The heavy trucking industry is defined by the many industry and regulatory standards it relies on to ensure safety, quality and reliability. Among the most notable is International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Standard 16949 for quality management, which as adopted by the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) is known as IATF 16949.
At the same time, manufacturers in the commercial trucking sector face competitive requirements to bring vehicles to market faster, cost effectively. Balancing these objectives requires tier-one suppliers to respond to regular requests for audits by the major commercial automotive corporations they serve, as well as maintain insight into the availability and quality of components and raw materials from their suppliers. Central to maintaining that balance are two factors: data and communications.