How to reduce costs using APQP4Wind

Imagine a construction company building a house without consulting the owner about their needs—factors such as size, quality, finishing level, location, accessibility, compliance with standards, and legal requirements.

Now, imagine that the suppliers of materials and components for this house also fail to gather this crucial information. Despite this, they still aim to deliver a high-quality product to the customer. To achieve this, they must correct all imperfections before delivery. Now, consider that the owner is deciding between purchasing the house from this company or two other competitors.

The second company has its own unique method for planning product quality. A lengthy and detailed assessment of customer requirements is conducted, translating these needs into product and service specifications. Every material and component must be approved through this proprietary method before purchase, production, and delivery. As in the previous case, the house is delivered only when all requirements are met.

The third company follows a standardized approach to product quality planning. The requirement assessment process is familiar to the owner, as are the requirements themselves, which adhere to market standards. This assessment is shorter and more objective. All suppliers follow the same standardized product quality planning process. Materials and components that meet the required standards are readily available on the market, allowing the company to focus on finding the best prices. Again, the house is delivered only when all requirements are met.

It is easy to see why the third approach is often the most cost-effective and time-efficient. In construction, shorter delivery times translate to lower costs.

This is the greatest advantage of a standardized Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) process: it enables companies to deliver high-quality products at the lowest cost. By establishing a market standard, materials and components are more likely to meet customer requirements without lengthy assessments. The result? Lower costs, increased price competition, and shorter delivery times.

APQP4Wind provides a structured and standardized process for defining and deploying customer and user requirements into product and process specifications within the wind energy market. From quality program definition to final product and process validation, APQP4Wind ensures a streamlined approach to quality planning.

The APQP4Wind Framework outlines this standardized structure:

By systematically following the elements of each phase, we begin by identifying customer needs in the first phase and then translating them into product and process requirements in the second and fourth phases, respectively. While the phases are not strictly dependent on one another, executing the deliverables in a timely manner ensures that each step is completed at the right moment. This approach minimizes uncertainties regarding requirements and their impact on the final phase of product and process approval, ultimately reducing waste and rework.

This structure is accompanied by analysis tools and product / process approval parameters that support leaders into a faster and time effective program.

In a competitive market where time-to-market is increasingly critical, and companies must develop more products, in less time, for multiple customers, standardization is the key to efficiency.

Just as in the house construction example, product and process development under APQP4Wind leads to products that are better aligned with customer needs at lower costs.

Notice the signatories of APQP4Wind!

APQP4Wind is endorsed by key players in the wind energy sector, including turbine manufacturers, component suppliers, and power generators. These companies rely on APQP4Wind throughout the supply chain to enable cost transparency, price comparison, and overall cost reduction.

In times of market uncertainty, cost reduction becomes essential for business sustainability. It is up to us to understand APQP4Wind and use it in the best possible way to reduce costs.