One way to immediately fix your APQP

MESH Works
One way to immediately fix your APQP

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, manufacturers have suffered from a lack of competent engineering resources. Those that have good engineers often have them doing redundant paperwork fighting fires instead of engaging in proactive APQP activities to ensure good launches and continuous improvement projects.

The fight to attract engineering resources will continue in the future. In the meantime, managers and owners can do things to help improve project management planning and launches to create smooth operations in their engineering department. Each APQP project has five main forms, which need to be updated and managed every time there is a change in design or process.

  1. Digitalize your APQP

  2. Part Drawings and 3D Models

  3. Control Plans

  4. Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

  5. Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

  6. Inspection Report

Many managers underestimate the time it takes their team to complete these forms in Excel® format (still the most prevalent since their inception 30 years ago!). Every time there is a design change, every single one of these forms needs to be updated.

Additionally, these forms must be shared with tool shops, customers, Tier II suppliers, production teams, and sales teams. Whether you like it or not, your engineers are spending a lot of their precious time doing these frivolous activities.

While there are many other remedies, one immediate solution is to look for a robust, cloud-based APQP system that can be configured to meet your unique process and requirements.

This software should:

This investment should allow engineers to spend time on the most important activities of communicating with customers and production teams, running optimizations, ensuring quality robustness, ensuring safe launches, and, finally, engaging in continuous improvement tasks.

MESH Works and many competitors offer intuitive software to manage APQP right out of the box. It was developed by engineers with experience in successfully managing projects in the automotive, agriculture, automotive, aerospace, and industrial markets. The MESH system has been utilized to launch over 5500 components to various customers over the last seven years.

Are you ready to improve your APQP and make the lives of your engineers easier? Contact us to learn more or book a demo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1. Why do engineering teams struggle with APQP today?

Ans. Engineering teams feel overwhelmed. They have to handle multiple forms, constant design changes, and scattered communication channels. Many still use Excel®, which makes updates slow and repetitive, especially when resources are already tight.

Q 2. How does digitalizing APQP help improve project execution?

Ans. Digital APQP puts all drawings, FMEAs, control plans, and inspection reports into one system. This cuts down on repetitive manual updates, lowers errors, improves visibility, and ensures that all stakeholders can access real-time information.

Q 3. What APQP documents benefit the most from digitalization?

Ans. Key documents such as part drawings, 3D models, control plans, DFMEA, PFMEA, and inspection reports gain significant advantages. A digital platform makes sure these documents automatically update, stay synchronized, and are easy to access for every team involved.

Q 4. How does digital APQP reduce communication issues?

Ans. A cloud-based APQP system connects engineering, production, quality, suppliers, tool shops, and sales teams. This creates a unified communication channel. It prevents miscommunication and ensures everyone works with the latest data and forms.

Q 5. What features should a strong digital APQP system include?

Ans. A strong APQP system should be simple to use. It should support document storage, enable collaboration, allow task assignment, provide visibility across departments, and improve communication with tooling vendors, suppliers, and customers.

Q 6. How does APQP digitalization support engineering productivity?

Ans. When engineers spend less time updating spreadsheets and emailing files, they can focus on important tasks. These include process optimization, quality robustness, improving launch timelines, and ensuring successful and safe production builds.

Q 7. Why is MESH Works considered a strong solution for APQP?

Ans. MESH Works was created by engineers who have practical APQP experience. It has helped launch over 5,500 components. It provides ready-to-use templates, real-time collaboration, centralized documentation, and customizable workflows that meet industry standards.

Engineering
You may also like