APQP ( Advanced Product Quality Planning )

Advanced Product Quality Planning is a quality framework used to develop products in industry, particularly the automotive industry, and is quite similar to the concept of Design For Six Sigma (DFSS). According to the AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group), the purpose of APQP is "to produce a product quality plan which will support development of a product or service that will satisfy the customer." The PQP process is described in the AIAG manual 810-358-3003.

APQP ( Advanced Product Quality Planning ) focuses on:
• Up-front quality planning
• Determining if customers are satisfied by evaluating the output and supporting continual improvement
APQP ( Advanced Product Quality Planning ) consists of four phases:
• Plan and Define Program
• Product Design and Development Verification
• Process Design and Development Verification
• Product and Process Validation
APQP ( Advanced Product Quality Planning ) also consists of five major activities:
• Planning
• Product Design and Development
• Process Design and Development
• Product and Process Validation
• Production
Ongoing feedback assessment and corrective action is an integral part of these phases and activities.

The APQP ( Advanced Product Quality Planning ) process has seven major elements:
• Understanding the needs of the customer
• Proactive feedback and corrective action
• Designing within the process capabilities
• Analyzing and mitigating failure modes
• Verification and validation
• Design reviews
• Control special / critical characteristics

PPAP ( Production Part Approval Process )

The PPAP ( Production Part Approval Process ) provides an approach to approval of products and services. This includes bulk materials and part submission warrant in the Advanced Quality Planning process. The objective of the PPAP is to ensure that suppliers of components comply with the design specification and can show documentary evidence that the level can be maintained during the life of the product.
PPAP approval is required:
• Preceding the first production shipment
• Whenever there is a change in the process
• Unless the customer waives the requirement

Advanced Quality Planning

Advanced Quality Planning is a process step to collect information on existing issues of quality and production. This information is collected to develop counter-measures so that similar problems can be avoided with future products. Advanced Quality Planning is a team process that depends on communication and planning. The process requires the involvement of the manufacturing, quality and supplier engineering departments.