Stellantis-FCA Advance Quality Planning is the basic quality tool used by the customer representative – Supplier Quality Engineer during project development evaluation in launch phase. The rules for the application of AQP are specified in the SQ.00010 standard.
In Customer Specific Requirements issued in April 2017 on IATF websites, this standard is assigned to the following requirements points:
- 8.1. Operational Planning and Control
- 8.1.1. Operational Planning and Control – supplemental
- 8.2.3.1.2 Customer-designated special characteristics
- 8.3.3. Design and Development inputs
- 8.3.4.3 Prototype programme
- 8.5.1.1. – Control Plan
When the business is obtained from the client, there is also taken decision to start performing meetings referred to as Advance Quality Planning. Kick-off meeting by standard should be carried out within 15 business days, i.e. in practice up to 3 weeks from the moment the supplier is nominated.
Picture 1. Stellantis-FCA Advance Quality Planning according to APQP AIAG timeline
One of the elements assessed during such a meeting are additional quality requirements (AQR), which, according to Customer Specific Requirements (CSR’s) must be communicated and distributed throughout the supply chain (if the requirements also apply to the activities carried out by them). This requirement is verified in point 17.79 of the PPAP Audit form, on the basis of which the evaluation is carried out.
PPAP audit requirements are common for AQP and Process Audit
The differences concern the method of their verification depending on the launch phase: from business assignment to the Process Verification (VP) phase, all managed activities are carried out by the client based on the AQP. On the other hand, from VP to current production, the organization is assessed according Process Audit form.
This is due to the fact that from the Process Verification phase, the organization should already have available equipment and production tools. The SQ.00010 standard contains additional information that in the VP phase, the tooling may still be in the company producing the tools – this status is referred to as OT (off tool), while from the Pre Series (PS) phase, the tooling should be present at the plant of the organization. This tooling status is referred to as OTOP – off tool off process.
Activities based on Stellantis-FCA Advance Quality Planning may be carried out by the client customer representative for organizations defined as “Customer Monitored” and by organization representatives for organizations defined as “Supplier Monitored”.
Information on the responsibility for carrying out these two activities depends mainly on the complexity of the product being produced, the history of cooperation with a given organization, the occurrence of safety characteristics and the manufacturing technologies used.
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