The continuous improvement phase of the product life cycle begins with the delivery of a product. From a quality point of view, product-in-use support is mainly carried out within the scope of customer management. This incorporates consulting, for the effective product application and customer support in the event of quality problems.
The exchange of information between customers and suppliers is a major source of input in the product design process. Optimization and improvement of product and process quality are supported by current and future developments in terms of Lessons Learned.
Today’s use of quality systems is shifting to the product design phase. Practical experience has shown that, in the future, computer-aided QM systems will mainly be seen in the areas of product planning, product development, and product construction.
QS 9000, VDA and ITAF 16949:2016 requirements prescribe the use of a quality management system in the product development phase, for the full documentation and analysis of all relevant quality data.
