Core Quality Tools

The Quality Core Tools have been developed by Automotive Industry Leaders and became fundamentals of an effective quality management system. Over a period of time, these tools have been proven so useful that were adopted by other manufacturing sectors, including defense, aerospace, pharmaceutical, and medical.

Quality Core Tools include Advanced Product Quality Planning & Control Plan (APQP), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Measurement System Analysis (MSA).

APQP – Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) reduces the complexity of product quality planning with the objective to deliver a successful project launch. 

Control Plans are one of APQP outputs and summarize the process and product parameters and define principles of their control with the objective to maintain product conformity. 

FMEA – Failure Mode and Effects is a structured, practical methodology used to analyze potential problems and ensure these have been addressed in the product and process development phases. This is to avoid further issues in serial production where the costs of failures are much higher. 

PPAP – Production Part Approval Process is a standardized process that ensures engineering design and specifications requirements are met and the production process is ready to start serial production. 

SPC – Statistical Process Control – is a statistical methodology measuring and controlling a process or process outputs. Quality data in the form of Product or Process measurements are obtained in real-time during process duration in the form of control charts. Appropriate actions are then taken to achieve and maintain the process to be stable and capable. 

MSA – Measurement System Analysis – is a statistical method of determining the amount of variation contributed by the measurement system. It analyses five parameters: bias, linearity, stability, repeatability, and reproducibility to minimize the factors contributing to process variation that is stemming from the measurement system.  

Today, the great majority of automotive manufacturers and suppliers require the use of Core Tools with a significant usage increase in different industries as best practice. In this section of courses, you can learn all the Core Tools as a pack or choose specific courses with the intention of further development of mastering all of them to become a Quality Professional.