1. The new APQP edition adds high-risk supplier assessment in Chapter 0.5 Procurement. What is a high-risk supplier?

A new supplier to the organization
A new location or site (Greenfield or Brownfield)
A history of poor quality
Historical issues that caused customer quality nonconformities
Responsible for one or more historical field actions
Supplying parts with safety or regulatory requirements
Part failures with an FMEA severity rating of 8 or higher
A history of poor launch performance
New technology
No ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 certification

 

2. How should we handle high-risk suppliers?

Through Appendix A-9 Procurement Checklist in the new manual, which has 78 checklist items. Any item assessed as “No” requires a corresponding improvement plan

 

3. Section 1.15 states that every APQP output document must have a change log. What items must the change log include?

Reason for change, requester, approver, date

 

4. In what manner does Section 1.16 APQP Project Metrics recommend presenting project progress? What does each status represent?

Red-yellow-green light system
Red represents not started or target not yet met
Yellow represents a process or plan being developed and approved
Green represents a completed task

 

5. The new APQP edition adds a risk assessment and mitigation plan. What does the manual provide to help assess risk?

A-0 APQP Risk Factor Checklist

 

6. Regarding part traceability, what constitutes good part traceability in the ideal case?

Having a one-to-one ”part identifier to vehicle identification number“

 

7. APQP originally had 49 outputs. How many outputs does the new edition have?

52 outputs

 

8. Following the previous question, which four were added? Which one was deleted? Which two were changed?

8-1 Added: 1.13 Capacity Planning, 1.15 Change Management, 1.16 APQP Project Metrics, 1.17 Risk Assessment and Mitigation PlanDeleted: 3.5 Characteristics Matrix in the Process Design and Development phase

8-2 Changed: 2.2 Design for Manufacturability and Assembly (DFM, DFA) > Design for Manufacturability, Assembly, and Serviceability (DFM, DFA, DFS); 5.4 Lessons Learned > Effective Use of Lessons Learned and Best Practices

 

9. The manual lists only three control plan phases: prototype, pre-launch, and production. Where should safe launch go?

It can be a separate safe launch control plan, or it can be merged with the pre-launch-to-production control plan

 

10. What is the difference between a safe launch control plan and a regular control plan?

A safe launch control plan is usually stricter than the other two, for example changing the inspection frequency from sampling to 100% inspection

 

11. Under what conditions can a safe launch plan usually be exited?

After PPAP is approved and there are no issues for 90 days of formal mass production

 

12. What is a PTC?

A Pass-Through Characteristic: a part characteristic manufactured by the supplier and used by the organization, which is not controlled or further verified by the organization, but which has a significant impact on the customer

 

13. Error-proofing verification must be written into the control plan, and the verification method is through a Red Rabbit. What is a Red Rabbit sample?

A standard defect sample

 

14. What is rework? What is repair? Which one must obtain customer approval, and why?

14-1 Rework is reprocessing a nonconforming product to meet the customer’s expected quality requirements; after rework, the nonconformity can be eliminated and it becomes a conforming productRepair is reprocessing a nonconforming product to meet the customer’s expected functional requirements; after repair, it remains a nonconforming product

14-2 Repair must obtain customer approval. The repaired product is still a defective product, satisfying the required functional requirements through other processes or processing methods

 

15. For a black-box process, what solutions can be coordinated with the customer?

15-1. For data such as FMEA and CP, do not provide copies to the customer; allow only on-site review
15-2. Conduct an on-site plant inspection to explain how the process or product characteristics are controlled
15-3. Provide SPC indicators such as PPK and CPK to prove process stability and capability

 

16. What changes are there in the new control plan form?

A responsible person column has been added to the reaction plan in the control plan

 

17. What changes are there in the new control plan regarding sample frequency (sampling frequency)?

Changed from time units to volume units; for example, “sample once per hour” should be changed to “sample once every 30 pieces”

 

18. When do the three major automakers begin requiring conversion to the new edition?

The manual was released on March 1, 2024, and officially implemented on September 1, 2024

 

19. For a 100% visual inspection method, how should it be periodically verified?

It can be done through MSA attribute analysis, judging the effectiveness of the visual inspection by the Kappa value

 

20. When is IATF 16949:2025 6th Edition implemented?

Officially implemented on 2025/1/1