The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) and the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) published the AIAG-VDA SPC Manual on July 1, 2026, creating the first harmonized international standard for Statistical Process Control in automotive manufacturing. The manual is the second Core Tool jointly developed by the two organizations, following the AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook.
Suppliers managing programs for both North American and European customers have historically maintained parallel SPC processes to satisfy divergent regional requirements. The joint manual replaces that duplication with a single common terminology, methodology, and application framework applicable across the global supply chain.
The standard covers machine performance and process capability studies, the qualification and approval of production equipment and processes, and early detection of process deviations before they produce nonconforming parts. It integrates explicitly with FMEA, Control Plan, and MSA/VDA 5, and was developed with participation from OEM and Tier 1 supplier subject matter experts representing the full automotive value chain.
VDA Managing Director Jürgen Mindel said the manual "strengthens international cooperation, increases the comparability of quality requirements." AIAG CEO Matt Pohlman pointed to a direct operational benefit: member companies "no longer have to deal with different regional standards or parallel quality processes," and can reduce training efforts as a result.
The AIAG-VDA SPC Manual is available in hard copy and e-Doc formats through AIAG's manual catalog. The publication extends a harmonization effort the two organizations launched with the FMEA handbook, and sets up a shared reference framework likely to appear in supplier qualification requirements from OEMs operating across North American and European production networks.
