Introduction:

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a structured methodology designed to ensure that products meet customer requirements and quality standards through a well-organized process of planning, development, and production. APQP helps organizations identify potential risks early, improve product design and manufacturing processes, and prevent quality issues from occurring. This training course dives deep into the principles, techniques, and best practices for successfully implementing APQP in a real-world environment, ensuring that products are delivered on time, within budget, and with the highest quality standards.

Course Objectives:

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the principles and methodology behind APQP and its importance in product development.
2. Apply advanced APQP tools and techniques to plan, design, and develop high-quality products.
3. Use risk management techniques, such as FMEA, to identify and mitigate potential quality issues throughout the product lifecycle.
4. Integrate APQP with other quality methodologies, such as Lean, Six Sigma, and DFSS, for enhanced product quality and process efficiency.
5. Develop detailed product quality plans, including defining quality objectives, criteria, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
6. Collaborate across departments and functions to ensure alignment on quality objectives and deliverables.
7. Implement control plans and validate production processes for long-term product quality.
8. Conduct APQP assessments and audits to ensure continuous improvement.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Product Development Managers
• Quality Managers and Engineers
• Process Improvement Professionals
• Project Managers involved in product design and development
• Manufacturing Engineers
• Supply Chain Managers
• Anyone responsible for ensuring product quality during development and production
• Consultants and Auditors in product quality management

Day-by-Day Outline:

Day 1: Introduction to APQP and Planning for Product Quality

• Overview of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP):
  • Key principles and goals of APQP
  • The importance of quality planning in the product lifecycle
  • APQP stages: Plan, Design, Prototype, Production, and Continuous Improvement
  • The relationship between APQP and other quality management methodologies (ISO 9001, IATF 16949, Six Sigma, Lean)
• The APQP Framework and its Integration:
  • Understanding the five phases of APQP
  • The role of cross-functional teams in successful APQP implementation
  • Best practices for aligning APQP with organizational strategy and goals
• Risk Management and Prevention:
  • Identifying potential risks in product development and manufacturing
  • Using Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for risk assessment and mitigation
  • Creating proactive action plans to address risks before they affect product quality
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Analyzing a case study of a product development project and mapping it through the APQP stages

Day 2: Product Design and Development Phase

• Phase 1: Product Planning and Design Inputs:
  • Gathering customer requirements and translating them into technical specifications
  • Design inputs: Regulatory requirements, customer expectations, and product features
  • Identifying key characteristics and critical to quality (CTQ) elements
• Design and Development Risk Management:
  • Conducting Design FMEA (DFMEA) to evaluate design risks
  • Failure analysis and design verification methods
  • Using APQP tools to optimize design for manufacturability and quality
• Phase 2: Design Validation:
  • Testing and validating product designs to ensure they meet specifications
  • Design reviews and prototyping techniques
  • Design control plans to ensure quality at the design stage
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Creating a design input checklist and conducting a DFMEA for a hypothetical product

Day 3: Prototyping, Process Design, and Control Plans

• Phase 3: Process Design and Prototyping:
  • Planning the manufacturing process for product development
  • Process flow diagrams (PFD) and process failure mode effects analysis (PFMEA)
  • Building prototypes and pre-production models to test design and process viability
• Phase 4: Process Control Planning:
  • Developing process control plans to ensure stable and consistent manufacturing
  • Identifying key process variables and determining control limits
  • Statistical process control (SPC) tools to monitor and control manufacturing processes
  • Ensuring process capability through process validation and verification
• Advanced APQP Tools and Techniques:
  • Advanced techniques for monitoring product and process quality during the prototyping phase
  • Tools for evaluating and refining process designs: Control charts, Pareto analysis, Gage R&R
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Creating a process control plan for a product and defining critical process parameters

Day 4: Production, Monitoring, and Continuous Improvement

• Phase 5: Full-Scale Production:
  • Transitioning from prototype to full-scale production while maintaining product quality
  • Ensuring consistent quality through control charts and statistical methods
  • Handling the ramp-up phase and addressing potential issues during full-scale production
• Production Part Approval Process (PPAP):
  • The importance of PPAP in the APQP process
  • Key components of the PPAP package and the approval process
  • Ensuring that all design and process requirements are met before mass production begins
• Continuous Improvement and the APQP Cycle:
  • Embedding continuous improvement in the APQP process
  • Tools for ongoing product and process improvement: Lean, Six Sigma, Kaizen, Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
  • Managing product quality audits, corrective actions, and preventive measures
• Hands-On Exercise:
  • Creating a PPAP package and identifying key steps for continuous improvement in the production process

Day 5: APQP Implementation, Audits, and Best Practices

• APQP Implementation Strategies:
  • Implementing APQP across multiple product lines and functions
  • Aligning quality objectives with organizational and customer requirements
  • Engaging cross-functional teams and stakeholders in the APQP process
• Conducting APQP Audits and Assessments:
  • The role of internal audits in maintaining the integrity of the APQP process
  • Best practices for conducting APQP assessments and identifying gaps
  • Ensuring compliance with APQP standards and industry requirements
• Challenges and Success Factors in APQP Implementation:
  • Addressing common challenges in APQP implementation and scaling across organizations
  • Lessons learned from successful APQP adoption in leading manufacturing organizations
  • Tools for fostering a quality-driven culture and continuous learning
• Capstone Project and Final Review:
  • Participants will present an APQP implementation plan for a specific product, incorporating lessons learned throughout the course
  • Group discussion of challenges faced during the project and strategies for overcoming them
  • Final course review, Q&A, and feedback