In order to expedite the organizational improvement of the processes and significant risk issues in the company's R&D projects, INVT E-mobility initiated the "R&D Project Process and Risk Improvement Project" in mid-February. To align the awareness and thoughts of the personnel involved in the projects, INVT E-mobility conducted a two-day APQP training program at the multifunctional hall of Guangming Industrial Park on March 5th and 6th, 2023.

The company's leadership team attached great importance to this training program, and attendees were fortunate to witness experienced industry professionals as instructors. The participating leaders and colleagues were very enthusiastic, and actively interacted in the classroom. Their proactive thinking, discussions, and engagement provided the instructors with the best motivation, resulting in a successful end to this training program.

What is APQP?  
APQP stands for Advanced Product Quality Planning. It is a tool used by automotive manufacturers (OEMs) to standardize their suppliers' product and process development.
APQP originated from Ford Motor's AQP (Advanced Quality Planning). In the early 1980s, Ford Motor's successful experience with AQP led to its widespread adoption by other OEMs in the United States.
In the automotive industry, a supplier is often composed of multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). If each OEM uses its own AQP, the supplier may struggle to cope, leading to confusion. Therefore, to standardize the industry requirements, in 1994, the three major U.S. automotive companies—Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler—jointly released the first version of the APQP process. In 2008, this was updated to the second version, which has been in use ever since.

Learning Reflection

1. The instructor brought a wealth of practical experience and the training program was highly professional, hands-on, and packed with valuable insights!
2. From passive learning to deep reflection, although the time was short, the gains were substantial. If no one is born with knowledge, then who can go without confusion? A heartfelt thanks to the teacher for tirelessly imparting knowledge over the past two days.
3. The company organized a comprehensive APQP quality management tool learning session, with participation from department leaders and key team members. The instructor, with years of coaching experience in German OEMs, provided rich insights. There were also frequent on-site interactions, addressing many doubts encountered in the work environment. The overall impression is that the sustained quality improvement policy is highly beneficial for the company's business development. It effectively clarified process optimizations and improvements in the workplace.
4. The training instructor covered various aspects of APQP, including the conceptualization of the process, roles and responsibilities, deliverable requirements at each stage, management requirements for A, B, C, and D samples, special characteristics, among others. The training was both in-depth and straightforward, allowing participants to thoroughly grasp the requirements of APQP. This two-day customized APQP training course has laid a solid theoretical and practical foundation for the company's next steps in restructuring the R&D process system.

Acknowledgments
Special thanks to General Manager Zhang Kemeng for their support and attention to the APQP training program. Appreciation to General Manager Zhang of the Quality Management Center for their advocacy and organization. Also, thanks to all the leaders and colleagues who attended the training program with a thirst for knowledge. It was the collective effort of everyone that contributed to the successful completion of this training program.