New Product Launch
APQP — Advanced Product Quality Planning, AIAG Second Edition
New product launches managed through the AIAG five-phase framework. Gate reviews with multi-role e-signatures. Every deliverable tracked. Every gate decision recorded with who approved it and when — for the life of the program.
Five AIAG phases
Plan & Define Program
- • Customer needs
- • Voice of customer
- • Design goals
Product Design & Dev Verification
- • DFMEA
- • Design review
- • Prototype plan
Process Design & Dev Verification
- • PFMEA
- • Control plan
- • Process flow
Product & Process Validation
- • Trial run
- • SPC study
- • MSA study
Launch Readiness Feedback
- • SOP review
- • Lessons learned
- • Part approval
Each phase gate requires e-signatures from all required roles before advancing. Gate state: GateScheduled → GateInReview → GatePassed.
Gate review enforcement
Phases advance through a gate state machine: GateScheduled → GateInReview → GatePassed.
GatePassed is terminal. Required-role signatures are enforced per gate — a phase cannot
pass without the configured set of roles signing off. Roles include Quality, Process
Engineering, Customer Representative, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, and others.
Deliverable tracking
Each phase tracks 12 AIAG APQP deliverables (keyed P1-D01 through P5-D12
style). Deliverable status: NotStarted / InProgress / Approved / Waived / Overdue.
Waivers require a written justification and an e-signature. The launch readiness scorecard
shows per-phase completion percentage and days-to-SOP.
Reopen log — immutable audit trail
GatePassed is a terminal state. If business conditions require reopening a closed phase, the Reopen command creates an immutable reopen log entry — capturing the reason and the signature of the person who authorized it. The log cannot be deleted or amended. This is the record auditors ask for when they see an approved phase with a later reopening date.
Team assignments
APQP programs have named team members, each assigned a role (Quality, Process Engineering, Customer Representative, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Design Engineering, Regulatory, SupplierQuality, or External). Team composition satisfies the cross-functional team requirement for gate reviews.
Program types
New Part, Changed Part, New Process, Changed Process, New Material, or Requalification. Program type and customer SOP date are set at creation and drive deliverable applicability and timeline.
Regulatory mapping
| Standard | Clause | Qontiv feature |
|---|---|---|
| IATF 16949 | §8.3.4.1 | Product approval process (PPAP / APQP) |
| AIAG APQP | 2nd Edition | Five-phase gate framework |
| 21 CFR Part 11 | §11.50 | Gate review e-signatures |
Launch on time. Every gate documented.
AIAG APQP 2nd edition, 5-phase gate reviews, e-signatures — inside your MES.