Templates and records · IATF 16949 · Clause 8.5.1.1
IATF 16949 control plan template
The document that tells the operator what to check, how, how often and what to do if something goes wrong. It is the FMEA translated to the shop floor.
In one sentence
The control plan sets out, for each process step, the product and process characteristics that are controlled, their specification, the measurement method, the sample size and frequency, the control method and the reaction plan, because IATF 16949 requires pre-launch and production control plans with the content of its Annex A (8.5.1.1), aligned with the flow chart and the FMEA.
- Where the standard requires it
- IATF 16949 · Clause 8.5.1.1 Clauses are those of IATF 16949:2016, which always applies together with ISO 9001:2015. The AIAG and VDA manuals cited are industry references that apply when the customer requires them; they are not part of the standard.
- Type of information
- Mandatory document Mandatory document to be maintained (8.5.1.1 and Annex A)
- Who fills it in
- Process engineering With quality and production; the team is the same as for the FMEA
- When
- Pre-launch and production Updated with every change, complaint or FMEA review
- How long it is kept
- Part life + 1 year For part approvals, tooling records, product and process design records, purchase orders and contracts: for as long as the part is active in production and service, plus one calendar year, unless the customer or a regulatory agency specifies otherwise (7.5.3.2.1).
What the standard requires
What IATF 16949 demands and what it leaves to your judgement
The standard requires control plans for pre-launch and production, at system, subsystem, component or material level as appropriate, reflecting the outputs of the process FMEA and of design. Its Annex A sets the minimum elements.
It must also include controls for manufacturing changeovers —such as first-off part validation—, monitoring of special characteristics, customer information where requested, and reaction plans for unstable or non-capable conditions.
The plan is reviewed and updated when nonconforming product is shipped to the customer, when changes affect the product or process, after complaints and at a frequency set by risk analysis. Where the customer requires it, the revision needs its approval.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- Plan number, phase (prototype, pre-launch, production), part and revision
- Process step and machine or device
- Product or process characteristic and reference number
- Special characteristic classification
- Specification and tolerance
- Evaluation or measurement technique
- Sample size and frequency
- Control method: control chart, inspection, error-proofing
- Reaction plan and escalation
- Approvals, including the customer’s where required
Example
Example: two rows of the production control plan
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Plan | PC-SA-0331 · production · seat bracket (fictitious part) · revision F |
| Step | OP 40 nut welding · welder SP-2 |
| Process characteristic | Welding current · 9.5 ± 0.5 kA · automatic check on every cycle |
| Reaction | Out of tolerance: the machine locks the part, it is segregated and the team leader is alerted |
| Product characteristic | Nut push-out torque ≥ 40 N·m · special safety characteristic |
| Measurement | Test torque wrench · 5 parts per shift and at every electrode change |
| Control method | Recorded on a variables check sheet |
| Reaction | Part below minimum: quarantine of everything produced since the last conforming check, 100% inspection and quality alerted |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- A control plan that does not match what the operator actually does at the workstation.
- FMEA controls that do not appear in the plan, or vice versa.
- Vague reaction plans (“inform the supervisor”) with no product containment.
- An out-of-date plan revision after a complaint that forced the control to change.
- Customer special characteristics without their symbol or their enhanced control.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1Control plans are published as documents that can be opened from the workstation.
- 2The plan is linked to the FMEA: changing one prompts a review of the other.
- 3SPC is calculated from the data the shop floor already records for the characteristics that need it.
- 4Every version of the plan is kept under version control, with its approval.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
What is the reaction plan?
The instruction on what to do when a check gives an out-of-specification result or the process becomes unstable: stop, segregate, review everything produced since the last good check, raise the alert and correct. Without a reaction plan, the control merely measures.
Can a control plan cover a family of parts?
Yes, if the parts share a process and characteristics. It must be clear which part numbers it covers, and any difference in one of them must be captured.
When does it have to be updated?
When nonconforming product is shipped to the customer, when the product, process or measurement changes, when there is a complaint, when the process stops being stable or capable, and at the frequency set by risk analysis.
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Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- IATF 16949:2016 — Quality management system requirements for automotive production and relevant service parts organizations IATF · First edition, October 2016
- IATF 16949 Sanctioned Interpretations and FAQs IATF Global Oversight · Continuously updated
- AIAG & VDA FMEA Handbook (industry reference, not part of the standard) AIAG and VDA · First edition, 2019