Abstract
Automobile industry practice has shown that it is not sufficient merely to apply familiar quality control methods such as FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis) or QFD (quality function deployment), to introduce development process (DP) systems or to adopt project management procedures when an improvement in product quality is required. More than this has to be done: the product development procedure must be better arranged and made capable of achieving preventive quality assurance.
This paper presents an all-areas quality assurance concept as drawn up in the body development area of the BMW AG company and implemented successfully in the course of several pilot projects prior to general introduction. It is intended to provide stimuli and encouragement for similar measures to be taken in other areas, for example in the machinery construction industry.