Product launch: 10 mistakes that cause problems after SOP
The most common reasons new products run into quality problems after start of production, and how APQP, FMEA, MSA, run at rate and PPAP prevent them.
The ten classic launch mistakes
- Special characteristics defined late or lost between drawing, FMEA and control plan.
- PFMEA written after the process was built, as documentation rather than design input.
- Gauges ordered late; MSA done on the first series parts instead of before the run.
- Capability studies on too few parts or from a single setup, so Ppk looks better than reality.
- No real run at rate: the line never ran at the quoted cycle time with series operators.
- Packaging and logistics tested only after SOP.
- Sub-supplier PPAPs not finished when your own PPAP is due.
- Changes after design freeze without updating FMEA and control plan.
- Lessons learned from the previous project not reviewed at kick-off.
- Launch team leaves at SOP; nobody owns the problems of the first months.
How to avoid them
Run APQP as a plan with dates and owners, not as a checklist at the end. Check at every gate that the special characteristics are consistent across all documents, that gauges and MSA are ready before the significant production run and that the run at rate uses series conditions. Keep a safe-launch plan (extra inspection, daily reviews) for the first months after SOP.
Written by Ľubomír Blažek, automotive quality manager. Standards are summarised in our own words; use the official publications for formal work.