Stages of APQP

The stages of APQP can be customized according to the needs of different companies.

The framework remains same, just the number of steps in each phase/ Gateway differs. In the first stage "Plan and Define", the companies choose steps depending on the corporate needs. Lets consider a step like a market research in a auto industry like ABC Inc, which manufactures cars.

If you closely look at this industry, you will release there are various divisions based on various sizes of vehicles being manufactured and again on the basis of Sub systems of the vehicle.

Following is the Visible structure of "ABC Inc" (figure to be inserted)

If the corporate is divided on the bases of model type, the market research team would be different than if the structure is broken down in terms of product type/ Sub system type.

Example: Market research team could be different for ABC Luxury, ABC hybrid and ABC Compact, or it could be same team based on the product types. Market team one, could be in charge of all three models but for a specific product type like Cooling System. Now the marketing research team one would lead all activities for ABC Inc for cooling systems, where are the marketing research team 2 could be leading all activities for second product type like Oil systems.

In this way teams can be formed for easy performance for various product types. Like there may be product engineers/ Design engineers who are solely responsible for a specific product type like Filtration systems. Now these engineers will work on all models of ABC Inc, unless there is a change in type of filtration system. If there is a new technology or a technology which is existant in other model of ABC Inc, then such engineers are added to the team of New Product Introduction.