National Press Release

DETROIT, April 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Automotive Resources Institute (ARi), a service of SAE International, distills the secret to a successful product launch through Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), a defined process for product development. SAE-ARi's Managing Director, Neil Schilke, states, "If the planning process is not carefully designed and executed, it will cause a ripple effect of costly errors." Schilke explains that SAE-ARi, in response to today's extraordinary technical and business challenges, has focused its efforts on developing key Lines of Business that will provide their clients an immediate return on investment, such as Supplier Quality Engineering and the APQP process.

A well thought-out planning process phase of APQP will produce the following key benefits:

    --  Reduce time to market
    --  Assure "first time approval" by customer for new or revised
        products
    --  Reduce product development costs
    --  Identify required changes early in the product development cycle
    --  Avoid costly mistakes

SAE-ARi believes that an effective APQP process will continually drive improvements in the product development process allowing you to meet or exceed customer expectations, improve your value to your customers and gain valuable market share.

SAE-ARi's APQP expert, Larry Bissell, states, "Effective management of the product planning phase can reduce the number of months to take a product to market by up to 50 percent. An efficient planning process will also create 'triggers' for identifying necessary changes early in the process when costs associated with those changes are relatively minor. A poorly managed process leads to a fire drill of reactionary changes that are costly, and can be catastrophic."

To hear what else SAE-ARi is saying on the APQP process, please visit www.ari.sae.org after April 13th for a posted webinar.

About SAE-ARi

A service of SAE International, the Automotive Resources Institute (ARi) was established in response to today's industry challenges by assembling the most prestigious group of industry experts worldwide to deliver swift thought leadership and executable support to OEMs, suppliers and innovators.

Our 80+ industry experts are registered world-class leaders. Each project team is uniquely crafted based on your specific business needs and objectives. Our breadth of knowledge spans the depths of business, engineering and technology.

www.ari.sae.org

    Contact: Michael (Mike) J. Husson
    Title: Director of Sales
    Company: SAE-ARi
    Phone: 248-273-4026
    Email: mhusson@sae.org

SOURCE SAE International