Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) 101

What is an Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) checklist?

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a specific process that is used when a new product is launched, or when changes are made to an existing product. Typically, a Cross-Functional Team (CFT) is put together that is made up of manufacturing, quality control, procurement, and engineering to perform APQP.

An advanced product quality planning (APQP) checklist is necessary to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that the product launch is successfully executed. This type of checklist is a specific tool put to use by CFTs to reach optimum results throughout the entire process. 

Why do you need an Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)  checklist?

An APQP checklist keeps all of the moving parts in order by creating a specific order in which items should be completed. Using a digital checklist will empower team members to document task completion along with any necessary documents. 

Making use of an APQP checklist will help ensure that there are not any missed steps throughout the product launch. Making use of a digital checklist allows for collaboration and oversight by anyone who needs it. 

What should an Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)  checklist include?

An APQP checklist should include as much information as possible that will allow each team member to understand their role in the process. These checklists should also address specific APQP challenges by addressing them before they appear.

Key components of an Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) checklist

1. Time Management
2. Clear Responsibilities
3. Full Accountability

Time management

Time management is essential for industries that make use of APQP checklists. A strategy should be developed, based on real data, that will take into account all inspections or tests that must be completed. It should also consider any preventative actions that may need to be taken, along with the time involved for each task.

Clear responsibilities

Understanding who is responsible for which task is vital to a successful product launch. The management team should create the APQP checklist based on the company’s quality policy. Managers should communicate to the entire team who needs to address which aspect of the product launch so that there is no confusing responsibility for a specific task.

Full accountability

CFTs should conduct regular meetings to review the APQP checklist progress. Combined with other relevant data, such as open issues and opportunities lists, a presentation should be made to management. The APQP checklist itself can be used to report to management about the progress of the product launch.

The takeaway

An APQP checklist can help management ensure that a product launch is successfully completed. It will break down roles and responsibilities, along with providing a platform for documenting task completion. Industries that make use of APQP checklists require collaboration and documentation, making a digital checklist the perfect tool for CFTs.