Free tool

PPAP scope planner: what do I submit at which level?

Pick the level, answer three questions about the part, and see all 18 elements marked submit, on file or not applicable. No sign-up and no upload: it runs in your browser.

Which level does your customer ask for?

If the order says nothing, level 3 is what is meant.

What applies to your part?

We own the design (not just manufacturing to the customer's drawing) There are engineering change notices for this revision Special characteristics are agreed (safety, function, documentation) There are appearance requirements: colour, gloss, surface We use purpose-built gauges or fixtures Testing runs at an external laboratory The customer is a European carmaker or supplier (IMDS, material certificate, packaging)

Your scope Level 3

For this part 14 documents are submitted and 0 kept on file.

No.	Element	Status
1	Design Records the customer's drawing at the correct revision, ballooned: every dimension numbered	Submit
2	Authorized Engineering Change Documents the engineering change notices that apply to this revision	Submit
3	Engineering Approval sign-off by the customer's engineering, sometimes after trials with production parts	Submit
4	Design FMEA failure modes of the design – only where the supplier owns the design	Submit
5	Process Flow Diagram every manufacturing step in sequence, from raw material to packaging	Submit
6	Process FMEA what can go wrong at each step and what is done about it	Submit
7	Control Plan per characteristic: what is measured, with what, how often, by whom, and the reaction	Submit
8	Measurement System Analysis evidence that gauge variation is small against the tolerance (gauge R&R)	Submit
9	Dimensional Results every characteristic with nominal, tolerance, readings and verdict – the report itself	Submit
10	Material and Performance Test Results material certificate with composition and strength, plus tests such as hardness, torque, leak and corrosion	Submit
11	Initial Process Studies statistical study of the special characteristics: Pp/Ppk first, Cp/Cpk later	Submit
12	Qualified Laboratory Documentation proof the laboratory is accredited (ISO/IEC 17025) or approved by the customer	Submit
13	Appearance Approval Report only where colour, gloss or surface appearance is specified – rarely on turned parts	Submit
14	Sample Production Parts the physical parts, labelled and traceable to the report	Submit
15	Master Sample one part signed by both sides and kept for comparison	Submit
16	Checking Aids purpose-built gauges and fixtures, with photographs and calibration records	Submit
17	Customer-Specific Requirements whatever the customer adds: portals, formats, material data, company standards	Submit
18	Part Submission Warrant (PSW) the cover sheet: what is submitted, why, at which level, signed	Submit

Commonly required as well in Europe

Not part of the 18, but regularly asked for:

IMDS – the material data sheet in the International Material Data System; without an accepted entry European carmakers generally do not approve
EN 10204 material certificate – which type – 3.1 is common – is stated in the order; the heat number must match the sample parts
Packaging approval – container, quantity and label, signed off by the customer
Technical cleanliness – to VDA 19 or ISO 16232, typical for hydraulic and injection parts
Calibration records – for every gauge that appears in the report
Substance declarations – RoHS, REACH and conflict minerals
Requalification – re-checking every characteristic during series production, often yearly

The mapping from level to scope reflects common practice. What governs is your customer's requirement matrix: at any level it can ask for more or less, and it wins. We reproduce no AIAG form – this list is our own presentation.

How to read the three states

Submit: goes to the customer with the package – as a file in their portal or in the PDF set.
On file: must be complete and current at your site. The customer may ask for it at any time or want to see it in an audit; “we don't have one” is a finding.
Not applicable: does not apply to this part. Write it on the warrant anyway, with the reason. A blank field draws more questions than “n/a, built to customer drawing”.

The three most common rejections

Wrong drawing revision. The report cites an index the customer has since changed. Check the revision on the day you submit, not the day you measured.
Balloon numbers do not match the report. Once the stamped drawing and the table drift apart, nobody reads any further.
Too few parts. The dimensional report normally needs at least six; a capability statement needs far more.