PPI utilizes APQP as a quality framework for developing new products for the automotive components. For short, it is to create a roadmap for developing new products complete with time-based milestones and decision points along the way. It is a structured methodology for the design and development of a new or modified product from concept to mass production stage.

APQP has five formal phases. Each phase is connected to and triggers the next. APQP is not a “use what I like and ignore the rest” approach. It represents a continuum in which each phase builds upon the next. It includes forming a team, defining the scope of the project, conducting an initial assessment of the projects’ feasibility and establishing documentation and communication protocols. It focuses on the utilization of various techniques to identify and resolve problems before a product goes into full production.