From PPAP Virgin to PPAP Coordinator - Suggestions on jump-starting.

N

NewfieChick

Any suggestions as to how a person would jump from being a regular QA Auditor to being the company PPAP coordinator??? Any general jumping-off point would help.........:mg:
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
Any suggestions as to how a person would jump from being a regular QA Auditor to being the company PPAP coordinator??? Any general jumping-off point would help.........:mg:

Welcome to the Cove, Newfie :bigwave:

What you'll need to know depends on the job description. Sometimes PPAP Coordinator is an administrative/organizational position, and in other situations more technical knowledge might be needed. Give us some information about what the job entails and we'll be able to help.
 
N

NewfieChick

Thanks! I'm not sure yet how much will be organisational, and how much will be technical. I'm gathering that it will be a bit of both. More organisational & administrative, I believe. However, I know that the person is expected to have some working knowledge in reading prints, and knowing what is acceptable in submissions. Really, I'm out of my depth here, so I'm not sure how to describe the full extent of the job. At this point, I'm just looking for somewhere to start some research into PPAP so I'm not flailing about!!:thanks:
 

Miner

Forum Moderator
Leader
Admin
Get a copy of the AIAG PPAP manual if you do not already have it. You may also need the FMEA, APQP, MSA and SPC manuals. Read them, including the customer specific requirements, and then ask us specific questions for clarification.

Learn who in your customer's organization reviews and approves your PPAP submittals. If possible, meet them and learn their expectations. Above all, if you have questions about their expectations or requirements, don't be afraid to ask.

I have submitted many PPAPs and have reviewed many PPAPs from my suppliers. I prefer a supplier that asks for clarification in advance 100x more than one that submits a bad PPAP.

Organize the PPAP package, so it is easy to find all required documents.

Document the requirements next to the results. I always hated material certs without the specified requirements for each chemical, or even the material type listed, just chemical and percentages.

List tolerances such as 0.025 +/- .005 as 0.020 - 0.030. It is easier to check the results against the latter. Customers will appreciate it.
 
M

michael.witte

Just following up the previous post, I agree it is very import to find out the customer expectations of a PPAP submission up front (it will save you a lot of time in the long run). Also keep in mind that if you are not a tier one supplier, you customers PPAP requirements may change each time you PPAP (as they get more pressure from the manufacturer).

I have submitted PPAP where all they wanted was the PSW (Part Submission Warrant) under the knowledge that we are a "good" supplier and would have the rest of the documentation available if requested.

The whole PPAP process can be pretty fun, as it covers a wide range of the quality tools (FMEA, Statistics, SPC, ...)
 

Howard Atkins

Forum Administrator
Leader
Admin
Welcome from me as well.

As said get a proper definition of the job.
The important thing is that the "team" work; the PPAP should just reflect the reporting of their actions.
Do not let the company expect you by yourself to do all the work and too late.

Do you have any procedures/work instructions as to planning the part/process. Study this.

There are on the main page of the cove, at the bottom links to many useful presentations.

Most important feel free to ask about anything that you don't know/
 

Manix

Get Involved!!!
Trusted Information Resource
I don't want to jump in and confuse you with lots of dos and dont's.

The main points I would say are:

1. Make sure it's follows the logical sequence as stated in the AIAG PPAP manual, Retention/Submission Requirements. Ensure that if you are submitting electronically (usually in .pdf) that is has the required bookmarks.

2. Use checklists to keep track of what you have and what you don't have at any one time.

3. Understand what your customer expects from the start and if you don't know ask.

4. Ensure you use your team to compile the PPAP and don't let it fall to you to do all the work! PPAP is supposed to be a multidisciplined approach, but it so common to see one person responsible for it and they get left to do all the work (I happen to be sailing in that particular boat)!!!!

5. Really, the AIAG manuals are invaluable and use US here on the cove, it too is such a great resource!!!

6. Have fun! There is some room for a bit of flexibility and creativity so don't feel your PPAP should look like any previous ones that have been submitted, as long as your ideas meet and maybe even improve the requirements. However, any PPAP's previously completed could be of great help, so review them at any opportunity you get.

Hope that helps, but if you need any further help just post here or drop me a message, I guess I am classed as a PPAP co-ordinator (amoungst many other things!), so I am happy to help you out.
 
D

dna_leri

Get a copy of the AIAG PPAP manual if you do not already have it. You may also need the FMEA, APQP, MSA and SPC manuals. Read them, including the customer specific requirements, and then ask us specific questions for clarification.

Newfie,

Lots of good advice here (and elsewhere on this site) from experienced professionals. I was new to PPAPs a few years ago and took a while to understand the requirements but found the PPAP manual surprisingly helpful. Do get a copy and read it from the beginning - make sure you have the latest fourth edition.

In my experience the other AIAG manuals (FMEA, APQP, MSA and SPC) gather dust on the shelf where PPAP is regularly reread. In fact, if you are just starting off, I recommend NOT to read the others, especially MSA which could cause you to give up the job before you start!

Good Luck.
 

Jim Wynne

Leader
Admin
A few more tips:

The elements of a PPAP package are interrelated--some more closely than others. For example, the capability report(s) and MSA report(s) should be examined for congruence. I can't tell you how many times I've reviewed a submission where there was a significant difference in the means between the MSA parts and the SPC report. Similarly, I've seen control plans that indicate that having a material test report is a condition of acceptance of incoming material, but the MTR in the PPAP package is dated the same day as the PSW, and the origin dates for the PFMEA and control plan are the day before.

Also, I see by your profile that you work for a company where there might be lots of concurrent APQP processes going on. This is where the organizational aspect of the job comes in--keeping track of the PPAP elements as time goes by. In one place I worked, the PPAP coordinator (who reported to me) kept track of things on a large white board near her desk. She made a big chart on it, showing the PPAP elements on the Y-axis and the various parts/projects on the X-axis, along the top of the chart. She would put a check mark in the appropriate space for each part/element, so it was simple for anyone to tell at a glance where we were in the progress of compiling each submission.
 

Manix

Get Involved!!!
Trusted Information Resource
especially MSA which could cause you to give up the job before you start!

Good Luck.

I agree to a certain extent as the MSA manual is very heavy going! However, do try to understand the purpose value of MSA and SPC. Without understanding that, you have no chance of being able to complete a PPAP submission that satisfactorily meets requriements for statistcal analysis of your processes and measuring systems. You could end up submitting PPAPs that clearly show your processes are not capable and your measurement system is not adequate!!!

I rarely refer to the MSA manual, but do understand the concepts and principals behind the exercise.
 
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