Phase 1
Plan & Define
Understand the customer, scope the programme, establish targets, risks, timing, resources and feasibility.
SPI
Special Processes Institute
sp-i.org
APQP Project Report
APQP Knowledge & Project
Learn Advanced Product Quality Planning and build an evidence-led project from concept through launch. Follow five gated phases, connect customer requirements to design and production controls, manage deliverables and actions, assess readiness, load a worked aerospace special-process example, save or restore JSON and generate a professional project report.
5
Connected APQP phases
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Project completeness
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Deliverables complete
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Open actions
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Overall readiness
What APQP Is
Advanced Product Quality Planning is a structured, cross-functional method used to translate customer and stakeholder needs into a capable design, an industrialised production process and controlled launch. It front-loads planning so problems are prevented or exposed before they become costly production or in-service failures.
Essential idea: APQP is not a collection of forms. The outputs must connect. Requirements influence design risk; design characteristics flow into the process flow and PFMEA; identified risks drive the control plan, measurement strategy, validation and launch controls.
Typical triggers
- New product, programme, customer or manufacturing site.
- Major design, material, software, process or source change.
- Transfer of work or introduction of new tooling/equipment.
- High-risk restart, capacity increase or production-rate change.
- Customer-mandated APQP, PPAP, FAIR or production-readiness activity.
Phase 2
Product Design & Development
Translate needs into verified design outputs, characteristics, specifications, DFMEA controls and design validation.
Phase 3
Process Design & Development
Design the manufacturing system using flow diagrams, PFMEA, control plans, work instructions, tooling and capacity planning.
Phase 4
Validation
Validate product and production readiness through trial builds, MSA, capability, FAIR/PPAP and customer approval.
Phase 5
Launch, Feedback & Improvement
Control early production, review performance, close gaps, capture learning and transfer stable controls into normal operations.
How to Run an APQP Project
1. Establish governance before creating documents
Define the customer, product family, programme scope, project leader, process owner, cross-functional team, decision authority, key milestones and escalation rules. Agree which customer-specific requirements and submission level apply.
2. Build one integrated timing plan
Use customer milestones and required delivery dates to work backwards. Include design reviews, sourcing, tooling, qualification, test lead times, special-process approvals, trial builds, FAIR/PPAP submission and approval. Protect the critical path with risk-based contingency.
3. Control requirements and changes
Capture contractual, technical, statutory, regulatory, product-safety, key-characteristic, configuration and special-process requirements. Maintain traceability and assess every change for effect on risk analyses, validation evidence, tooling, capacity, documents and prior approvals.
4. Keep the core tools connected
Review requirements, DFMEA, drawings, process flow, PFMEA and control plan together. A changed characteristic or control should trigger review of linked outputs rather than creating contradictory records.
5. Use evidence-based gate reviews
At each phase exit, review deliverables, open actions, residual risks, feasibility, change status, resources and customer concerns. A gate is a management decision supported by evidence—not an administrative signature.
6. Prove production readiness under representative conditions
Validation should use production-intent materials, tooling, equipment, personnel, software, suppliers, rates and controls wherever required. Record deviations from representative conditions and their effect on confidence.
7. Stabilise the launch and institutionalise learning
Use safe launch or heightened controls where risk justifies them. Monitor quality, delivery, capability, escapes and customer feedback. Remove temporary controls only through an authorised, evidence-based decision and update standard work and lessons learned.
Common APQP Failure Modes
Document completion without linkage
Forms appear complete, but requirements, failure modes, controls and validation evidence contradict each other.
Forms appear complete, but requirements, failure modes, controls and validation evidence contradict each other.
Late supplier engagement
Critical manufacturing, special-process, capacity and material risks emerge after design commitments.
Critical manufacturing, special-process, capacity and material risks emerge after design commitments.
Prototype evidence treated as production evidence
Validation does not represent production tooling, rate, operators, sources or process controls.
Validation does not represent production tooling, rate, operators, sources or process controls.
Gate reviews ignore unresolved risk
Dates drive approval even though feasibility, product safety, capability or qualification remains unproven.
Dates drive approval even though feasibility, product safety, capability or qualification remains unproven.
Change control is disconnected
A design or process change does not trigger review of FMEA, control plan, MSA, qualification or submission status.
A design or process change does not trigger review of FMEA, control plan, MSA, qualification or submission status.
Best-practice response
Use one integrated deliverable register, objective exit criteria, named owners, evidence references and formal residual-risk acceptance.
Use one integrated deliverable register, objective exit criteria, named owners, evidence references and formal residual-risk acceptance.
Standards, Manuals and Frameworks
| Reference | Purpose | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| AIAG APQP, 3rd Edition | Automotive-origin APQP guidance updated for gated management, sourcing, change management, programme metrics, risk and traceability. | Use with applicable customer-specific requirements and the standalone AIAG Control Plan manual. |
| AIAG Control Plan, 1st Edition | Dedicated guidance for creating and maintaining prototype, pre-launch and production control plans. | Connect controls to the process flow, PFMEA, characteristics, reaction plans and lessons from launch. |
| SAE AS9145 | Aviation, space and defence requirements for APQP and Production Part Approval Process. | Use when contractually required and align the project with AS9100, AS9102 FAIR, AS9103 variation management and customer requirements. |
| AS9100 / EN 9100 | Quality-management requirements supporting operational planning, product and service requirements, design, external providers, production control, verification, nonconformity and improvement. | APQP can provide an integrated method for planning and demonstrating many lifecycle controls, but it does not replace clause-specific compliance. |
| IATF 16949 | Automotive QMS requirements with strong customer-specific APQP, core-tool, product-safety and supplier-development expectations. | Confirm each customer's submission, approval and retention rules. |
| ISO 9001 | General QMS requirements founded on process approach, PDCA and risk-based thinking. | Use APQP as a structured operational planning method where appropriate; ISO 9001 does not prescribe a named APQP format. |
| Customer-specific requirements | Contract, portal, drawing, quality code, PPAP/FAIR level, forms, timing, special-process approval and notification rules. | These can be more prescriptive than generic manuals and must be captured at project start. |
Important: This app provides educational guidance and project structure. It does not reproduce controlled standards or customer manuals. Users must verify issue status, contractual applicability and exact submission requirements.
Core Tools and Connected Evidence
Requirements & Feasibility
Customer voice, technical review, compliance matrix, assumptions, production volume, make/buy strategy, capacity, resource and commercial feasibility.
DFMEA
Anticipates design failure modes and supports prevention, verification, characteristics and design decisions.
Process Flow
Defines the intended production sequence, handling, storage, inspection, rework and externally provided steps.
PFMEA
Anticipates process failure modes and evaluates current prevention and detection controls. Actions reduce risk before launch.
Control Plan
Defines characteristics, methods, sample/frequency, responsibility and reaction plans needed to control the process.
MSA
Determines whether measurement systems are adequate for decisions, including bias, repeatability, reproducibility, stability and attribute agreement.
SPC & Capability
Uses suitable data and statistical methods to understand stability, variation and ability to meet requirements.
FAIR / PPAP
Provides structured evidence that product definition and production processes are understood and capable of producing conforming output.
Control of Change
Protects configuration and approval status by assessing effects and repeating affected APQP/validation activities.
Integrated Deliverable Roadmap
The exact timing and ownership depend on product, sector, customer and risk. Outputs often start in one phase and mature through later phases.
Gate Review Questions
Evidence
- Are required outputs available, approved and configuration controlled?
- Are assumptions and provisional data clearly identified?
- Do tests and trials represent intended production conditions?
Risk
- Are high risks reduced, accepted by authority or supported by a dated recovery plan?
- Are product safety and special characteristics controlled?
- Have supplier and special-process risks been considered?
Readiness
- Are people, facilities, tooling, equipment, materials and digital systems ready?
- Can required rate, quality and delivery be achieved?
- Are inspection, measurement, test and maintenance resources available?
Decision
- Proceed, conditionally proceed, hold or return for rework?
- Who accepts residual risk and conditions?
- Which customer approvals or notifications remain outstanding?
APQP Project Builder
Complete project setup, then progress through the five connected phases.
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Programme Action Register
Use this register for cross-phase issues, risks, missing evidence and gate conditions. Detailed FMEA actions remain in the controlled FMEA where applicable.
APQP Project Report
Generate the report from the project builder, then use Print / PDF.
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