Advanced Product Quality Planning

Advanced Product Quality Planning is a standard method of defining the steps necessary to develop a product that will satisfy the customer. Three quarters of APQP is up-front planning through the process of product and process validation. The last quarter is where the evaluation of the finished product can be used to determine if the customer is satisfied and to begin the process of continual improvement.

The first step in launching a new product is to organize the launch team to define the scope of the product program that must be completed. The scope of the new program may include identifying the customer's needs, initial costs, and a time line with goals.

The customer's needs can be identified by looking at the customer's "voice" . This could include past complaints or recommendations. Another tool that can be used is market research. Market research can be conducted by using interviews, surveys, quality and reliability studies, comparison studies of competitors, or actual market tests.

The initial costs should include a rough estimate of the bill of materials for the product. The estimated floor space and a preliminary process flow chart should be developed using the bill of materials to anticipate any problems in the initial plan for the manufacturing process.

Through out the entire launch of a new product simultaneous engineering must be done. Simultaneous engineering is the process where cross functional teams strive for a common goal. Simultaneous engineering replaces the old system of sequential steps where the results are transmitted to the next area for completion. The purpose is to expedite the introduction of quality products sooner.

One of the keys to a successful launch of a new product is the interest, commitment and support of upper management. The team should update management at the conclusion of every product quality planning phase to maintain their interest. A functional goal of the team is to maintain management support by demonstrating that all planning requirements have been met and/or concerns documented. The updates should be formal with the opportunity for questions and answers.

During the design of a product an assessment of the probability of failure as well as the effects of such a failure should be done. The formal name for this process is Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis or DFMEA. A DFMEA is a living document that should be continually updated as the customer's needs and expectations change. Another step in the quality design review is an assessment of the ease of manufacturability and assembly. This is a Simultaneous Engineering process that is done to optimize the relationship between design function, manufacturability and ease of assembly.

An area which has a large impact on the success of a product, but is often done as an after thought, is the design of the process used to produce the product. This involves packaging standards, product quality systems, detailed process flow chart, detailed floor plan, and process instructions. Another useful tool which is similar to a DFMEA is the PFMEA. PFMEA stands for Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. The PFMEA should be done to catch any problems that might arise in the process from the list above and be used to identify problems that might be specific for just this product.

The second to the last area of APQP is trial runs of the product and validation of the product. The trial runs should be done to identify problems in any of the machines used, material flow, process capability, packaging, and final feasibility of the product. The validation of a product refers to engineering tests that validate that products made from production tools and processes meet engineering standards.

Quality planning does not end with process validation and installation. There are several key areas that must be continually reviewed to assure a quality product and to stay a head of the competition. Some of these key areas are: customer satisfaction, continual reduction in variation, delivery and service, cost reductions, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the product quality planning effort.