Where did ISO/TS 16949 come from?

Beginning in 1994 with the successful launch of QS 9000 by DaimlerChrysler, Ford and GM, the Automotive OEM's recognized the increased value that could be derived from an independent quality system registration scheme and the efficiencies that could be realized in the supply chain by commonizing system requirements. In 1996, the success of these efforts led to a move towards the development of a globally accepted and harmonized quality management system requirements document. From this, the International Automotive Task Force (IATF) was formed to lead the development effort.