What are the best practices for using APQP to manage your supply chain?

If you are involved in quality management, you have probably heard of APQP, or Advanced Product Quality Planning. APQP is a structured approach to designing and developing products and processes that meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements. APQP can also help you manage your supply chain, ensuring that your suppliers deliver consistent and reliable inputs for your products. In this article, we will discuss some of the best practices for using APQP to manage your supply chain, based on the five phases of the APQP process.

1 Phase 1: Plan and Define

The first phase of APQP is to plan and define the scope, objectives, and deliverables of your product and process development. This includes identifying the customer needs, specifications, and expectations, as well as the potential risks and opportunities. In this phase, you should also define your supply chain requirements, such as the quality standards, performance indicators, and verification methods that your suppliers must follow. You should communicate these requirements clearly and frequently with your suppliers, and establish a feedback mechanism to monitor their compliance and performance.

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Pinar Alparslan

Quality Consultant, Global Leader, Trainer, Fashion, Retail
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The definitions and plans should also be communicated with relevant internal teams clearly and the team members should agree and commit all, for a smooth implementation and success.

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2 Phase 2: Product Design and Development

The second phase of APQP is to design and develop the product and its components, based on the customer and regulatory requirements. This includes creating drawings, specifications, prototypes, and test plans for the product and its features. In this phase, you should also involve your suppliers in the design and development process, and solicit their input and feedback. You should review and approve their designs, specifications, prototypes, and test plans, and ensure that they align with your requirements and expectations. You should also conduct joint design reviews and tests with your suppliers, and resolve any issues or discrepancies.

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Pinar Alparslan

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Risk assessment in this stage is very important. Foreseeing potential and various risks and revise the design means, seeing and avoiding the failure/loss.

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3 Phase 3: Process Design and Development

The third phase of APQP is to design and develop the process that will produce the product, based on the product design and specifications. This includes creating process flow diagrams, control plans, work instructions, and measurement systems for the process and its stages. In this phase, you should also collaborate with your suppliers to design and develop their processes, and ensure that they are capable of meeting your quality and performance requirements. You should review and approve their process flow diagrams, control plans, work instructions, and measurement systems, and ensure that they are compatible with your process. You should also conduct joint process audits and validations with your suppliers, and verify their process capability and stability.

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Pinar Alparslan

Quality Consultant, Global Leader, Trainer, Fashion, Retail
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All relevant internal teams should join this stage and comment if diagrams, plans are production friendly and if instructions, measurement systems are easy to understand, follow and clear to all different stakeholders.

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4 Phase 4: Product and Process Validation

The fourth phase of APQP is to validate the product and the process, based on the customer and regulatory requirements. This includes conducting product and process trials, inspections, tests, and evaluations, and collecting and analyzing data on the quality and performance of the product and the process. In this phase, you should also validate your suppliers' products and processes, and ensure that they meet your quality and performance standards. You should conduct product and process trials, inspections, tests, and evaluations with your suppliers, and collect and analyze data on their quality and performance. You should also review and approve their product and process validation reports, and address any nonconformities or improvements.

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5 Phase 5: Feedback, Assessment, and Corrective Action

The fifth phase of APQP is to obtain feedback, assess the results, and implement corrective actions, based on the customer and regulatory feedback and satisfaction. This includes conducting customer surveys, audits, reviews, and complaints, and measuring and monitoring the customer satisfaction and loyalty. In this phase, you should also obtain feedback, assess the results, and implement corrective actions with your suppliers, based on their quality and performance feedback and satisfaction. You should conduct supplier surveys, audits, reviews, and complaints, and measure and monitor their quality and performance. You should also review and update your supply chain requirements, and implement corrective and preventive actions to improve your supplier quality and performance.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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What are the best practices for using APQP to manage your supply chain?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Phase 1: Plan and Define

2 Phase 2: Product Design and Development

3 Phase 3: Process Design and Development

4 Phase 4: Product and Process Validation

5 Phase 5: Feedback, Assessment, and Corrective Action

6 Here’s what else to consider

Quality Management

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What are the best practices for using APQP to manage your supply chain?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Phase 1: Plan and Define

2 Phase 2: Product Design and Development

3 Phase 3: Process Design and Development

4 Phase 4: Product and Process Validation

5 Phase 5: Feedback, Assessment, and Corrective Action

6 Here’s what else to consider

Quality Management

Rate this article

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