Challenges in practice
Structured initial sample inspection according to PPAP, PPF, or comparable standards is now well-established far beyond the automotive industry. It ensures that products, production processes, and supply chains are secured before series production begins—from purchased parts to in-house manufacturing.
In practice, however, initial sample inspection is associated with considerable effort. Drawing-based parts often require complete sampling of all features, including dimensional and tolerance verifications. Numerous documents, such as process flow diagrams, FMEAs, test plans, capability studies, and certificates, must also be included.
Without an integrated system, media breaks, Excel spreadsheets, manual document compilation, and unclear approval statuses arise. Coordination between the customer, supplier, and internal departments is time-consuming and prone to errors. A lack of transparency regarding inspection status, open samples, or incomplete documentation delays approvals and jeopardizes the start of series production.
Initial sample inspection is therefore a crucial quality gate—organizationally complex, demanding in terms of standards, and essential for a stable production launch.
Solution QS1
QS1 offers a fully integrated solution for planning, executing, and documenting initial sample inspections, follow-up inspections, and periodic requalifications – compliant with standards, workflow-driven, and audit-proof.
Standardized templates according to VDA-PPF and PPAP are fully implemented and automatically populated with existing test and master data. At the same time, the structure remains flexibly adaptable. Initial sample inspection reports can be created, merged, digitally signed, and sent directly from QS1 to customers within the system.
Through integration with inspection planning, CAD connectivity, and parent-child structures, inspection characteristics are efficiently transferred, significantly reducing manual data entry. Process flow diagrams, FMEAs, part histories, inspection equipment, MSA results, and other quality-relevant documents can be directly linked to the initial article inspection.
Graphical analyses and evaluations provide transparency regarding inspection status, approvals, outstanding samples, and requisitions. This transforms the initial article inspection into a seamless, digital control instrument for a smooth production launch.
Integrate suppliers easily - directly in the web portal
The QS1 supplier portal seamlessly integrates suppliers into the process: test characteristics can be recorded, EMPB documents uploaded, and measurement results provided in a structured manner – without complex system access or media breaks.
This makes collaboration more efficient, transparent, and fully traceable.
- Creation of standardized initial sample inspection reports (PPF / PPAP / EMPB)
- Support for initial inspections, re-inspections, and requalification inspections
- CAD integration for efficient transfer of drawing features
- Predefinable standard workflows with integrated message management
- Workflow-driven status tracking and deadline monitoring
- Execution of various inspections and cross-inspections with inspection comparisons
- Audit-proof documentation with a complete audit trail
- Direct integration of customers and suppliers via the QS1 web portal
Does this sound familiar?
- Initial sample inspections according to PPAP/PPF are mandatory, but operationally a major undertaking: Feature lists, measurement results, verifications, and documents are compiled manually, often in Excel and other files.
- Drawing-based parts require complete feature sampling, including dimensional and tolerance verifications. At the same time, process flow, FMEA, inspection plans, capability and MSA verifications, as well as certificates, must be provided consistently.
- Release statuses are opaque: What is complete, what is open, what is still required, what has been released, and by whom? Without a clear status logic, releases are delayed and jeopardize the start of series production.
- Media breaks between customer, supplier, and internal departments cost time: Documents are sent via email, versions diverge. This leads to queries, and traceability suffers, especially during audits.
- Requalifications and re-sampling are organized "on the side": History, comparability, and reuse of existing data are lacking, even though this would reduce the workload.
This should be achieved through a robust process
- End-to-end control of the sampling process: Planning => Execution => Documentation => Release => Follow-up on open issues (including deadline and status monitoring).
- Standardized reports with a flexible structure: PPAP/PPF-compliant templates must be automatically populated while remaining adaptable to customer-specific requirements.
- Feature transfer instead of manual entry: Drawing features should be efficiently transferred, clearly referenced, and versioned (including CAD/drawing references).
- Documents and evidence in context: Process flow diagrams, FMEA, inspection plans, test equipment/MSA, part history, and certificates must be directly linked to the sampling process.
- Seamless collaboration with suppliers and customers: External parties must be able to provide structured data (measurement data, EMPB documents).
Coverage in QS1
- Offers a fully integrated solution for planning, executing, and documenting initial sample inspections, follow-up inspections, and periodic requalifications (all standards-compliant, workflow-driven, and audit-proof).
- Provides standardized templates according to VDA-PPF and PPAP, automatically populates them with existing test and master data, and simultaneously allows for flexible adaptation to customer-specific requirements.
- Supports the efficient transfer of drawing features through CAD integration with unique referencing and audit-proof versioning (e.g., stamping in the inspection order).
- Directly links the initial sample inspection with quality-relevant evidence and objects: process flow diagrams, FMEA, test planning/series testing, part history, test equipment, and MSA results, as well as other documents, are managed in context and remain audit-proof and traceable.
- Controls releases, status, and deadlines via standard workflows with integrated message and action management; open issues can be defined as actions, assigned, and systematically tracked until they are resolved.
- Enables test comparisons and cross-checks, as well as complete traceability down to cavities, batches, and serial numbers.
- Directly integrates suppliers and customers via the QS1 web portal: Suppliers record test characteristics, upload EMPB documents, and provide structured measurement results.
Your result: Standards-compliant initial sampling as a reliable quality gate, significantly less manual effort through automated reports and feature transfer, transparent release and status control, more efficient collaboration with suppliers and customers, and a complete, audit-proof history for a stable series production start-up.
Your Advantages
- Reliable series production start-up through standards-compliant initial sample inspection according to QS 9000, VDA, and PPAP
- Reduced manual effort through automated generation of standardized initial sample inspection reports
- High transparency through status tracking, deadline monitoring, and clear release processes
- Efficient collaboration with customers and suppliers via the QS1 portal solutions
- Complete history and audit trail for maximum audit and verification security
- Full traceability of cavities, batches, and serial numbers
- Reduction of errors through seamless measurement system integration and integrated testing processes
- Unified system instead of isolated document and Excel solutions
