10/11/2017 APQP | Advanced Product Quality Planning | Quality-One

Advanced Product Quality Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)

Planning (APQP)
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APQP
Advanced Product Quality Planning
Introduction to APQP
What is APQP
Why Perform APQP
When to Perform APQP
How to Perform APQP

Introduction toAPQP

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Complex products and supply chains present plenty of

possibilities for failure, especially when new products are
being launched. Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
is a structured process aimed at ensuring customer
satisfaction with new products or processes.
APQP has existed for decades in many forms and practices.
Originally referred to as Advanced Quality Planning (AQP),
APQP is used by progressive companies to assure quality
and performance through planning. Ford Motor Company
published the rst Advanced Quality Planning handbook for
suppliers in the early 1980s. APQP helped Ford suppliers
develop appropriate prevention and detection controls for
new products supporting the corporate quality e ort. With
lessons learned from Ford AQP, the North American
Automotive OEMs collectively created the APQP process in
1994 and then later updated in 2008. APQP is intended to
aggregate the common planning activities all automotive
OEMs require into one process. Suppliers utilize APQP to
bring new products and processes to successful validation
and drive continuous improvement.
There are numerous tools and techniques described within
APQP. Each tool has potential value when applied in the
correct timing. Tools that have the greatest impact on
product and process success are called the Core Tools. The
Core Tools are expected to be used for compliance to
IATF16949. There are ve basic Core Tools detailed in
separate guideline handbooks, including Advanced Product
Quality Planning (APQP). The other Core Tools are:

Failure Mode and E ects Analysis (FMEA)

Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)
Statistical Process Control (SPC)
Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)

What isAPQP
APQP is a structured approach to product and process
design. This framework is a standardized set of quality
requirements that enable suppliers to design a product that
satis es the customer.
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The primary goal of product quality planning is to facilitate

communication and collaboration between engineering
activities. A Cross Functional Team (CFT), involving
marketing, product design, procurement, manufacturing and
distribution, is used in the APQP process. APQP ensures the
Voice of the Customer (VOC) is clearly understood,
translated into requirements, technical speci cations and
special characteristics. The product or process bene ts are
designed in through prevention.
APQP supports the early identi cation of change, both
intentional and incidental. These changes can result in
exciting new innovation supporting customer delight. When
not managed well they translate to failure and customer
dissatisfaction. The focus of APQP is utilization of tools and
methods for mitigating the risks associated with change in
the new product or process.

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APQP - Concurrent Process

WhyApply APQP
APQP supports the never ending pursuit of continuous
improvement. The rst three sections of APQP focus on
planning and prevention and make up 80% of the APQP
process. The fourth and fth sections support the remaining
20% of APQP and focus on validation and evidence. The fth
section speci cally allows an organization to communicate
learnings and provide feedback to develop standard work
and processes. A list of APQP bene ts are:

Directing resources by de ning the vital few items from

the trivial many
Promote early identi cation of change
Intentional (what is being changed on purpose to
bring value to the customer)
Incidental (environments, customer usage,
degradation and interfaces)
Avoid late changes (post release) by anticipating failure
and preventing it
Fewer design and process changes later in the
product development process
On-time quality product at lowest cost

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Multiple options for mitigating the risk when found

earlier
Higher capability of veri cation and validation of a
change
Improved collaboration between Design of the Product
and Process
Improved Design forManufacturing andAssembly
(DFM/A)
Lower cost solutions selected earlier in the process
Legacy capture and reuse, advancement of Tribal
Knowledge and standard work creation and utilization

Late Failure Mode Discovery

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Early Failure Mode Discovery

When toApply APQP

APQP facilitates communication between the supply chain
and the organization / customer. Requirements that
translate into more detailed speci cations are clari ed and
decomposed to more detail as the process continues. APQP
is used in 2 ways:

1. New Product Introduction (NPI) Support:

APQP supplements product development processes by
adding a focus on risk as a substitute for failure. This allows
the team to take action on the risk instead of having to wait
for failure to occur in testing or worse, in the hands of the
customer. APQP utilizes risk based tools that focus on all
aspects of product and process design, service, process
quality control, packaging and continuous improvement.
Each application of APQP may be unique to a previous
application because of the percentage of new content,
changes to current o -the-shelf technology or past failure
history.
2. Product or Process Change (Post Release):
APQP follows a product or process change outside of
Product Development and assures the risk of change is

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managed successfully by preventing problems created by

the change.

How toApply APQP

APQP is comprised of one pre-planning stage and ve
concurrent phases. Once begun, the process never ends and
is often illustrated in the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle.
PDSA was made famous by W. Edwards Deming. Each
section is aligned with analytical risk discovery tools and
techniques. Finding risk in product and process development
is more desirable than nding late failure. The APQP Sections
are de ned below:
Section 0: Pre-Planning
APQP begins with assumptions, concepts and past
knowledge. Bookshelf knowledge and standard work
practices are listed as well as areas where signi cant change
is expected. This section compiles the inputs into Section 1
Plan and De ne.
Section 1: Plan and De ne
Section 1 links customer expectations, wants, needs and
desires to requirements. Plan Development will assure the
output of this section is satisfactory product quality.
Resource planning, process and product assumptions are
made. A list of preliminary special characteristics and design
/ reliability goals are also established.
Section 2: Product Design and Development
The focus in Section 2 is on product design and
development. Geometry, design features, details, tolerances
and re nement of special characteristics are all reviewed in a
formal Design Review. Design veri cation through
prototypes and testing are also part of this section. Tools
which typically provide great bene t in this section are
DFM/A, Design Failure Mode and E ects Analysis
(DFMEA) and Design Veri cation Plan and Report (DVP&R).
Section 3: Process Design and Development

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Section 3 explores manufacturing techniques and

measurement methods that will be used to bring the design
engineers vision into reality. Process Flow Charts, Process
Failure Mode and E ects Analysis (PFMEA) and Control
Plan Methodology are examples of tools used in this
section.
Section 4: Product and Process Validation
Validation of the process quality and volume capabilities is
the focus of Section 4. Statistical Process Control (SPC),
Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) and Process
Capability Studies are introduced in this section. Product
Part Approval Process (PPAP) is ready for submission and
production begins upon approval.
Section 5: Feedback Assessment and Corrective Action
Section 5 explores learnings from the ongoing
manufacturing process, RPN reduction, corrective actions
(both internal and external), Eight Disciplines of Problem
Solving (8D) and the capture of information pertinent for
future use.

APQP Inputs and Outputs by Section

Each section of APQP depends on risk information that has
previously been discovered. The information sharing assures
a ow of logical risk discovery and mitigation. The detailed
inputs and outputs for each section are described below:
Inputs into Section 1:

Voice of the Customer

Market research
Historical issues
Team experience
Business Plan and Marketing Plan
Product and Process Benchmark
Product and Process Assumptions
Product Reliability Studies
Customer Inputs as applicable

Outputs of Section 1:

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Design Goals
Reliability and Quality Goals
Preliminary Bill of Material (BOM)
Preliminary Process Flow
Preliminary list of Special Characteristics
Product Assurance Plan
Gateway approval

Outputs of Section 2:

Design FMEA (DFMEA)

Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFM/A)
Design Veri cation
Design Review
Prototype Control Plan
Engineering Drawings CAD the Master
Engineering Speci cations
Material Speci cations
Change Control for Drawings
New Equipment, Tooling and Facilities Requirements
Special Product and Process Characteristics
Gages / Testing Equipment Requirements
Team Feasibility Commitment and Gateway approval

Outputs of Section 3:

Packaging Standards and Speci cations

Quality System Review
Process Flow Chart
Floor Plan Layout
Characteristics Matrix
Process FMEA (PFMEA)
Pre-Launch Control Plan
Process Instructions
Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA) Plan
Preliminary process capability plan
Gateway approval

Outputs of Section 4:

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Signi cant Production Run

MSA Results
Process Capability Studies
Production Part Approval Process (PPAP)
Production Validation Testing
Packaging Evaluation
Production Control Plan
Quality Planning Sign-O and Gateway approval

Outputs of Section 5:

Reduced Variation
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Improved Delivery Performance
E ective Use of Lessons Learned

Examples of Where to Incorporate APQP:

Develop Requirements from Voice of the Customer
(VOC) using Quality Function Deployment (QFD)
Develop a Product Quality Plan integrated into Program /
Project Timeline
Translate percentage of new content into Product and
Process Assumptions
Product design activities communicating special
characteristics or key characteristics to the process
design activity, prior to design release
This may include new geometry, shape, parts, tighter
tolerances and new materials linking the DFMEA to
PFMEA
Develop test plans (DVP&R)
Use of formal Design Review to track progress
Plan, acquire and install appropriate process equipment
and tooling based on design tolerances provided by the
product design source
Assembly and Manufacturing personnel communicating
suggestions of ways to better assemble a product
(DFM/A)

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Establish adequate Quality Controls for Special

Characteristics or Key Characteristics features of a
product or parameters of a process, which still risk
potential failure
Performing Stability and Capability studies on special
characteristics to understand the variation present and
predict future performance withStatistical Process
Control (SPC)and Process Capability (PPK and CPK)

How to Develop a Product Quality Plan (PQP)

The APQP process begins with the creation of a Product
Quality Plan (PQP). The PQP may be unique for each
individual development. During the planning section, a core
group of personnel will review the concept design, process
and product assumptions, overall goals of the project and
past failures. After collecting this information, the core team
selects tools from each section, based on the value they may
bring when failure prevention is discussed. The PQP is linked
to the project timing plan to aid in program / project
management e ciency. The tools and techniques are
selected based on what risk may be present, created by the
intentional and incidental change. Discovering unknown risk
is desirable. Each risk is quanti ed and mitigation actions are
developed and implemented increasing the probability of
project success.

Example of a Product Quality Plan

The Quality-One approach depicted in the following PQP
example is a matrix with calculated ratios of qualitative tools
verses quantitative evidence. Since qualitative tools can be
used earlier in the product development process, Quality-
One expects a 3:1 qualitative to quantitative ratio. The
opportunity to discuss potential issues based on change with
qualitative tools should be three times greater than the
actual data collected. Observed data collection happens late
in Product Development (PD) and reaction to failure may be
required. Discussion of the change, using a tool and a Cross
Functional Team (CFT), often results in discovering and
preventing a failure early in PD. APQP is focused on

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predicting and preventing failure (80%) and less on detecting

it (20%).

The APQP Cross Functional Team (CFT)

The Cross Functional Team (CFT) in APQP evolves and
changes as the process progresses. Preliminary details
required to begin Product Quality Planning are collected by a
CFT prior to project kick-o . This process is typically short
and does not involve any product or process design e ort.
Aspects of Pre-Planning include:

Scope of the project

Product and Process Assumptions
Past Failure
Team size, structure and experience
Methods for issue resolution
Space and resources required
Timing of the project

The CFT adds members as certain disciplines are required.

Two examples of team evolution are: purchasing
engagement when make / buy decisions are required and
engagement of tool design resources when prototype and
production tooling is required.
APQP is performed using Collaborative Product (Process)
Development (CPD). Each CFT discipline communicates with
their counterparts on items which can impact quality, cost or
delivery, either positively or negatively. Special
Characteristics are also communicated between each CFT
discipline. The earlier a product or process problem can be
found, the less expensive and work intensive it will be to x
it. Working concurrently per the project timeline, the team
completes the Plan and Design activity:

Product Engineering (PDE) addresses Product Design and

Development
Process and / or Manufacturing Engineering (ME)
addresses the Process Design and Development

Each section has inputs, outputs and management gateway
reviews. Gateways are timed to coincide with key decisions
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impacting project Quality, Cost or Delivery.

How is APQP related to PPAP?

Product Part Approval Process (PPAP) highlights the proof or
evidence collected through APQP. Validated results from the
rst trial run supports the assertion that quality of delivery is
expected. The trial run must represent the production
environment, with correct tools, machines, processes,
personnel and conditions that may a ect part quality.
PPAP and APQP cannot be separated, as PPAP documents
are the result of APQP. PPAP provides evidence that APQP
has been successfully performed. Poor performance in a
PPAP or a rejected sample can be attributed to poor APQP.
Deliverables in PPAP are extensions of APQP Planning. The
PPAP elements are listed below, note that many are the
same as APQP tools or are the output results of APQP tools:

Part Submission Warrant (PSW)

Design Records
Engineering Change Documents
Customer Engineering Approval
Design FMEA (DFMEA)
Process Flow
Process FMEA (PFMEA)
Dimensional Results
Performance and material test results
Initial Process Capability Study
Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA)
Quali ed Laboratory Documentation
Bulk Material Requirements (if required)
Control Plan
Cosmetic or Visual Signo
Sample Product
Master Sample
Checking Aids
Records of Compliance with customer speci c
requirements

How are APQP, NPI and DFSS Related

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APQP,New Product Introduction (NPI), Design for Six

Sigma(DFSS) and other Product Development Processes
share goals and development tools. Examples of these tools
can be found in our Core Competencies.APQP is often the
Product Development Process that is used as a default
process to support supplier engagement. DFSS is a highly
focused e ort reserved for high value requirements or
speci cations. APQP is broader in scope than DFSS and
scalable to perceived risk each supplier, design or process
poses on program success.

Example of APQP, NPI and DFSS relationship

An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is preparing a
new end user product. The product will follow the OEM NPI.
Several of the subsystems and components require supplier
engagement to assure that their expertise is included in
product design. APQP will be used to collaborate with the
suppliers.
DFSS will focus on key features that are highly valuable and
quite di erent than past products. A Six Sigma Black Belt is
assigned to follow these features across all communications
channels and groups. The tools used in each of these
endeavors are the same. The tools may be used at di ering
utilization levels at the Black Belts discretion.

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APQP - Plan Do Study Act

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