Can anybody help me?
I have no idea what I am s'posed to include in a pre-launch control plan...we don't do prototype control plans. What all goes into the pre-launch???

I'm distressed!!!

These are just 'stages' of your control plan during APQP. You might want to download the APQP pdf file from http://Elsmar.com/pdf_files/ and take a read thru it. There is an FMEA presentation there as well. Also see http://Elsmar.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000001.html

A control plan 'evolves'. Some folks call it a 'living' document. As the plan evolves, you call it different things at different APQP phases.

Actually, it is really that bad at all.

During my training classes and, more importantly, based upon feedback from the customer, I have learned the following:

1) The CUSTOMER wants to see a difference between the pre-launch and production control plans ---> specifically, more frequent inspections at the standard points of inspection, and, as applicable, more areas inspected. (Depending upon your business, there may be different processes and the like...)

2) The understanding is, once the "bugs" have been worked out of the process, the production control plan MAY show scaled back inspections (less frequency or smaller samples), or the elimination of non-value added processes, inspections, etc.

That is a basic starting point. The philosophy being that, during the "pre-launch" phase, you are doing more checking, more scrutiny, and perhaps trying different things. At the "production" phase, you have the core process pretty much honed to where the above mentioned items MAY be reduced, changed, and/or new implementation for production.

ALM

To add to ALM's reply, I often see where the initial (prototype) control plan is the same as the production control plan so there is no set rule. I have watched several registrations where thia was the case and it was not argued after the reason was explained to the auditor.

As ALM says - it's not a big deal when you understand it.

Lassitude -> so true. In my business we don't have prototype situations. Our pre-launch and production plans are "operationally" the same (that is... the process for making product is typically the same from pre-launch to production), but the frequency and sample size of inspections are higher for the pre-launch. We may also check out some areas in the pre-launch that may not require a second-glance during production.

Keep in mind, though, it does all depend on what you are making/what your business is.

ALM