APQP

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)

Course Description
An ever-growing number of companies must comply with Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) requirements. Even those that are not subject to a compliance mandate recognize the APQP process as a product development best practice that improves performance for new product introduction. To implement APQP effectively, companies must account for a series of key considerations that will determine the success of the initiative and ultimately the performance of future product launches.

Quality system requirements are intended to develop fundamentals that provide for continuous improvement, defect prevention, and the reduction of variation. APQP is at the heart of product development/project implementation and the prime element of successful project success, as it links the special characteristics identified in the project. It then integrates all of the prime tools of IATF 16949, such as FMEA, control plans, feasibility reviews, operator instructions, process flow diagrams, etc.

This course provides valuable information and examples for the successful implementation of the APQP process at companies of all sizes and across industries. It gives the participants the opportunity to work in teams and to implement APQP using actual case studies. Training includes discussions about the use of control plan and relevant data required to construct and determine control plan parameters, as well as the importance of the control plan in the continuous improvement cycle.

Who Should Attend
This course is appropriate for those with minimal APQP experience, as well as for experienced individuals who would like to refresh their knowledge and practice applying APQP tools. Program/product managers, design and manufacturing engineers, quality personnel, and other product design and manufacturing personnel will all benefit from participation in this course.

Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

  • Align APQP phases with product development practices
  • Establish process parameters based on product family requirements
  • Develop project templates that comply with the APQP requirements for different new product processes
  • Identify important product development deliverables
  • Integrate compliance requirements with customer specific activities
  • Provide a hands-on approach to APQP and its relationship to program management and status reporting
  • Achieve standardization and improvement using process flow diagrams, process FMEA, and process control plans
  • Measure Key Performance Indicators (KPI metrics) for Launch Performance
  • Demonstrate knowledge of APQP and how it relates to IATF 16949
  • Describe the importance of APQP to successfully implement the launch of a new product
  • Implement an APQP project planning system
  • Describe the importance of linkages and flow of special characteristics within a project

Course Outline
Phase 1 (Plan and Define Program)
Determine customer needs, requirements, and expectations using tools such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Review the entire quality planning process to enable the implementation of a quality program. Define and set the inputs and the outputs.

  • Voice of the Customer
  • Design Goals
  • Customer Inputs
  • Benchmarking and development of the preliminary bill of material and process flow chart

Phase 2 (Product Design and Development)
Review the inputs and execute the outputs, which include:

  • FMEA
  • DFMA
  • Design verification
  • Design reviews
  • Material and engineering specifications
  • Team feasibility commitment and management support review process

Phase 3 (Process Design and Development)
Address features for developing manufacturing systems and related control plans.

  • PFMEA
  • Process flow charts
  • Floor plans
  • MSA plan and pre-launch control plans

Phase 4 (Product and Process Validation)
Validation of the selected manufacturing process and its control mechanisms through production run evaluation, outlining mandatory production conditions and requirements identifying the required outputs.

  • Production trial runs
  • Capability analysis
  • Production validation testing
  • Production control plans
  • Product quality planning
  • Sign off and PPAP submissions

Phase 5 (Feedback, Assessment, and Corrective Action)
Phase 5 focuses on reduced variation and continuous improvement, identifying outputs and links to customer expectations and future product program, as well as:

  • Customer satisfaction
  • Delivery
  • Service

Course Format
8 hours
Combination lecture and classroom exercises
Available at QSG’s training facilities and on-site at your organization

Course instructors:
Ed McFayden – Consultant, Quality Systems, Lean Six Sigma, Auditing

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