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Core Tools are considered a standard in the automotive industry for achieving and maintaining high product quality. These five tools, APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning), FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), MSA (Measurement System Analysis), SPC (Statistical Process Control, and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) are used throughout a product’s lifecycle, from development to production and delivery.

These Core Tools are the fundamental building blocks to a Quality Management System that consistently produces the right products on time.  In fact, the aerospace, defense, pharmaceutical and medical industries are adopting core tools as their standard requirements throughout their supply chains in much the same way that the automotive industry has done with IATF 16949.

To ensure efficient communication between suppliers and customers in today’s global marketplace, it is essential to use the Core Tools that are widely adopted across industries. These tools provide a common language and process for designing and manufacturing products. Core Tools Training is a crucial step to ensure that everyone knows how to use these tools effectively and consistently.

Core Tools Training

Solid training in the effective use of the Core Tools establishes a common language and understanding of how they work and how they function together. There are lots of options to provide Core Tools Training for your team. One option to get them up to speed is public seminars and another is bringing the training in-house; while effective, neither is ideal in today’s fast-paced world. Traditional classroom training can be a huge drain on resources; both time and money. In today’s fast-paced world, online Core Tools Training offers a cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional training methods in companies.

Benefits of Online Core Tools Training

  • Training fits into the work schedule, for example, one hour at the end of each day. No need to be out of the office for full days to attend a seminar.
  • All employees learn the exact same methods and terminology. Getting new employees up to speed is as easy as registering them for the online courses.
  • Learners go through the training at their own pace. People with a solid knowledge of specific topics can quickly move through the training, take the tests and complete the course. Those who need more time, can go back and review challenging concepts.
  • Training can be tailored to a learner’s specific needs. If someone isn’t going to be using one of the tools, they don’t have to take that training course. If someone needs more in-depth training (for example, Advanced Control Charts or Advanced Process Capability) just add that course to their requirements. You, as the administrator, decide the actual curriculum for each employee.
  • Without compromising quality, the cost of training is a fraction the cost of instructor-led training. Travel costs are eliminated.
  • Administration is easy using the QualityTrainingPortal LMS or integrate the courses into your own LMS.
  • Training is available when you need it; not when the seminar is offered.

Core Tools Training Curriculum

Available in Spanish, Polish, French, Chinese and More!

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) creates a roadmap for developing new products complete with time-based milestones and decision points along the way. APQP is considered a core tool because it is a vehicle for suppliers and customers to work together when developing new products. This helps ensure that the product is delivered on time and with the highest added-value. New Product Introductions (NPIs) have a greater success rate when the principles of the APQP approach are followed.

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a core tool that uncovers potential failure modes, assesses the risk those failure modes and establishes action priorities to mitigate the highest priority risks. FMEAs can be conducted on both designs (DFMEA) and processes (PFMEA). We have a suite of FMEA courses to suit specific job responsibilities and industry requirements.

Measurement System Analysis (MSA) is a critical core tool because it assures that the measurements taken to monitor the process and meet customer specs are accurate. If the measurement system is not giving accurate information, then it is impossible to know if the product being made meets the customers’ requirements.

Statistical Process Control (SPC) gives operators a tool to monitor stable processes and to identify when the process is going out of control due to special causes so that problems can be addressed before product quality is affected. SPC is an important core tool because it sends signals when a capable process is statistically shifting outside of the range of normal, expected variation.

Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) provides a formal, standardized framework for customer-supplier communications regarding the specification and quality requirements for products, parts and materials. As a core tool, PPAP ensures suppliers and customers both have the same understanding of product requirements and how those measures will be evaluated and confirmed. Choose from either PPAP for Automotive or PPAP for Aerospace.

OPTIONAL CORE TOOLS COURSES

Advanced Control Charts goes beyond our Basic SPC training and prepares learners to set up control charts and determine the best chart to use for a given situation.

Advanced Process Capability provides extensive training in conducting a process capability study.

8D Problem-Solving uses one of the most commonly accepted models for problem-solving following the 8 Disciplines to teach learners how to systematically understand, analyze and solve problems.

Recommended Training Schedule

Because our training is online and available 24/7/365, you determine your training schedule, based on your needs and time available.  Courses can be taken one after another and the curriculum could be completed in one to two weeks. Another approach might be to require completion of one course a month, which means the Core Tools Training would be completed in 5 months. The choice is yours.

Core Tools Training (~27 hours of training)

  • Fundamentals of APQP (6 hours)
  • Choose an FMEA Training Course (5-6 hours)
  • Measurement System Analysis (7 hours)
  • Basic SPC (6 hours)
  • PPAP for Automotive or PPAP for Aerospace (2 hours)

Cost of Core Tools Training

Cost of the Core Tools Courses depends on how many people are going to take the training and the courses you include in the curriculum. For an individual, cost for the 5 courses is $396. Quantity discounts can reduce the cost of the training for companies and work teams who purchase subscriptions. This will explain how credits are purchased that can then be used to assign training courses.