IMDS Compliance Checklist: 15 Steps for Automotive Suppliers
Direct answer: Before sending an MDS, review it against customer/OEM requirements, component identity, material structure, substance information, weight data, references and system checks. The 15 steps below are a recommended checklist for suppliers — not an official IMDS procedure.
How to Use This Checklist
Use it as a pre-submission review, a training aid for new team members, and a record of what was checked for each submission. Steps are grouped: requirements → component → materials/substances → data quality → customer-specific → review → submit. Mark status per step: Pass / Action / Not applicable.
Group 1 — Requirements & Component Identity
1. Confirm customer/OEM requirements
Why: Requirements differ between OEMs. Confirm format, deadlines, part-number conventions and acceptance expectations for this program before preparing data.
2. Identify the correct component
Why: The MDS must match the physical part. Confirm which component the submission covers, including its position in the assembly structure.
3. Confirm part number and revision
Why: Part number and revision must be consistent between the drawing, the MDS and the customer's records. Mismatches are a common cause of revision requests.
Group 2 — Materials and Substances
4. Identify material structure
List every material in the component: base material, plating or coating systems, inserts, adhesives or seals. A deep-drawn housing with plating is at minimum two material layers — base metal and coating — and often more.
5. Identify applicable substances
For each material, identify the substances present, using data from raw-material suppliers and standard material knowledge where applicable.
6. Verify material composition
Confirm composition against actual supply. Material certificates and supplier data should be the reference, not assumptions from an older datasheet.
7. Check substance classification
Verify that substances are classified correctly (basic substance, classification type) and that no required substance is missing from the material tree.
8. Check GADSL-related declarations
Where the substance list or customer requirements make GADSL declarations applicable, confirm the declaration state for each relevant substance.
Group 3 — Data Quality
9. Review required weight information
Component weight and material percentages must be consistent and realistic. Errors in weight or percentage data are frequent findings in revisions.
10. Check supplier/manufacturer information
Confirm the manufacturer and supplier data recorded matches the actual supply chain for the part.
11. Verify references and data sources
Document where each material and substance value came from: raw-material supplier MDS, certificate, internal analysis. A traceable reference survives review better than an unexplained number.
Group 4 — Customer-Specific & System
12. Check customer-specific requirements
Review the OEM's specific instructions: required classifications, OEM-specific information fields, deadlines and follow-up expectations.
13. Run IMDS system checks
Use the system's own checks as a signal for further investigation. A check message means the data needs review — it is not automatically a final rejection, and acceptance depends on customer requirements.
Group 5 — Review, Submit, Records
14. Conduct internal technical review
Have a second reviewer confirm the MDS against the drawing and the checklist — part identity, materials, weights, substances and customer requirements.
15. Submit and retain revision-controlled records
Submit through the defined channel and keep revision-controlled records: MDS version, submission date, customer feedback and any subsequent revision. Records support future revisions and customer audits.
Common Questions the Checklist Answers
| Question | Checklist step |
|---|---|
| What data should I collect before starting? | Steps 1–5 (requirements, component, materials) |
| Why was my data questioned? | Steps 4–9 (structure, substances, weights) |
| What should I keep after submission? | Step 15 (revision-controlled records) |
| How do I handle customer feedback? | Steps 12–14 (customer-specific review) |
For background on the system itself, start with what is IMDS. If a submission comes back with questions, the common IMDS rejection reasons guide explains the typical causes. To see how material-data work fits into a component manufacturer's order flow, read Balford's IMDS process. Suppliers in the automotive chain will also recognize the same discipline in automotive component manufacturing.
Key Takeaways
- Start from customer/OEM requirements, not from a generic template
- Component → material → substance structure must match the real part
- Weights, percentages and references must be internally consistent
- System checks are investigation signals, not automatic rejections
- Internal review and revision-controlled records close the loop
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an IMDS submission checklist?
It is a review list suppliers use before submitting an MDS to check requirements, component data, material structure, substances, weights and customer-specific instructions.
How do I check my IMDS data before submission?
Work through the component, material and substance structure against the drawing and supplier data, verify weights and percentages, run system checks, and have a second reviewer confirm the result.
Why do IMDS submissions get rejected?
Common causes include incorrect structure, incomplete substance information, weight or percentage errors, and unmet customer-specific requirements — detailed in the rejection reasons guide.
Is this checklist an official IMDS requirement?
No. This is a recommended supplier checklist. Official system rules and customer/OEM requirements take precedence.
Who should perform the internal review?
Ideally a different person from the one who prepared the MDS — engineering, quality or sales-engineering roles are typical in supplier organizations.
What records should be retained?
MDS versions, submission dates, customer feedback and related references, kept under revision control.
Sources
- IMDS public pages — International Material Data System
- Customer/OEM supplier requirements applicable to the program