What PPAP is — in plain words
PPAP stands for the Production Part Approval Process. Before a customer lets you supply a part in volume, they want proof you can make it to the drawing, every time. PPAP is that proof, gathered into one package of up to 18 elements — from the design record and drawings, through the FMEA (your list of what could go wrong) and the control plan (what you check, with which gauge, how often), to the measurement studies, dimensional results and the final sign-off sheet, the PSW (Part Submission Warrant).
This template lists all 18 elements as a clean Excel checklist with a header for the part, supplier, PPAP level and date, and columns to mark whether each element is Required, its Status (Submitted, NA or Pending) and any Remarks. A couple of clearly-marked sample rows show the idea; delete them and it is yours.
Ungated direct download — no email required. Works in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.
What is inside the template
Two parts: a short header for traceability, then the 18-element checklist. Here is the structure.
Header (traceability)
| Field | What it captures |
|---|---|
| Part | The part number or name being submitted |
| Supplier | Your company / plant as the supplying party |
| PPAP Level | The submission level (1–5) the customer requires |
| Date | The submission date |
The 18 PPAP elements — columns: Element, Required?, Status, Remarks
| # | Element | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Design records | The approved drawing / CAD data for the part |
| 2 | Authorised engineering change documents | Any approved changes to the design |
| 3 | Customer engineering approval | Customer sign-off where required |
| 4 | Design FMEA (DFMEA) | Failure-mode analysis of the design |
| 5 | Process flow diagram | The steps your process runs through |
| 6 | Process FMEA (PFMEA) | Failure-mode analysis of the process |
| 7 | Control plan | What is checked, with which gauge, how often |
| 8 | Measurement system analysis (MSA) | Gauge R&R and other studies proving the gauges measure right |
| 9 | Dimensional results | Measured results against the drawing |
| 10 | Material & performance test results | Material certificates and performance tests |
| 11 | Initial process studies (SPC) | Capability (Cp/Cpk) on key characteristics |
| 12 | Qualified laboratory documentation | Proof the test lab is accredited |
| 13 | Appearance approval report (AAR) | For parts with appearance requirements |
| 14 | Sample production parts | Actual parts from the production run |
| 15 | Master sample | A signed-off reference part |
| 16 | Checking aids | Fixtures / gauges used to check the part |
| 17 | Customer-specific requirements | Anything the customer additionally demands |
| 18 | Part Submission Warrant (PSW) | The summary sign-off sheet for the whole package |
Each of the 18 rows in the Excel file carries a Required? flag, a Status (Submitted / NA / Pending) and a Remarks box, so at a glance you can see what is done and what is still open.
How to use the PPAP checklist
Record the part, supplier, PPAP level and date so the checklist is tied to one submission.
Go down the 18 elements and set which apply for this part and submission level.
Set each element to Submitted, NA or Pending, and note details in Remarks so nothing is missed.
When every required element is Submitted, complete the Part Submission Warrant and send the package for approval.
Want this automatic instead of a spreadsheet?
A checklist is perfect for your first submissions. But a PPAP package is only as good as the versions inside it — and once you manage many parts, keep the FMEA, control plan and MSA current, and re-submit when an engineering change lands, a spreadsheet cannot hold the versions together.
In Fast Quality Software, the PPAP package is assembled from the very records your APQP produced — the DFMEA/PFMEA, process flow, control plan and MSA studies — each stored as a version-controlled document with an Accepted / Rejected / Accepted-Under-Deviation status, tracked on a PPAP dashboard by part and submission level. Nothing is re-keyed, and an approved engineering change triggers a re-submission automatically. Learn the process first in what is PPAP and APQP & PPAP for Indian auto suppliers, or see it run live.
Ungated direct download — no email required. Works in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets.