- Phases
- Phase 1: Planning and defining the program
- Phase 2: Product design and development
- Phase 3: Design and development of the product manufacturing process
- Phase 4: Process and product validation
- Phase 5: Launch, Evaluations and Continuous Improvement
- Example
- Where to incorporate APQP
- Industries that use it
- References
APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), being in Spanish “ Advanced Product Quality Planning ”, is a framework of procedures and techniques used to develop products in the industry, particularly in the automotive industry.
Complex products and supply chains have a high chance of failure, especially when new products are launched. APQP is a structured process for the design of products and processes, designed to guarantee customer satisfaction with new products or processes.
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This approach uses tools and methods to minimize the risks associated with changes to a new product or process.
Its purpose is to produce a standardized plan of product quality requirements, which allows suppliers to design a product or service that satisfies the customer, facilitating communication and collaboration between the different activities.
A cross-functional team is used in the APQP process, which involves marketing, product design, purchasing, production and distribution. This process is used by General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, and their suppliers, for their product development system.
Phases
APQP serves as a guide in the development process and also as a standard way of sharing results between suppliers and automotive companies. It consists of five phases:
Phase 1: Planning and defining the program
When customer demand requires the introduction of a new product or the revision of an existing one, planning becomes a central issue, even before discussions of product design or redesign.
In this phase, planning seeks to understand the needs of the customer and also the expectations of the product.
Planning activities include collecting the data necessary to define what the customer wants and then using this information to discuss the product's characteristics.
Then you can define the quality program necessary to create the product as specified.
The output of this work includes product design, reliability, and quality goals.
Phase 2: Product design and development
The object of this phase is to complete the design of the product. This is also where a product viability assessment comes into play. Results from work in this phase include:
- Review and verification of the completed design.
- Defined specifications of materials and equipment requirements.
- Failure mode and effect analysis of the completed design to assess failure probabilities.
- Control plans established for the creation of the product prototype.
Phase 3: Design and development of the product manufacturing process
This phase focuses on planning the manufacturing process that will produce the new or improved product.
The objective is to design and develop the production process taking into account the specifications and quality of the product, and the production costs.
The process must be capable of producing the quantities necessary to satisfy expected consumer demand, while maintaining efficiency. Results in this phase include:
- A complete configuration of the process flow.
- An effect and failure mode analysis of the entire process to identify and manage risks.
- Quality specifications of the operating process.
- Product packaging and finishing requirements.
Phase 4: Process and product validation
This is the testing phase to validate the manufacturing process and the final product. The steps in this phase include:
- Confirmation of the capacity and reliability of the production process. Likewise, the criterion of acceptance of the quality of the product.
- Carrying out test production runs.
- Product testing to confirm the effectiveness of the implemented production approach.
- Make the necessary adjustments before moving on to the next phase.
Phase 5: Launch, Evaluations and Continuous Improvement
In this phase, the launch of large-scale production occurs, with an emphasis on evaluating and improving processes.
Among the pillars of this phase are the reduction of process variations, the identification of problems, as well as the initiation of corrective actions to support continuous improvement.
There is also the collection and evaluation of customer feedback and data related to process efficiency and quality planning. The results include:
- A better production process, by reducing process variations.
- Improved quality in product delivery and customer service.
- Improved customer satisfaction.
Example
Where to incorporate APQP
- Development of requirements from the voice of the customer, using the implementation of the quality function.
- Development of a product quality plan integrated into the project schedule.
- Product design activities that communicate special or key characteristics to the process design activity, prior to releasing the design. This includes new shapes and parts, tighter tolerances, and new materials.
- Development of test plans.
- Use of the formal design review to monitor progress.
- Planning, acquisition and installation of adequate equipment and tools for the process, according to the design tolerances given by the product design source.
- Communication of suggestions by the assembly and manufacturing personnel on ways to better assemble a product.
- Establishment of appropriate quality controls for special or key characteristics of a product or parameters of a process, which still run the risk of potential failures.
- Carrying out studies of stability and capacity of special characteristics to understand the present variation and thus predict future performance with statistical process control and process capacity.
Industries that use it
Ford Motor Company published the first advanced quality planning manual for its suppliers in the early 1980s. This helped Ford's suppliers develop adequate new product detection and prevention controls, thereby supporting the corporate quality effort.
At the end of the 1980s, the major manufacturers in the automotive industry were using APQP programs. General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler had it in place and saw the need to come together to create a common core of product quality planning principles for their suppliers.
The guidelines were established in the early 1990s to ensure that APQP protocols were followed in a standardized format.
Representatives from the three automotive manufacturers and the American Society for Quality Control created a group of quality requirements, thus having a common understanding on issues of mutual interest within the automotive industry.
This methodology is now also being used by progressive companies to ensure quality and performance through planning.
References
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2018). Advanced product quality planning. Taken from: en.wikipedia.org.
- NPD Solutions (2018). Advanced Product Quality Planning. Taken from: npd-solutions.com.
- Quality-One (2018). Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP). Taken from: quality-one.com.
- Baits (2018). The 5 Phases of APQP: An Overview of Key Requirements. Taken from: cebos.com.
- David Ingram (2018). Advanced Product Quality Planning. Small Business - Chron.com. Taken from: smallbusiness.chron.com.