What is APQP ?

 APQP is stand for Advance product Quality planning. APQP is a process that is used satisfy product quantity as per customer requirements. APQP is not just a process but it is set of process or framework of process that are used while developing new product or new process. By APQP we ensure that new product or process should well established before product reach to the customer.

APQP (Advance Product Quality Planning) is one of the five basic core tool of IATF 16959.

Other four core tools of IATF16949 are:

1. PPAP : Production Part Approval Proces
2. FMEA: Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
3. SPC : Statistical Process Control
4. MSA: Measurement Systems Analysis 

Soon we will be writing about these four core tools. In this article we will concentrate on APQP only.

There two aims of APQP 

Firstly, To increase communication between different departments of the company specially R&D, production, logistics, sales, etc. Most of the work what R&D is doing, is not aware to other departments, what new product or process is developed by them and the time of implementation of new product or process it will be difficult to other departments to work on new process or develop new  product without the help of R&D.

Secondly, APQP is utilization of tools and methods for eliminate all risks that associate with change in the new product or process.

5 Phases of APQP:

1. Plan and Define
2. Product Design and Development
3. Process Design and Development
4. Product and Process Validation
5. Feedback Assessment and Corrective Action

There are major 5 phases of APQP, these phase work on the principle of Deming Cycle (PDCA Cycle), this means that Phases of APQP is based on continue important. Initially Planning is done, after this work is done on the basis of planning, check or study the work that is done, if work then we implement it, and it is never-ending cycle.

There is one initial phase i.e. before Plan and Define phase, Pre Planning Phase also exists.

Lets understand about different phases of APQP:

0. Pre Planning:

In Pre Planning, past knowledge and experience about similar product or process is considered, some assumption about new product or process is also taken and small changes in process or standards or product is also taken care. Output of this phase is taken as input in Plan and Define phase.

1. Plan and Define:

Requirement from customers are considered or understand in this phase,   All needs, desire, expectations, quality and quality about product or process of the customer is written down. Main aim of this phase to understand the voice of customer (VOC). Team has to ensure proper planning should be done so that in the end customer should get required quantity product.

In First phase detail about child parts also taken care finished good

In this phase we also ensure that any help required from management also 

2. Product Design and Development:

As the name suggests in this phase team mainly work on design and development of product. In this phase size of job, tolerance in size, any special marking on job to identify and any special feature required by the customer is also considered in this phase only.

Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) is prepared in this phase, if already prepared by company then DFMEA can be taken as reference or changes can be made if required.

3. Process Design and Development:

Once the product specifications is define in previous phase, now it's time to define or design and develop process through which product will prepare, so import part of this phase is to prepare flow chart for the proces. 

In this phase we must ensure with right quality of product cost of product will also remain in control.

Like in previous phase DFMEA was prepared in this phase PFMEA (Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis). Control plan is also prepared by which quality of the product is controlled, which gauge to be used, what will be the least count of gauge, when to measure the job all is considered in control plan.

4. Product and Process Validation:

In this phase work done in last two phase is validate through trail run of the product. All right things and wrong things during trial run are noted in this phase which will taken as input for Phase Zero (Pre Planning) of APQP for next time.

In this phase team also focus on manufacturing time and rejection produce during the production and also find Production capacity of the product in the given process. Desire quality of product is also taken care. Team ensure that wheather team can produce products as per desire quality and quantity expected by customer.

Sometime Production part approval process is also developed in this phase.

5. Feedback Assessment and Corrective Action:

This is important phase as all learning during trail run is analysed and conclude. Any issue noted during this phase send the report back to appropriate person and share with team so that mistake will not occur next time. Looping of the process is done and if there is any major issues identified then complete process can be start from phase 1.

Complete documentation is prepared after all the phases is complete.

Benifit of APQP:

1. Increase the communication between whole organization.
2. Increase team spirit between team.
3. Better understanding of voice of customer as communication between Customer and suppliers also take place frequently.
4. Improve lead time as error detected in early stages.
5. Quality of product increase because of better communication between team.
6. Possibility of product or process failure minimise as employees of different departments working as a CFT (Cross Functional Team).
7. Sustainability of product also remain as any shortfall detected during development Phases only.
8. Opportunities for continuous improvement.
9. Give a experience of risk assessment that can be used for other areas.
10. Cost of product also reduces.