When the magical phrase “CQI‑11 required” pops up in a customer’s RFQ, many companies start frantically searching online for answers. What is CQI-11? How do you implement it? And does every plating supplier really need a CQI‑11 assessment to work in the automotive industry?
Here’s the good news: it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Even better: if you approach it strategically, CQI‑11 can become your ace up the sleeve during a customer audit.
CQI-11 in a Nutshell
Let’s start with the basics. CQI-11 is part of the AIAG Special Process Assessments – a tool developed by the Automotive Industry Action Group to standardize the evaluation of special processes in the automotive supply chain.
Specifically, CQI‑11 focuses on plating and protective coating processes. Its goal is to ensure that coatings applied to components are consistent in quality and meet OEM requirements. In short: it’s designed to prevent situations where a part leaves your line and, months later, comes back with a customer complaint about corrosion.
For plating suppliers, CQI‑11 is now practically an industry standard. More and more customers – both OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers – require regular process assessments based on this document.
How to Prepare for a CQI-11 Audit?
A CQI‑11 assessment isn’t scary, but it does require preparation. Below is a step‑by‑step plan to guide you.
Step 1 – Gather Requirements
Start by obtaining the latest version of CQI‑11. You can download it from the AIAG website or obtain it through a customer organization that requires it.
At this stage, it’s also worth preparing all key documents: process procedures, control charts, quality control records, and plating line schematics. The better you’re organized, the less chaos you’ll face during the actual assessment.
Step 2 – Evaluate the Process Step by Step
CQI‑11 is designed as a self‑assessment. This means your company should regularly audit its plating process before the customer shows up with their own auditor.
The document contains a checklist with questions on topics such as:
-
control of critical parameters (time, temperature, bath concentration),
-
condition of plating equipment,
-
operator training,
-
procedures for responding to non‑conformities.
Each item on the checklist is scored from 1 to 5. A score of 5 means full compliance; 1 means the requirement is not met at all.
Step 3 – Post‑Audit Actions
After completing the checklist, it’s time to analyze the results. If there are scores below 4, this signals a need for corrective actions. The goal isn’t to “cover up” the problem, but to identify and eliminate its root cause.
Document your actions in an improvement plan, assign responsibilities, and set deadlines. This way, during a customer audit, you can demonstrate not just your self‑assessment results but also your plan for continuous improvement.
Common Mistakes During CQI-11 Audits
Lack of Standardization
This one’s a classic. There are three shifts in the plant – and each runs the plating process its own way. Parameters are “set by feel,” procedures are interpreted differently, and responses to deviations depend on who’s on duty.
Such inconsistency means the process isn’t repeatable. And if it’s not repeatable, it’s not stable. Auditors see this immediately and start asking tough questions: Who’s responsible for maintaining standards? Who owns the process?
CQI-11 isn’t about perfect results; it’s about control. And without standardization, there’s nothing to control.
Outdated Documentation
“We have procedures!” – this statement often comes confidently during an audit. The problem is, those procedures are from three years ago, and the shop floor has since changed – parameters, equipment, sometimes even the process itself.
Auditors pick up on this quickly – they simply compare the instructions to what the operator is actually doing. If there’s a mismatch, it means the documentation exists only on the server or in a binder. CQI‑11 requires documentation to reflect reality, not “pretty it up.”
Lack of Training
Operators are key to process quality – especially in plating, where small changes in voltage, time, or immersion angle can have a real impact on the product. Yet often there’s no training, no refreshers, no discussions.
As a result, the person running the tank doesn’t know their critical parameters, can’t explain them, and doesn’t know where to check the limits. In extreme cases, they completely overlook the need to control certain parameters. CQI‑11 places strong emphasis on team awareness. Without it, even the best documentation won’t help.
Poor Reaction to Problems
Did something unusual happen? Did someone spot a deviation? In some companies, the approach is: “sweep it under the rug and hope no one notices.”
But that’s exactly what audits uncover – how your organization responds to abnormal situations.
Instead of quickly analyzing the root cause and implementing corrective actions, there’s silence and a temporary fix “good enough for a few parts.” But CQI‑11 isn’t a PR tool. It’s a quality tool. If you don’t address the root cause, the auditor will likely find evidence of the issue recurring.
These mistakes are common – but they’re also fixable. The key is to identify them, understand their mechanism, and consciously eliminate them.
CQI-11 and OEM Requirements – Who’s Asking for It?
CQI‑11 requirements are appearing more and more often, not only in OEM documentation but also in Tier 1 supplier requirements.
For many projects, this is no longer a “nice to have” but a hard requirement. Examples?
-
GM – CQI‑11 is directly referenced in their customer-specific requirements.
-
Stellantis – the applicability of CQI‑11 is defined in their Additional Quality Requirements.
-
Tier 1 suppliers – companies like Delta‑GB Manufacturing increasingly require up‑to‑date CQI‑11 assessments from their plating subcontractors.
If you’re a plating services supplier, lacking a CQI‑11 assessment can mean closed doors to many projects – both with car manufacturers and strategic Tier 1 partners.
Summary: CQI-11 as a Competitive Advantage
CQI‑11 isn’t just another document for the shelf. It’s a tool that shows your customer you’ve got the process under control.
The better prepared you are for the assessment, the higher your chances of success during an audit – and the more likely you are to secure projects from demanding OEMs and Tier 1s.
Instead of treating CQI‑11 as a “necessary evil,” see it as an opportunity to bring discipline to your process and take another step toward continuous improvement by eliminating process variation.
Author: Dariusz Kowalczyk
