APQP is meant to change product development in the aerospace industry for good. What is the essence of the approach?
Peter Byrom: If there were a motto for Advanced Product Quality Planning, it would probably be ‘measure twice, cut once.’ Pay attention to the details from the start and prevent mistakes instead of curing them.
That sounds like the opposite of widespread agile methods. In which contexts does APQP make the most sense?
Philip Potkowski: APQP is a very structured approach which enforces earlier design and process maturity and stability. It can make sense in industries with complex products, with many requirements and stakeholders. We have worked with customers on the OEM and the supplier side of the automotive industry where it has been established for many years with its deep-seated supply chain.
How about cases in the aerospace industry?
Philip Potkowski: Implementation in aerospace has been ramping up in the past couple of years. The new AS9145 standard was established in 2016 by the IAQG (International Aerospace Quality Group). We see a lot of interest from all major players, for a simple reason: you just cannot afford quality problems in the aerospace industry. And there are two key reasons for that: passenger safety, and the high level of regulation.
What can AI and machine learning add to APQP
Peter Byrom: A core aspect of APQP is managing risk. Right now, you can implement software that tracks warranty issues or defects in real time, which is already extremely beneficial. But we can also use this data to predict problems in the future, leveraging machine learning technology. To see, for example, if a certain component or a combination of components might lead to failures. A great client benefit is that umlaut is a part of Accenture Industry X. This network brings the whole technology stack necessary for automation, digitization and cloud services as well as advanced machine learning.