APQP is a powerful tool to design-Develop-plan a product right from the customer specification to quality assurance

Advanced product quality planning (APQP) is a holistic approach that enables the manufacturer to demonstrate that he can meet the customer's requirements by manufacturing a product in line with their expectations. This powerful quality planning tool assures that a product is delivered on time along with the high-value addition. The leading objectives that APQP serves are effective communication between the customers and manufacturers, reduction in quality issues, on-time delivery, and mitigation of quality-related risk at product launch. With that, the New Product Development and Introduction (NPI) also enjoys a great success rate when the prescribed principles of the APQP approach are followed.             

APQP provides a common platform to plan, develop and produce a product and it typically has five formal phases. Each phase is connected and delivers the output which later becomes the inputs for the next phase. Here are they.

Phase 1. Planning and designing a program. 

Phase 2. Product design and development. 

Phase 3. Process design and development. 

Phase 4. Validating the product and process. 

Phase 5. Product launch, feedback assessment, and corrective action.     

Implementing the APQP incentivizes the manufacturers in form of a successful product launch by minimizing the product and process risks while improving the overall competitiveness and leads to operational excellence.