December 21, 2023

There’s a new landscape for APQP and Control Plans in the manufacturing environment for 2024. This in an opportunity not just to stay ahead but also to make all the supplier quality ecosystem to comply on the new standards that AIAG implies.

What’s AIAG going to change in APQP from now onwards?

The first factor is that there are new technology suppliers that are enabling acceleration to the ACE concept (autonomous, connected, electric) and many of those are not familiar with APQP; as a result, they may lack experience in automotive product quality planning fundamentals. That leads to the key changes that will apply to APQP on 2024 and onwards:

• Control plan content is removed into a stand alone document.
• A sourcing section and checklist are added.
• A change management section and checklist are added.
• APQP Program Metrics section is also added.
• Risk assessment mitigation plan section is introduced.
• Part traceability content is added.

Also, there’s a new “Gated Management Section”, that includes:

• Suggested documentation checklists for each “gate” review.
• Alignment to typical program milestones.
• Review activity of supplier (sub-tier) APQP activity.

Changes to control from AIAG starting 2024

Regarding control plans, they continue to be the ongoing point of audit for non-conformances and the concept itself is consistently in both the top 10 major and minor non-conformances as identified by IAOB. Changes involve:

• Allowances and considerations for new and/or highly automated manufacturing processes.
• Opportunity to harmonize CSRs.
• The separation from APQP.

Specifically regarding the last point, the separation of the control plan from APQP allows to:

• Provide more detailed and thorough guidance to all users for development, maintenance and utilization of Control Plan.
• Generate more frequent changes of the control plan to reflect continuing evolution of automotive products and processes.

Rule changes now applying for APQP and control plans:

Last but not least, you must know the changes in the rule set for APQP & control plans as of the following list:

Regarding extended manufacturing sites

• Must be ten (10) miles and no more than 60-minute drive from the main manufacturing site which will ensure a consistent application across all IATF-recognized certification bodies and support the IATF’s concept of an extended manufacturing site.
• Allowance for support personnel to be located at the extended manufacturing site to be more reflective of how companies operate.

Regarding audit cycles

• Thee six (6) and nine (9) month surveillance intervals are removed since they had limited use and added complexity to the audit day calculations.
• Certificate suspension for a late surveillance audit is removed; now, surveillance audits are allowed to be conducted up to three (3) months late without suspension.
• In the event surveillance audit timing or recertification audit timing is exceeded, the CB will cancel the client’s certificate.

Regarding audit durations

• Specific timing for the verification of corrective actions for nonconformities is added to ensure the CB auditor has the appropriate amount of time for effective verification activities: 1 to 1.5 hours for each major and 30 minutes to 1 hour for each minor.
• Permitted reduction for a corporate scheme is now 15% (regardless of the number of sites) to ensure CB auditors have sufficient time to conduct an effective audit.
• Reduced the maximum possible audit day reduction from 50% to 30% to ensure enough time for an effective audit.

Regarding audit planning or audit plan

• Organizations must confirm audit dates no less than ninety (90) calendar days prior to the start date of the next regular audit to ensure CB auditor resource availability, excludes special audits.
• Organizations must provide pre audit planning information no less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to the start date of the audit which allows the CB auditor to create an audit plan and provide it to the organization for their coordination.
• In the event an organization does not provide audit planning information in the required timing, the CB may delay or cancel the audit, which may result in the organization’s loss of certification.

Regarding nonconformity management

• Organizations must submit a response for a major nonconformity in fifteen (15) calendar days, instead of twenty (20) calendar days, including the containment action and evidence of the containment’s effectiveness.
• The CB has thirty (30) calendar days from the audit closing meeting date to accept the organization’s response or resolve any outstanding issues.
• Failure to submit a response to any nonconformity within the required timing requires the CB to withdraw the certificate.
• A one-time special audit to verify the effectiveness of the corrective action(s) that were 100% resolved must be conducted no less than ninety (90) days prior to the next regular audit.
• Thirty (30) days prior to the one-time special audit, the organization must submit evidence that the corrective action effectiveness has been internally verified.

About virtual auditing

• The virtual auditing method can be used to audit employees normally working remotely and for surveillance audits of some remote support functions.
• Virtual auditing is not permitted for manufacturing sites as the technology is not yet reliable globally for effective audits of the manufacturing floor.

About the decertification process

Now only two inputs to the decertification process:

• Performance complaints.
• Nonconformities issued during surveillance, recertification, or special audits.

All performance complaints, including IATF OEM special status conditions, will be received through the IATF Complaint Management System (IATF CMS). However, “long lead” corrective action items for performance complaints require another special audit to verify effective implementation of actions no more than 180 calendar days from the date the CB’s received the complaint.