consists of five phases: Plan and define program Product design and development verification Process design and development verification Product and process validation and production feedback Launch, assessment, and corrective action The APQP process has seven major elements: Understanding the needs of the customer Proactive feedback and corrective action Designing within the process capabilities Analyzing and mitigating failure modes Verification and validation Design reviews Control special/critical characteristics See also Production part approval process (PPAP) Design For Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Statistical process control (SPC) Measurement system analysis (MSA) References Automotive industry Quality control