Software-Assisted APQP/PPAP Creator AIAG Compliant

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a structured framework of procedures and techniques used to develop products, particularly in the automotive industry. The primary goal of APQP is to ensure that new products meet customer requirements through a standardized, preventative process, rather than relying on defect detection after production.

Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) is a key output of the APQP process, typically concluding Phase 4. It is the formal method for providing evidence that a supplier's production process can consistently produce parts that meet all customer engineering design and specification requirements. The PPAP package is a comprehensive set of documents that serves as official approval to begin mass production.

The concept of APQP was developed in the late 1980s by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG), a non-profit association founded by the 'Big Three' U.S. automobile manufacturers: Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. The goal was to standardize the product development and quality planning process for their vast network of suppliers.

Before APQP, suppliers dealt with different requirements from each manufacturer, leading to complexity and inefficiency. APQP created a common language and a single, robust framework to guide product development from concept to full production. Its purpose is to foster clear communication, identify and mitigate risks early, and ensure that the final product is delivered on time, within budget, and to the customer's satisfaction. This proactive approach is visualized through its five distinct phases:

The toolbar at the top of the page contains all the actions you need to manage your project:

• New   Clears all data and starts a blank APQP/PPAP project. Takes you directly to the Project Setup tab.
• Load   Opens a previously saved .json file and restores the complete project state (phases, PPAP checklist, PSW, etc.) in read-only mode.
• Load Example   Loads a pre-filled automotive project so you can explore the tool and see how the Gantt chart and Action Plan work. Also opens in read-only mode.
• Revise   Only available when a project is in read-only mode. Opens a dialog to register a new revision — level, date, author and reason — then unlocks all fields for editing. Revision history is saved to the JSON and printed in the PDF.
• Verify AIAG   Runs an automated compliance check against the AIAG APQP/PPAP standard and shows a detailed report of any gaps or missing elements.
• Save   Downloads the complete project as a .json file, including all phases, tasks, PPAP elements, PSW, control plans and revision history.
• Export PDF   Generates and downloads a fully formatted PDF report containing: project information, all APQP phases and tasks, the Gantt chart, PPAP checklist and the complete action plan of pending items.

• Step 1 — Project Setup: Go to the Project Setup tab and fill in the project name, part number, customer, and project lead. Add team members' names (one per line) to make them available for task assignment.
• Step 2 — Plan APQP Phases: Use the Phase 1–5 sub-tabs to add specific tasks, assign a responsible team member, set start/end dates, and update the status and notes as the project progresses.
• Step 3 — Manage PPAP Checklist: In the PPAP Checklist sub-tab, review the 18 standard PPAP elements. Assign a responsible person, update the status (Pending, In Progress, Completed or N/A), and add notes or capability data (Ppk, Cpk, MSA %GRR) where applicable.
• Step 4 — Visualize Progress: The Gantt Chart tab updates automatically as you enter start/end dates for your APQP tasks — no manual generation needed.
• Step 5 — Track Actions: The Action Plan tab populates automatically with all pending and in-progress items from both APQP phases and the PPAP checklist.
• Step 6 — Save & Export: Use Save to download a .json snapshot and Load to restore it anytime. Use Export PDF to generate a complete, print-ready report including the Gantt chart and action plan.
• Step 7 — Revise: Load a saved project, click Revise to register a new revision with date, author and reason, then edit and re-export. The full revision history is preserved in both the JSON and the PDF.