APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) is a structured, proactive approach to planning and controlling product and process development to ensure quality, safety, and conformity are built in from the outset. In an aerospace and AS9100 context, APQP focuses on early identification and mitigation of technical, operational, and supply-chain risks through defined planning stages, cross-functional collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making. While not explicitly mandated by AS9100, APQP aligns with its requirements for risk-based thinking, design and development control, and production readiness, helping organisations transition from development into stable, capable, and repeatable production with reduced risk of nonconformity.
See also AS9100 and AS9120 quality management standards for Aerospace.
