Dynamic APQP/PPAP Planner

What are APQP & PPAP?

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.

History and Purpose

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:

How to Use This Planner

• Step 1: Project Setup: Enter the basic project information, including the project name, part number, customer, and project lead. Add team members' names, one per line, to make them available for assignment.
• Step 2: Plan APQP Phases: For each of the five APQP phases, 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: Review the 18 standard PPAP elements. Assign a responsible person, update the status (Pending, In Progress, Completed, or N/A), and add any relevant notes.
• Step 4: Visualize Progress: After entering dates for your APQP tasks, click "Generate Gantt" to see a visual timeline of your project.
• Step 5: Track Actions: Click "Generate Action Plan" to automatically create a to-do list of all pending and in-progress items from both APQP and PPAP sections.
• Step 6: Export Report: Once your plan is complete, use the "Export to Excel" button to download a comprehensive report containing all project details, plans, and checklists.