Introduction to Control Plans

Most companies are looking for methods to reduce cost and eliminate waste in their
processes. In the business world today controlling waste and maintaining a high
level of quality is imperative for a company to succeed. The cost of doing business
is ever increasing. Rising costs of raw materials combined with labor and equipment
costs have brought scrap reduction into the critical to business category. The cost
of steel alone has more than doubled in the last two years. Therefore, it has
become increasingly important to assure that parts are being produced that conform
to customer requirements every time. In addition, we must have the ability to
detect a non-conforming part or assembly as well as a plan for responding to
changing process conditions. The majority of manufacturing companies are
experienced at detecting initial problems and developing corrective actions to
correct the problem. But many fall short when it comes to sustaining those
corrective actions or process improvements over a long period of time. In many
cases the process gradually returns to its previous state and the problems
eventually resurface. The purpose of a Control Plan is to monitor processes and
assure that any improvements are maintained over the life cycle of the part or
product. Control Plans are currently being utilized to ensure product quality in
the Automotive, Aerospace, Agricultural Equipment, Heavy Equipment and many other
industries throughout the world. A Control Plan is often a Production Part
Approval Process (PPAP) requirement for suppliers of parts to companies in these
industries. The primary resource for information regarding Control Plan Methodology
in the automotive industry is the Advanced Product Quality Planning and Control
Plan manual published by the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG).