers.  The work of the QMC ranges from developing systems and methods to shaping the future of quality management systems in the automotive industry. The 2016 third edition updates the process audit tool so that it is more practical and more closely reflects IATF 16949:2016 requirements.

VDA 6.3 is an excellent tool for process audits within the automotive industry acting as a guideline for performing audits. It provides information on the significance and application scope of a process audit over the entire product realization cycle in both manufacturing and services It defines the audit process, the criteria for evaluation of the process audit results and the requirements of the processes. At the heart of the standard, each step in the process is modelled with six links and is governed by the Deming Loop – Plan Do Check Act. There are three grades that an organisation can reach under VDA 6.3 – A, B & C. This means that an organization can pass the audit but still have scope for further improvement.