Free Online Control Plan Creator Tool AIAG CP 4th Ed. 2024

Ensuring Quality at Every Step of Your Process — APQP-aligned, PPAP-ready, IATF 16949 compliant

What is a Control Plan?

A Control Plan is a structured, living document that summarises the methods used to control product characteristics and manufacturing process parameters. Its primary purpose is to ensure every output consistently meets customer requirements by minimising variation at the source — not by detecting defects after they occur, but by keeping processes stable and predictable.

A Control Plan does not replace detailed work instructions or operator standards — it is the road map that ties together which characteristics are measured, how they are evaluated, how often samples are taken, and what to do when something goes out of control. It is one of the five core APQP deliverables and a mandatory submission item in all PPAP packages (Levels 2–5).

The three types of Control Plan

  • Prototype: Developed during the concept and design phases. Controls are preliminary and focus on dimensional and material feasibility. Used to guide prototype builds before tooling is defined.
  • Pre-Launch: Created after design is frozen but before full production approval. Covers trial runs and pilot builds. Controls are more detailed and reflect actual production intent.
  • Production: The final, approved document used on the shop floor during mass production. Must be kept current throughout the life of the program and updated whenever the process, product, or risk assessment changes.
1. Risk (PFMEA) What can fail and with what Action Priority (AP)?
2. Characteristic Which product or process parameter is at risk?
3. Prevention & Detection How is it controlled and measured?
4. Reaction Plan What is the escalation path when out of control?

History & Origin

The Control Plan was formalised as part of the automotive industry's effort to align quality practices across OEMs and their supplier base. Its evolution closely tracks the development of the APQP framework and IATF certification requirements.

1987 — AIAG Founded

The Automotive Industry Action Group establishes standardised quality toolkits to reduce supplier variation across the Big Three (GM, Ford, Chrysler).

1994 — APQP & Control Plan Reference Manual (1st Edition)

AIAG publishes the first official Control Plan Reference Manual as part of the APQP documentation suite. The Control Plan is introduced as a mandatory PPAP deliverable, linking FMEA outputs to shop-floor controls.

2008 — Control Plan Reference Manual (2nd Edition)

AIAG releases the second edition with expanded guidance on header fields, special characteristics, and linkage between Control Plans and the quality management system (QS-9000 → IATF 16949).

2016 — IATF 16949:2016

The International Automotive Task Force supersedes ISO/TS 16949. IATF 16949 §8.5.1.1 explicitly mandates Control Plans for all product and process characteristics, reinforcing the CP as a living document subject to change management.

2019 — AIAG-VDA FMEA Handbook (1st Edition)

AIAG and VDA jointly publish a harmonised FMEA methodology. Landmark change: the Risk Priority Number (RPN) is eliminated and replaced by the Action Priority (AP) system — a structured S/O/D lookup table that ensures high-severity failures always receive appropriate attention. This tool implements the official AIAG-VDA 2019 AP logic.

2024 — AIAG Control Plan Reference Manual (4th Edition) — Current Standard

AIAG publishes the 4th and most recent edition of the Control Plan Reference Manual. Key additions include mandatory Error Proofing / Poka-yoke column, alignment with IATF 16949:2016 §8.5.1.1 traceability requirements, and updated guidance on special characteristics and Work Instruction references. All PPAP submissions from 2024 onwards should reference this edition.

RPN vs. Action Priority (AP) — Why it matters: Prior to 2019, risk was expressed as RPN = S × O × D (range 1–1000). AIAG-VDA 2019 replaced this with the AP system (High / Medium / Low) because RPN produced misleading rankings — a severity-10 failure with low O and D could yield the same RPN as a moderate failure with medium scores on all three factors. The AP lookup table guarantees that any failure with S ≥ 9 and O ≥ 3 is always classified as High Priority, regardless of detection.

FMEA & Control Plan Synergy (APQP Cycle)

Within the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) framework, the PFMEA and Control Plan are tightly linked living documents. The Control Plan is the operational execution of the Process FMEA — translating risk analysis into concrete shop-floor actions.

  • Risk Identification (PFMEA): The PFMEA identifies potential failure modes and evaluates Severity (S), Occurrence (O), and Detection (D). The Action Priority (AP) — not RPN — indicates which risks require immediate action (H), monitoring (M), or routine control (L).
  • Risk Mitigation (Control Plan): The Control Plan captures the prevention and detection controls for each characteristic, specifying sample sizes, frequencies, measurement methods, and escalation paths — especially for High and Medium AP items.
  • Traceability: Each Control Plan row references a Characteristic Number, linking back to the engineering drawing and the specific FMEA failure mode. This traceability is required by IATF 16949 §8.5.1.1 and audited during OEM and third-party assessments.
  • Living Documents: Both the PFMEA and Control Plan must be updated whenever design, process, or measurement changes occur, or when field data reveals a previously undetected failure mode.

How to Use This Tool

This tool generates a fully AIAG-VDA 2019 compliant Control Plan that can be exported to Excel for PPAP packages or internal quality records. Follow these steps:

1
Import your PFMEA (optional) Upload the Excel exported from the Sigma Exacta FMEA tool. Failure modes, S/O/D scores, and Action Priority are pre-populated automatically using AIAG-VDA 2019 column names.
2
Complete the Header Fill all required fields (marked *): type, part number, customer name, supplier code, dates, core team, and approval blocks. Required for any PPAP submission.
3
Add rows for each characteristic For each process step, define: Op. No., characteristic type (Product/Process), characteristic number, special characteristic classification (SC ◆, CC △, YS…), spec/tolerance, sample size and frequency, and control method.
4
Review Action Priority (AP) AP (High / Medium / Low) is calculated automatically from S/O/D using the official AIAG-VDA 2019 lookup table. Ensure High-AP rows have robust controls and explicit reaction plans.
5
Export to Excel Go to the Results tab and click "Export to Excel". All required header fields must be completed — the tool validates them before allowing the export, preventing incomplete PPAP submissions.
6
Keep it live Update the Control Plan whenever a process, product, or risk assessment changes. Increment the revision date, obtain re-approval, and document the reason for change.
Special Characteristics — OEM-specific symbols: Different OEMs use different symbol systems. Confirm the exact classification system required by your customer before finalising the Control Plan.
  • AIAG generic: SC ◆ (Special Characteristic), CC △ (Critical Characteristic)
  • Ford: ★ Key Product Characteristic (KPC), KCC Key Control Characteristic
  • Stellantis / Chrysler: YS (Safety / Gov. Regulatory), YC (Regulatory / Compliance)
  • GM: HI (High Impact), S/R (Safety / Regulatory)
Using an incorrect OEM's symbols in a PPAP submission is a common cause of rejection.

Import Data from PFMEA (AIAG-VDA 2019)

Upload the Excel file generated by the Sigma Exacta FMEA tool to automatically populate Process Name, Failure Modes, S/O/D scores, Action Priority, and Prevention / Detection Controls.

Control Plan Header

Document Identification
Part & Supplier Information
Team & References
Approvals (Required for PPAP Levels 3–5)
Engineering Approval (Customer)
Quality Approval (Customer)
Supplier / Plant Approval
Revision History (IATF 16949 §7.5.3.1 — required for all revisions)
Rev. Date Description of Change Changed By Approved By
Op. No. PFD Ref. Process Name Machine / Device Char. No. Char. Type Characteristic Special Char. FMEA Ref — Failure Mode (read-only) FMEA AP (ref) Spec / Tol. Eval. Technique Gage / Fixture No. MSA Ref. Sample Size Sample Freq. Control Method Error Proofing / Poka-yoke Reaction Plan Work Instruction Ref. Where Recorded Responsible

Control Plan Results