Introduction To APQP
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a structured framework used to ensure that a product or process meets customer requirements. It's widely used in industries like automotive manufacturing to facilitate communication and collaboration between different departments, such as engineering, marketing, procurement, and manufacturing.
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 first Advanced Quality Planning handbook for suppliers in the early 1980’s. APQP helped Ford suppliers develop appropriate prevention and detection controls for new products supporting the corporate quality effort. With lessons learned from Ford AQP, the North American Automotive OEM’s collectively created the APQP process in 1994 and then later updated in 2008. APQP is intended to aggregate the common planning activities all automotive OEM’s require into one process. Suppliers utilize APQP to bring new products and processes to successful validation and drive continuous improvement
APQP consists of five main phases:
Plan and Define Program: Establishing the project's goals, scope, and customer requirements.
Product Design and Development: Creating and refining the product design to meet customer needs.
Process Design and Development: Developing the processes needed to produce the product.
Product and Process Validation: Testing and validating the product and processes to ensure they meet quality standards.
Launch, Feedback, Assessment, and Corrective Action: Launching the product, gathering feedback, and making necessary improvements.
Definition of APQP:
APQP also emphasizes the use of several core tools, such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), to ensure quality and continuous improvement
APQP represents a systematic methodology for the design of products and processes. This framework comprises a standardized collection of quality criteria that empower suppliers to create products that meet customer expectations.
The primary objective of product quality planning is to enhance communication and collaboration among engineering functions. The APQP process employs a Cross Functional Team (CFT) that includes representatives from marketing, product design, procurement, manufacturing, and distribution. APQP ensures that the Voice of the Customer (VOC) is comprehensively understood and effectively translated into requirements, technical specifications, and special characteristics. The advantages of the product or process are integrated through preventive measures.
Furthermore, APQP aids in the early detection of both intentional and incidental changes. Such changes can lead to innovative developments that enhance customer satisfaction. Conversely, if not managed properly, they may result in failures and customer discontent. The emphasis of APQP lies in the application of tools and methodologies to mitigate the risks associated with changes in new products or processes.
APQP facilitates the ongoing endeavour of continuous improvement. The initial three sections of APQP concentrate on planning and prevention, accounting for 80% of the overall process. The fourth and fifth sections address the remaining 20%, emphasizing validation and evidence. Notably, the fifth section enables organizations to share insights and provide feedback, which aids in the development of standardized work and processes. The advantages of APQP include:
- Allocating resources by identifying the critical few elements among the numerous less significant ones
- Encouraging the early detection of changes
- Intentional modifications aimed at enhancing customer value
- Incidental factors such as environmental influences, customer usage, degradation, and interfaces
- Preventing late changes (post-release) by anticipating potential failures
- Reducing the number of design and process alterations later in the product development cycle
- Delivering a quality product on time at the lowest possible cost
- Offering multiple strategies for risk mitigation when issues are identified early
- Enhancing the capability for verification and validation of changes
- Fostering improved collaboration between product design and process development
- Advancing Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFM/A)
- Selecting cost-effective solutions earlier in the process
- Capturing and reusing legacy knowledge, promoting the advancement of tribal knowledge, and creating and utilizing standard work.
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