Steps to become a certified VDA auditor

The automotive industry is one of the world’s most demanding and competitive industries. To succeed, businesses need to meet the highest quality and safety standards. Certified VDA auditors are the experts who apply proven auditing principles to ensure suppliers adhere to these exacting demands. Becoming a VDA auditor is a challenging but highly respected career path, where quality is not a goal but a requirement. 

Your search for how to become a VDA auditor ends here. This guide will focus specifically on the path to VDA 6.3 certification. We’ll explain everything from proving specific experience to attending the official VDA auditor training. Read on and learn all the auditor qualification requirements and outline the precise steps you need to take toward your goal. 

What do you need to be a VDA 6.3 auditor?

Achieving the designation of a Certified VDA 6.3 Process Auditor requires going through a structured progression of requirements and specialized training, towards a culminating examination process. These key steps detail the process:

1. Demonstrate extensive professional experience: Candidates are required to prove a minimum of five years of professional experience, preferably accumulated within manufacturing companies in the automotive industry. This background must include at least two years of experience specifically in quality management.
2. Acquire foundational auditor and technical qualifications: Applicants must possess a 3-day auditor qualification based on DIN EN ISO 19011, and demonstrate excellent knowledge of quality tools and methods, such as FMEA, the 8D Method, and the AIAG Core Tools. This foundation also includes knowing relevant quality management system requirements (e.g., IATF 16949 or ISO 9001) and specific product/process knowledge pertinent to the technology being audited.
3. Complete the VDA 6.3 qualification training: This specialized, multi-day training covers the fundamental principles of the VDA 6.3 standard, including conducting risk analyses and applying the P1-P7 process elements questionnaire. Upon passing a knowledge test, participants receive a VDA 6.3 Certificate of Qualification.
4. Pass the certified process auditor oral exam: To achieve full Certified VDA 6.3 Process Auditor status, candidates must successfully pass a final oral examination. Passing this final hurdle results in receiving a VDA certificate with a registered number and an entry in the VDA QMC database.

The role of a VDA auditor

If you’re looking for a challenging and rewarding career in the automotive industry, becoming a certified VDA auditor is a great way to get started. Certified VDA 6.3 Process Auditors play a critical role in the automotive supply chain: ensuring robust quality management. Their fundamental function is to perform impartial analyses and evaluations of product development and implementation processes.

Using the structured VDA 6.3 methodology, including the P1-P7 questionnaire, they conduct detailed risk analyses to identify organizational strengths, weaknesses, and potential product risks. Whether auditing internally or for a supplier, the auditor’s expertise is essential for driving continuous improvement, reducing operational risk, and maintaining compliance with some of the industry’s toughest quality standards.

Benefits of becoming a certified VDA auditor

• High demand: VDA 6.x compliance is quickly becoming a necessary requirement for suppliers to German and other European automotive players. In turn, this ensures continuous demand for certified auditors. 
• Enhanced reputation: Certification confers a superior professional reputation within the automotive supply chain as an expert in risk management and process optimization. In other words, you’ll be looked up by your colleagues.
• Competitive compensation: The crucial nature of the role and value of a certified auditor’s skillset support competitive salaries. 
• Opportunities for advancement: Auditors lead strategic efforts to optimize performance and drive continuous improvement. Therefore, as you gain experience, you can move into more senior roles, such as lead auditor or quality manager.

Keep up with the latest tools and enhance your auditing skills

Achieving your VDA 6.3 certification is a major milestone, but becoming a truly productive and efficient auditor doesn’t end there. The automotive industry is defined by constant change. To stay competitive and create value, you must keep up with new technologies, evolving standards, and modern ways of managing audits.

Navigate the complexity of VDA 6.3 audits and focus on continuous improvement with the drive of modern solutions, like Kiuey’s Supplier Audits Manager. Our on-demand, cloud-based software solution is designed to streamline the audit process, enhancing data collection, analysis, and real-time management —so you can focus on what really matters.  

Discover how this digital approach can transform your quality management operations and stay ahead of the curve. Try a free demo of Kiuey’s Supplier Audits Manager today.