PPAP Software for Manufacturing Quality Teams

'Why isn't Ppk measured?' is the question a reviewer asks of a package that reports Cpk from thirty warm parts. See what the reviewer will see, before the customer does.

Level 3 packages come back for the same reasons: capability reported as Cpk where Element 11 needs Ppk, a control-plan gauge with no MSA behind it, a drawing characteristic with no dimensional result, a control plan that never matched the PFMEA. QualityEngineer.ai checks the package for those gaps, reports Cpk and Ppk side by side so the difference is visible, and returns element-level feedback to the supplier through a portal that needs no account.

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Capabilities

What PPAP Management does

18-Element PPAP Tracking

Track all 18 PPAP elements with per-element status, document uploads, and submission progress in a single view. Each element shows where it stands: required, submitted, under review, approved, rejected, or waived. No more chasing status updates across email threads and shared folders.

PPAP Evaluation

An AI model reads each submitted document and pulls out the data. Fixed checks then compare it against the PPAP requirements and grade each finding critical, major, or minor. The disposition follows from the counts: any critical finding, or more than two major ones, rejects the package; one or two major findings make it conditional. The model can make a flagged package stricter, never pass it.

Supplier Portal Integration

Suppliers upload PPAP documents through a branded portal with no account required. Access is token-based and per request: send a link and the supplier submits documents without onboarding. A bulk upload is matched to element slots by file name, and any file it cannot match is reported back as unmatched.

Element-Level Feedback

As the supplier uploads each element, an AI model writes feedback on it: what passed, what needs correction, and what is missing. The supplier sees it in the portal right away, and you can edit it at any time, so they know exactly what to fix. No more writing custom rejection emails for each element.

Approval Queue

Drafted emails to the supplier wait in a queue for you: the PPAP request, follow-ups, and suggested replies to supplier messages. Edit, approve, or dismiss each one; an email goes out only when you approve it.

Submission Level Requirements

Select a PPAP submission level, 1 through 5, and the completeness check measures the package against that level's required elements. Level 1 requires only the PSW. Level 3, the most common, requires every element except the sample parts and master sample, which the supplier retains. No guessing which elements apply to your submission.

Who does what

PPAP evaluation: the software prepares, an engineer decides.

Prepared by the software

  • Reads each uploaded document with an AI model, extracts the data, and grades every finding critical, major, or minor against the PPAP requirements
  • Sets the disposition from the finding counts, approved, conditional, or rejected; the model can only make a flagged package stricter
  • Writes a remediation for each finding: what is missing, what must be revised, and what the supplier must provide
  • Drafts the PPAP request and follow-up emails to the supplier, which wait in the queue until you approve them
  • Cross-checks the package: process flow steps against the PFMEA and control plan, control-plan gauges against MSA studies, and control-plan characteristics against capability studies

Decided by an engineer

  • Approves or rejects each document change the software proposes from a corrective action or an engineering change, before it is applied
  • Approves, rejects, or waives each PPAP element, and approves or rejects the submission
  • Approves NCR dispositions and signs off each corrective action
  • Signs control plans, PFMEAs, and other title-block documents by role, and enters the authorized signature on the warrant

Signed in the app: typed signature, name, date

Workflow

How it works

  1. 01Create a PPAP request and select the submission level, 1 through 5
  2. 02Assign the request to a supplier and share the portal link for document uploads
  3. 03Supplier uploads documents through the portal, matched to element slots by file name
  4. 04Run the evaluation: an AI model reads each document, fixed checks produce the findings
  5. 05Review the findings, edit element feedback, and approve or dismiss the drafted emails
  6. 06Issue the final disposition, approved, conditional, or rejected, with the status history on record

Use cases

Built for quality teams running PPAP submissions outside of an enterprise QMS

  • Supplier quality engineers at Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive suppliers managing dozens of active PPAP submissions across multiple programs and part numbers simultaneously
  • Quality managers at IATF 16949-certified manufacturers who need documented evidence of PPAP review and disposition for customer audits and registrar assessments
  • Automotive OEM quality teams receiving PPAP submissions from suppliers and needing consistent, thorough evaluation across all 18 elements without bottlenecking on senior engineers
  • NPI teams launching new programs who need to track PPAP submissions from multiple suppliers against program milestones and gate reviews
  • Small and mid-size manufacturers currently tracking PPAP status in Excel with documents scattered across shared drives, email attachments, and supplier portals
  • Contract manufacturers and job shops submitting PPAPs to their customers who need a structured system to assemble, review, and package their own submissions before sending

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What are the 18 PPAP elements?
The 18 PPAP elements are: (1) Design Records, (2) Authorized Engineering Change Documents, (3) Customer Engineering Approval, (4) Design FMEA, (5) Process Flow Diagrams, (6) Process FMEA, (7) Control Plan, (8) Measurement System Analysis, (9) Dimensional Results, (10) Material and Performance Test Results, (11) Initial Process Studies, (12) Qualified Laboratory Documentation, (13) Appearance Approval Report, (14) Sample Production Parts, (15) Master Sample, (16) Checking Aids, (17) Customer-Specific Requirements, and (18) Part Submission Warrant (PSW). QualityEngineer.ai tracks all 18 with per-element status, document uploads, and evaluation findings.
How accurate is the AI PPAP evaluation?
The evaluation is a first-pass review, not a replacement for engineering judgment. An AI model reads each document and pulls out the data; fixed checks then look for common gaps: elements the submission level requires but the package lacks, process flow steps not carried into the PFMEA and control plan, control-plan gauges with no acceptable MSA study, and characteristics with no capability study. The disposition comes from the finding counts, not from the model. Each finding names the element, the evidence where the document supplies it, and the fix, so you can verify it before acting on it.
What PPAP submission levels are supported?
All five PPAP submission levels are supported, and each one sets which elements the completeness check requires. Level 1: the Part Submission Warrant only. Level 2: the PSW with product samples and limited data, meaning Dimensional Results, Material and Performance Test Results, Initial Process Studies, and Sample Production Parts. Level 3: the PSW with complete data, every element except Sample Production Parts and Master Sample, which the supplier retains. Level 4: requirements the customer defines, so there is no fixed element list. Level 5: all 18 elements, with the complete data reviewed at the supplier's site.
Can suppliers submit documents without creating an account?
Yes. Supplier portal access is token-based and per request. You send the supplier a link and they upload documents without creating an account or logging in. A bulk upload is matched to element slots by file name, and files it cannot match are reported back as unmatched. This removes the onboarding friction that kills adoption on most supplier portals. Uploaded documents are immediately available for review and evaluation on your side, and the supplier sees the AI-written feedback on each element in the portal as soon as it is generated.
Does this replace our QMS for PPAP management?
QualityEngineer.ai is purpose-built for the PPAP workflow that most manufacturing teams actually run: creating requests, collecting documents, reviewing submissions, and issuing dispositions. If your current process is spreadsheets and shared drives, this replaces them for PPAP. If you already have an enterprise QMS, this can run alongside it for teams that need a faster, AI-assisted review workflow.

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Works with

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