The TS 16949 standard is the result of the merging of the quality programs of Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and various truck manufacturing companies with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 standard. The process of combining these quality programs is known as "harmonization." Its purpose is to create one set of quality requirements rather than have a separate set for each company. The TS 16949 standard is tailored for the automotive industry.

The TS 16949 replaced the QS 9000 standard, which was initially released in 1994 and further updated to its current release as the 1998 version. It is based on the all the requirements and the process approach of the ISO 9001:2000 along with supplemental requirements. Ford, Chrysler, General Motors and several truck manufacturers also have additional customer-specific requirements.

The following six customer reference manuals provide additional guidance as they are implemented in a TS 16949 quality system:

1. Advanced Product Quality Planning and Control Plan (APQP)
2. Statistical Process Control (SPC)
3. Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)
4. Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
5. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
6. Quality System Assessment (QSA)

TS 16949 applies to internal and external suppliers of:

Production materials
Production or service parts
Heat treating
Painting
Plating
Other finishing services directly to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) customers

TS 16949 also applies to providers of:

Semi-conductors in conjunction with the Semiconductor Supplement (issued by Chrysler, Ford and Delco Electronics)
Tooling and equipment in conjunction with the Tooling and Equipment (TE) Supplement (issued by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors)