APQP information
Structured APQP information for the supplier relationship, held in ESS Hub instead of in scattered files.
Structured recordSupplier Quality · Automotive
APQP Supplier Collaboration
ESS Hub brings APQP supplier collaboration into the same environment used for procurement, logistics and supplier quality. Buyers and suppliers can work with structured APQP information, documentation and status visibility while maintaining a traceable record of the process.
Definition
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a structured automotive quality-planning approach used to coordinate product and process readiness between customers and suppliers.
Process
APQP in the supplier collaboration process
APQP should not exist as an isolated document exchange. In ESS Hub the APQP requirement, the supplier's collaboration on it, the supporting documentation and the current status sit in one environment, so the process can be reviewed and followed up with a traceable record.
01Customer / BuyerDefines the APQP requirement
02APQP requirementStructured information for the supplier
03ESS HubSupplier Quality environment
04Supplier collaborationThe supplier works on the requirement
05Documentation & statusSupporting documents · status visibility
06Review / follow-upThe buyer reviews and follows up
07Traceable quality processA structured record of the process
Logical view of the APQP collaboration processESS Hub in navy
Capabilities
What suppliers and buyers can manage
Limited to what ESS Hub provides for APQP supplier collaboration today.
Supplier collaboration
Buyer and supplier work on the same APQP information in the Supplier Quality environment.
Buyer · supplierSupporting documentation
APQP documentation is kept with the APQP information it belongs to.
DocumentationStatus visibility
The current APQP status is visible to both sides.
StatusProcess traceability
A traceable record of the APQP process rather than an e-mail history.
TraceabilityQuality-related communication
Quality-related communication between buyer and supplier in the context of the APQP process.
CommunicationContext
Connected to the wider supplier process
APQP in ESS Hub is part of a wider supplier collaboration environment, not a standalone quality tool. Each area keeps its own process; what they share is the supplier context and one collaboration environment with one sign-in.
- Procurement
- Supplier and sourcing context: RFQs, purchase orders, forecasts and scheduling agreements for the same supplier. Procurement in ESS Hub
- Logistics
- Operational supplier collaboration: call-offs, ASN, packaging and labels. Logistics in ESS Hub
- Quality
- APQP, PPAP, supplier complaints (quality notifications) and 8D reports in one Supplier Quality environment. Supplier Quality in ESS Hub · 8D
- Supplier performance
- Scorecards and performance visibility shared with the supplier. Supplier scorecards
APQP · PPAP
APQP and PPAP
APQP and PPAP are related but distinct. APQP covers the broader quality-planning process, while PPAP provides the evidence used to demonstrate that the supplier's production process can consistently meet the defined requirements.
In ESS Hub, APQP and PPAP are available within the Supplier Quality environment, allowing the related supplier quality information to remain connected rather than being managed through disconnected email and spreadsheet exchanges.
Automotive
Designed for automotive supplier collaboration
APQP is an automotive method: it exists because customers and their suppliers have to coordinate product and process readiness before series production. The context in which it runs therefore matters.
- Automotive supplier relationships. APQP runs between a customer and its suppliers, often across several tiers; the information has to be usable on both sides.
- Buyer/supplier collaboration. APQP information and documentation are worked on together in ESS Hub, not sent back and forth as attachments.
- Product and process quality information. APQP concerns the product and the production process; ESS Hub holds this information as a structured record with a visible status.
- Traceability. A quality-planning process that runs over months needs a record both sides can trace.
- Connection with procurement and logistics. The same ESS Hub environment covers the procurement and logistics processes of the same suppliers, with business documents connected to SAP and other ERP systems through the integration layer.
Product evidence
APQP in ESS Hub
Record
Traceability and auditability
Supplier quality activity is only useful as evidence when it is kept as a structured record. An APQP process that runs through e-mail leaves no single record of what was requested, what the supplier provided and what the current status is.
In ESS Hub, APQP information, its supporting documentation and its status are held in the Supplier Quality environment, so the process is traceable for the buyer and for the supplier.
Platform-wide, enterprise administrators have an audit trail of actions in the portal, and business records carry their status instead of being reconstructed from mailboxes. Infrastructure-level logging and compliance topics are covered in the vendor assessment, not asserted on this page.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is APQP?
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is a structured automotive quality-planning approach used to coordinate product and process readiness between customers and suppliers.
Does ESS Hub support APQP?
Yes. APQP is part of the Supplier Quality functionality of ESS Hub: buyers and suppliers work with structured APQP information, supporting documentation and status visibility in one environment, with a traceable record of the process.
Is APQP part of ESS Hub Supplier Quality?
Yes. APQP sits in the Supplier Quality environment of ESS Hub together with PPAP, supplier complaints (quality notifications) and 8D reports.
Can suppliers collaborate on APQP information in ESS Hub?
Yes. The supplier works on the APQP information in its ESS Hub supplier workspace; the buyer reviews and follows up on the enterprise side. Both sides see the same APQP information and the same status.
Can APQP documentation be managed in ESS Hub?
Yes. Supporting APQP documentation is kept with the APQP information it belongs to in ESS Hub, instead of being exchanged as e-mail attachments.
How are APQP and PPAP related?
APQP covers the broader quality-planning process; PPAP provides the evidence used to demonstrate that the supplier's production process can consistently meet the defined requirements. In ESS Hub both are available within the Supplier Quality environment, so the related supplier quality information stays connected. Learn about PPAP
Is ESS Hub APQP designed for automotive suppliers?
Yes. ESS Hub is built for automotive and manufacturing supplier collaboration. APQP runs there alongside the procurement, logistics and quality processes of the same suppliers, which is where the method is used.
Can APQP information be connected with other supplier processes?
Yes. APQP is part of the same ESS Hub supplier collaboration environment as procurement, logistics, quality and supplier performance, so it shares the supplier context with those processes. Business documents from those processes are connected to SAP and other ERP systems through the ESS Hub integration layer.