The story I am going to relate is true. However, since it is not very flattering, it has been sanitized to prevent finger-pointing. I’m telling this story because you may find yourself in the same circumstances when managing your supply chain, especially one distributed across the globe.
Before I go further, I should note that automotive industry largely follows the Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) standard from the Automotive Industry Action Group. This standard provides a framework for developing and setting up a manufacturing process. Included in the APQP is a production part approval process (PPAP), which is designed to demonstrate that a supplier has developed its design and production process to meet the customer’s requirements.