2.1 Project Risk Assessment The Regional Supplier Development personnel with a cross functional team, named the Launch Team, will review your organization’s profile data, any audits or self-assessments (from Supplier Approval Process), historical performance (for existing suppliers from the Supplier Performance Feedback Process), to determine the level of review required at each element of the APQP Status Report.

The output of this process stage is the creation of the APQP Status Report sheets for all organizations in the program launch or change management request.

Note: At this stage of the process your organization has already been assessed and chosen through the supplier approval and quotation process. This risk assessment is to determine the controls needed by the Launch Team in response to known areas of risk. Where new areas of risk become evident throughout the APQP Process, changes to the controls will be made accordingly.

2.2 Identify Key Program Milestones: The Program/Launch Manager with the Buyer and Supplier Development personnel will determine the key milestones for the program and associated build level requirements (i.e. the material requirement dates and projected quantities) for your organization.

The output of this process stage is the completion of the APQP Status Report (i.e. Build Level, Material Required Date, Quantity, and Number and type of Special Characteristics).

NOTE: Changes to the initial build schedule may be made during the course of the launch by the Launch Team. The APQP Status Report shall be used to both record and communicate changes to the build and special characteristics and solicit responses from your organization.


2.3 APQP Document Package to Supplier: The Buyer will communicate the APQP documentation to your organization. The APQP Document Package is contained within the APQP Status Report excel file. Blank copies of the forms can be found in the Supplier Document Center.

It is Dana’s expectation that your organization will review this information and develop their timeline for each element of the APQP Status Sheet and identify any issues prior to the Supplier Kick-Off Meeting.

Issues that cannot be resolved prior to the Supplier Kick-Off Meeting shall be noted on the APQP Status Sheet under the Sourcing Decision APQP element as Red Status with brief explanation in Remarks or in Comments.

The output of this process stage is the delivery to your organization of the APQP Documentation and the completion by your organization of the Supplier Timing Dates for the APQP Elements.

2.4 Supplier Kick-Off Meeting: The Supplier Kick-Off Meeting is held by the Program/Launch Manager and the Launch Team to clearly define to all organizations the critical path for the successful launch of the program.

Attendance of at least one representative from your organization is mandatory, with additional Supplier APQP Team members from your organization identified on the APQP Status Sheet welcome.

2.5 APQP Status Element Review and Deviation / Alert Requests:  The Regional Supplier Development personnel will hold APQP Status Report meetings with your organization. The purpose of this review is to clarify requirements with your organization and to verify progress toward launch targets. Depending on the Review Type for the APQP elements under review, Dana may require additional supporting documentation. The frequency of these reviews and updates are dependent on the risk factors identified, the review cycle established by Dana, and the current status. Your organization is expected to hold internal launch meetings at a greater frequency to ensure flawless program launches.

Any issues that require changes from the stated requirements shall be approved through the Supplier Change / Deviation Request. The purpose of this process is to clearly identify areas for improvement of the Supplier Development process and ensure that problems do not remain hidden.

This review may include a Process Series Review at the supplier's location (Production Trial Run / Run at Rate). This requirement may be waived if the supplier shows low risk factors and no yellow or red APQP elements, at the discretion of the Dana Launch Team.

Yellow or Red elements identified in prior reviews and their respective work plans and deliverable outputs will be reviewed by the team. New Yellow or Red elements determined by the review require the identification of responsibility. In cases where an engineering change is required, the Supplier Change / Deviation Request will be used.

Where all items of the APQP Status Report are Green, the report is forwarded directly to the Program/Launch Manager.

The output of this process is the updated APQP Status Report package, including Work Plans and any information from the Process Series Review, as appropriate.
 

2.6 Identify APQP Element(s) Affected:  For issues that surface where engineering changes are not required, the Launch Team or your organization will identify the responsibility for the creation of the work plan. The responsibility may lie with your organization or with Dana depending on the specific issue.

The output of this process step is the identification of the element(s) affected by issues requiring detailed work plans, and the responsibility for each issue and element.

2.7 Create Work Plan:  The creation of an effective work plan is reported with the APQP Status Report on the Work Plan tab. The work plan shall be reviewed, by your organization, at a frequency commensurate with the magnitude of the risks to the critical path of the program. Work Plans are a summary of the key activities required to re-establish the critical path of the program, and shall reference supporting materials, as required by Supplier Development or the Program/Launch Manager.

The output of this process step is the completion of the work plans for each issue and element that is not at green status with any supporting materials available upon request of the Launch Team.

2.8 Work Plan Approval and Escalation:  If any items on a work plan are found not to be feasible or effective by the Launch Team and/or the Program/Launch Manager, the program will be escalated to highlight needs for additional resources or alternative business relationships to execute the launch plan. Your organization is responsible for providing any additional information referenced in the work plan.

The output of this process step is the approval or rejection of the Work Plan by the Launch Team and/or the materials needed to escalate the issue.

2.9 Program Management Review:  At the intervals defined by the Program/Launch Manager, program launch information including all respective Supplier APQP information shall be reviewed. Your organization’s Supplier APQP information must be updated at a minimum, at a frequency to support Dana Program Management reviews. Your organization’s representative will be notified of any action items assigned to your organization by Supplier Development.

The output of this process step is any associated action plans for your organization.

2.10 PPAP and Supplier Launch Criteria: If all Supplier Launch criteria have been met, your organization will have completed the APQP process with the submission of a PPAP documentation package at the requested level of submission and the appropriate approvals have been obtained. By default, a level 3 PPAP is required (ref. Dana Quality Requirements, Production Part Approval Process).

If a PPAP is found to be deficient, Supplier Development will change the status of element 22: Production Part Approval (PSW) to red or yellow. Red status indicates a rejection based on a documented failure to meet a specified requirement or incomplete submission after PSW was due. Yellow status can only be used where your organization has submitted PSW under a Deviation. The APQP Status Report must reference the Deviation Number and work plan for full PSW submission.

Where launch criteria have not yet been met, the APQP Status will continue to be reviewed at intervals sufficient to support the overall review cycle of the Program or as needed in response to alerts and deviations.