Forward
Ford Motor Company launched an Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
Fast Start Initiative in December 1994. A cross-functional APQP team formed to
review the existing FAO Procedures and target best practices. The 1994 version
of this document was created at that time, to be in line with the AIAG Advanced
Product Quality Planning and Control Plan Manual.
Since that time, the external suppliers to Ford Motor Company, and internal
suppliers within Ford have used the FAO APQP document to monitor their own
systems with regard to APQP.
With the experience that has been acquired since 1994, it has become
necessary and possible to update this manual to reflect current practices, and
successes. In addition, the Ford Product Development System (FPDS) has
become the documented system for the Product Development processes within
Ford (replacing World Class Timing).
A cross-functional team was formed in 1999 to review the 1994 FAO APQP
manual and practices, and this guideline has been updated to reflect generic
timing with respect to the FPDS system. It also contains references (at the time
of publishing) to the FPDS Process Sheets. All of this is to clarify further the
appropriateness of the APQP process, and its direct tie to the existing
systems/process Ford currently has in place.
Furthermore, it is intended that the updated APQP process and FPDS timing
information will assist the external supply base in understanding the differences
between their own timing requirements, and those which need to be met by the
entire Vehicle Program in the delivery of a new vehicle.