The management of a company's Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) processes is critical to timely, effective product launches and risk mitigation. The more controlled and visible all elements of these key processes are, the more efficient a company's program launch cycles will be.
APQP is a widely used methodology for managing new product development process to minimize product risk and ensure schedule compliance. Today, APQP is a matter of compliance for many industries such as automotive, aerospace and defense and medical device manufacturers.
IQS’ APQP Management synchronizes all key processes and activities, from engineering through pre-production, to streamline launch processes and ensure consistency and accuracy. IQS’s APQP Management capability includes the ability to create templates, project plans, and check lists. Key capabilities include FMEA and Control Plan development, approval routing and proof-of-project completion.
The IQS product risk management capabilities for APQP provide a level of traceability unmatched by others. Failure mode and effects analysis for design (DFMEA), process (PFMEA), are all part-based and associated with the bill of materials (BOM).
FMEAs are connected directly with the associated Process Flow and Control Plan so that changes to any of the documents propagate to all others for synchronization. Critical characteristics define the target and tolerance for each part, and risk priority numbers (RPN) flag potential product issues. Action item tasks with email alerts ensure closed-loop risk mitigation.