Control plan training is designed for teams who want to prepare correctly and keep current this document that defines how production processes are to be controlled.
The control plan is the document showing which characteristic is measured by which method, at what frequency, by whom, and what is done in case of deviation. It is one of the documents most frequently examined — and most frequently found nonconforming — in audits.
Now an independent manual
Until 2024 the control plan was part of the APQP manual. AIAG separated the Control Plan with the 3rd edition of APQP published in March 2024 and released it as an independent manual, as a 1st edition.
The rationale for the separation is allowing the two documents to be updated independently and faster. But there is a side message as well: the control plan is being positioned not as an annex to APQP but as a document standing at the centre of product development and process control.
The new manuals have replaced the 2nd edition since 1 March 2024, unless your customer specifies otherwise. OEM application dates: GM and Stellantis 1 September 2024, Ford 31 December 2024.
Why does it fail audits so often?
The three problems most frequently encountered on the shop floor:
No link between the control plan and the PFMEA. For a failure mode found high-risk in the PFMEA, no additional measure is defined in the control plan. This is the first link the auditor looks at.
The sampling frequency has no justification. It says “once per shift,” but there is no logic showing why once per shift. The new AIAG & VDA SPC manual has made this link even more explicit: a demonstrable relationship is expected between the risk assessment and the sampling frequency.
The reaction plan is vague. “Nonconforming product is segregated” is not a reaction plan. Who decides, how far back suspect product is traced, whether the process is stopped, who is informed — these must be defined.
It is not updated. The process changes, the control plan stays where it was in 2019. In the audit, the shop floor and the document do not match.
Who should attend?
- Quality engineers and quality managers
- Process and production engineers
- Production shift supervisors and shop-floor leaders
- Measurement and laboratory officers
- IATF 16949 internal auditors
- Supplier quality development teams
There are no prerequisites.
Training Content
Fundamentals
- The purpose and scope of the control plan
- Control plan types: prototype, pre-launch, production
- When it is prepared, when it is updated
- The place of the control plan within the APQP phases
The components of the control plan
- Process steps and equipment identification
- Product and process characteristics
- Special characteristics and customer designations
- Specification and tolerance
- Measurement method and equipment
- Sample size and frequency
- Control method
- Reaction plan
The PFMEA link
How PFMEA outputs are transferred to the control plan, how high-risk failure modes are reflected in control intensity and how the two documents are updated together are addressed.
Sampling and measurement
Justifying the sampling logic, the effect of MSA results on the choice of measurement method and determining the characteristics to which SPC will be applied are covered.
Reaction plans
The components of an effective reaction plan, decision authority, suspect product management and traceability requirements are addressed.
Practical exercises
Participants prepare a control plan for a sample process and identify gaps in existing plans. In in-house programmes your own control plans are reviewed.
Learning Outcomes
- Preparing a control plan and keeping it current
- Transferring PFMEA outputs to the control plan correctly
- Justifying the sampling frequency and method
- Defining effective reaction plans
- Defending the control plan in a customer audit
Duration and Participation Options
Duration: 1 day in open-enrolment programmes. In in-house programmes, planned as 1–3 days depending on the scope and depth of the practical work.
Participation type: Open enrolment or in-house.
Training method: In person (at your organization or in our training room), live online, on-demand recording.
Obtaining the manuals: AIAG and VDA publications are copyright-protected and are not provided as part of the training. Participants need access to the current edition.
Dates: Set according to demand.
Certificate of Attendance
Participants who complete the training receive a certificate of attendance. The certificate includes the participant’s name, training scope, date and duration. It can be used as evidence of competence in your competence records and in customer audits.
- APQP Training
- AIAG-VDA FMEA Training
- SPC Training
- MSA Training
- Automotive Core Tools — all six tools
Beyond Training: Implementation Support
- Review of your existing control plans
- Establishing the PFMEA–Control Plan–SPC link
- Updating the control plan templates to the new manual
- Shop-floor implementation and verification
- Preparation before the customer audit
You can make use of our consulting services in every area where support is needed.
Frequently Asked Questions About Control Plan Training
Why was the Control Plan manual separated?
AIAG separated the Control Plan with the 3rd edition of APQP published in March 2024 and released it independently as a 1st edition. The rationale is allowing the two documents to be updated independently and faster.
Since when has the new manual been in force?
Since 1 March 2024 it has replaced the 2nd edition, unless your customer specifies otherwise. GM and Stellantis announced an application date of 1 September 2024, Ford 31 December 2024.
When must the control plan be updated?
When the process, equipment, material or measurement method changes; when the PFMEA is updated; after a customer complaint or a field incident; and when a corrective action is implemented.
How many types of control plan are there?
There are three: prototype, pre-launch and production. Each corresponds to a different maturity stage and the control intensities differ.
How is the link between the PFMEA and the control plan established?
For failure modes found high-risk in the PFMEA, the corresponding measures are expected to be defined in the control plan with an appropriate measurement method and sampling frequency. It is one of the first links looked at in audits.
How should a reaction plan be written?
Who decides when a deviation is detected, how far back suspect product is traced, whether the process is stopped and who is informed must be defined. Generic statements are not sufficient.
Are there prerequisites for control plan training?
There are no prerequisites. General knowledge of production processes makes participation easier.
How long does control plan training take?
Open-enrolment programmes take 1 day. If a combined programme with APQP or FMEA is preferred, the duration is set according to the scope.