Automotive Special Processes · AIAG CQI
CQI Audit Services for Special Processes in the automotive industry.
Special processes decide everything, how a part behaves under stress, how it resists corrosion, how long it lasts in the field. VyVy uncovers those weaknesses before they turn into failures, evaluating your processes against the AIAG CQI framework to verify control, repeatability and robustness.
Independent CQI audit company
AIAG CQI standards
Root cause analysis and CAPA support
WHY CQI AUDITS
How CQI Audits Keep Automotive Special Processes Under Control
VyVy provides CQI audit services that uncover those weaknesses before they turn into failures. As an independent CQI audit company, we evaluate special processes against the AIAG CQI framework to verify control, repeatability, and robustness. Our focus is not on collecting checkmarks but on showing what really drives or limits process capability.
Acting as experienced CQI consultants, we help clients translate the requirements of each CQI standard into practical, measurable improvements. From heat treating and plating to molding, welding, or coating, VyVy’s special process assessments give OEMs and Tier suppliers the clarity to trust their processes.
CQI STANDARDS COVERED
VyVy’s CQI Audit Services
Each CQI standard targets a specific special process. Together, they form the backbone of process control in the automotive industry. VyVy’s CQI audit services cover all current AIAG CQI standards.
CQI-9 – Heat Treat System Assessment (HTSA)
CQI-15 – Welding System Assessment (WSA)
CQI-27 – Casting System Assessment (CSA)
CQI-35 – Wiring Harness Manufacturing (WHMA)
CQI-23 – Molding System Assessment (MSA)
CQI-11 – Plating System Assessment (PSA)
CQI-17 – Soldering System Assessment (SSA)
CQI-29 – Brazing System Assessment (BSA)
CQI-12 – Coating System Assessment (CSA)
CQI-30 – Rubber Molding System Assessment (RMSA)
OUR PROCESS
VyVy’s Approach to CQI Audits
We use the CQI framework as a foundation, but the audit is built around the client’s reality — their process, their people, their constraints.
STEP 01
Start with Context
STEP 02
Tailor the Framework
STEP 03
Observe the Process
STEP 04
Analyze and Prioritize
STEP 05
Work on Root Causes
STEP 06
Report for Action
SPECIAL PROCESSES
What Are CQI Audit?
CQI audits are structured process assessments developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) to evaluate how well special processes are controlled in manufacturing. Each CQI standard focuses on a specific process, heat treatment, plating, welding, coating, molding, and others, and defines a set of technical and management criteria required to maintain process consistency.
In simple terms, CQI audits are not just paperwork. They are diagnostic tools designed to answer one question: is the process capable of producing consistent results, day after day, under real production conditions?
Each audit combines technical checks, temperature uniformity, parameter verification, calibration, process monitoring, with system-level evaluation, such as maintenance routines, operator training, and documentation accuracy. When properly applied, CQI audits expose the weak links that often remain hidden behind routine production and superficial quality checks.
Unlike third-party certifications, CQI standards are self-assessment based. However, many OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers now require independent verification by qualified CQI consultants or CQI audit companies to ensure objectivity and consistency across their supply chains.
VyVy performs these assessments as a technical partner, not a bureaucratic observer. We approach each CQI audit as engineers first, reviewing the process, observing operations, and interpreting results through practical experience. Whether the goal is to validate compliance, prepare for an OEM audit, or improve internal process capability, our role remains the same: to make the audit a genuine improvement exercise, not an administrative burden.
WHY CQI AUDITS MATTER
Most defects don’t start at final inspection. They start in the process.
In automotive manufacturing, most defects don’t start at final inspection. They start in the process — a furnace running out of calibration, a plating bath with unstable chemistry, a welding setup drifting out of parameters. These deviations are often invisible until the part fails in the field. By then, the cost of rework, containment, and lost reputation is already high.
This is where CQI audits become indispensable. Developed by AIAG, the CQI framework was designed to control special processes — operations where quality cannot be fully verified after production. Heat treatment, coating, molding, and welding all fall into this category. Once a process goes wrong, the defect is already built into the part.
A CQI audit systematically verifies whether those processes are stable, controlled, and capable. It checks that parameters are monitored, equipment is maintained, calibration systems are effective, and operators understand what they are doing — not just following a list of steps.
For OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, CQI compliance is no longer optional. It’s an expected part of supplier quality management, often required during PPAP submission or supplier approval. The reason is simple: it prevents costly surprises.
But beyond compliance, CQI audits matter because they protect performance. A stable heat treat process means consistent hardness. A controlled plating bath means corrosion resistance. A disciplined welding operation means structural reliability. Each of these outcomes translates directly into reduced warranty risk and stronger brand trust.
THE ROLE OF CQI CONSULTANTS
A CQI consultant is more than an auditor
A CQI consultant is more than an auditor. The real role is to help a company understand its process — technically, not just administratively — and to show where control can be strengthened without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
In theory, CQI audits are “self-assessments.” In practice, most teams benefit from external support. When people work with the same process every day, it’s easy to lose perspective. An independent consultant brings distance, experience, and the ability to connect what’s happening in one plant to what works in another.
Our consultants work side by side with plant personnel, often on the shop floor. They help teams distinguish between what must be fixed now and what can be improved over time.
WHEN TO CONDUCT CQI AUDITS
Timing is often what decides whether a CQI audit prevents a problem or simply confirms it.
Special processes evolve — furnaces drift, plating baths age, operators rotate, new materials arrive. Even the best-controlled systems need periodic verification to make sure discipline hasn’t faded.
From experience, there are a few moments when a CQI audit brings the most value.
01
Before Customer or OEM Approval
When a supplier prepares for an OEM audit or PPAP submission, a CQI audit helps ensure the process already meets customer expectations. It’s a way to validate readiness and avoid last-minute surprises.
02
After Equipment or Process Changes
Any significant change — a new furnace, different plating chemistry, new tooling, or software upgrade — can alter process stability. A CQI audit verifies that the new setup maintains control and performance before production ramps up.
03
After Repeated Issues or Field Complaints
If nonconformities reappear or warranty claims trace back to a special process, a focused CQI audit provides clarity. It connects the symptom (a failed part) to the source (a weak control, worn equipment, or missing validation).
04
On a Regular Schedule
Most automotive suppliers perform CQI audits annually, or at least once per production cycle. This keeps processes aligned with AIAG requirements and demonstrates due diligence during customer reviews.
05
During Supplier Qualification or Monitoring
OEMs and Tier 1s use CQI audits to evaluate their supply base. VyVy supports these programs as an independent CQI audit company, helping clients verify that suppliers maintain consistent process capability across sites or regions.
WHEN TO CONDUCT CQI AUDITS
CQI audits are not only for suppliers under pressure from OEMs
They are valuable to anyone responsible for the integrity of a special process, from heat treatment to plating or molding, whether it’s managed internally or through subcontractors.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 Suppliers
Suppliers directly connected to OEMs face the highest expectations for process control and traceability. A CQI audit confirms readiness for customer assessments and ensures no gaps exist that could delay PPAP approval or impact warranty performance.
OEM Supplier Quality Engineers
For OEM and Tier 1 quality teams, VyVy’s independent CQI audit services provide objective visibility into supplier capability. This helps confirm that each link in the chain — local or overseas — follows the same discipline in maintaining special process parameters.
Technical Directors and Quality Executives
At a strategic level, CQI audits reveal patterns — which sites or suppliers struggle, which excel, and where investments are most needed. This helps allocate resources intelligently, not reactively.
Plant Managers and Process Engineers
CQI audits give plant leaders a clear picture of how their systems perform under real conditions. Findings help prioritize maintenance, equipment calibration, and process improvements. Many use audits as part of their continuous improvement cycle to strengthen yield and consistency.
Procurement and Supply Chain Leaders
When selecting or monitoring suppliers for critical components, a CQI audit provides more reliable insight than a questionnaire or certificate. It confirms that each supplier’s special process can consistently support production volume, quality, and timing.
COVERAGE
CQI Audit Services Worldwide
Senior CQI auditors mobilized where your special processes run.
🇫🇷 France
Paris · Lyon · Mulhouse · Lille
🇮🇹 Italy
Milan · Turin · Bologna
🇪🇸 Spain
Barcelona · Valencia · Madrid
🇩🇪 Germany
Stuttgart · Munich · Wolfsburg
🇨🇭 Switzerland
Zurich · Geneva · Basel
🇵🇱 Poland
Warsaw · Katowice · Wrocław
🇷🇴 Romania
Bucharest · Timișoara
🇳🇱 Netherlands
Amsterdam · Eindhoven
🇨🇿 Czech Republic
Prague · Mladá Boleslav
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Bratislava · Košice
🇦🇹 Austria
Vienna · Graz · Linz
🇧🇪 Belgium
Brussels · Antwerp
🇸🇪 Sweden
Gothenburg · Stockholm
🇫🇮 Finland
Helsinki · Tampere
🇲🇦 Morocco
Tangier · Casablanca
🇩🇿 Algeria
Algiers · Oran
🇹🇳 Tunisia
Sfax · Tunis
🇧🇷 Brazil
São Paulo · Curitiba
🇨🇦 Canada
Toronto · Windsor
🇺🇸 United States
Detroit · Toledo
Related Services
Supplier Audit Services
Compliance & Certification Audit Services
IATF 16949 Audit Services
Why Choose VyVy As Your CQI Audit Company
VyVy was founded to make sure audits lead to progress, not paperwork.
VyVy’s philosophy is simple: quality and compliance should increase value, not hide it under complexity. Every audit we perform aims to protect what the company already does well, recover what’s been lost, and build new value through better control and understanding.
- Built on Senior Expertise
- Independent
- Practical, Not Bureaucratic
- Tailored for Each Process
- Guided by One Principle: Value Your Value
Get Started with VyVy’s Special Process Assessments
If your organization is preparing for certification, client qualification, or internal system review, our experts can help.