NominalQC Feature
Layered Process Audit (LPA) Software
An LPA program built on the AIAG CQI-8 model — multiple management layers, each on its own cadence, with a reaction plan for every check.
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A layered process audit is a short, standardized check of a process — run frequently by several layers of management, each on its own cadence, with a defined reaction plan for every “no”. NominalQC runs that program for you: the layers, the schedule, the checklists, the on-the-spot actions, and the schedule-adherence evidence an IATF 16949 assessor or an OEM customer asks for under CQI-8.
What you can do
- Built to the AIAG CQI-8 model referenced by IATF 16949 — the layer structure, cadences, reaction plans, and adherence evidence assessors look for
- Multiple management layers, each on its own cadence — per-shift, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or a custom interval
- Standard checklists where every question carries an expected condition and a reaction plan — the defined response to every “no”
- Every failed check demands an immediate on-the-spot action before the audit will submit, and auto-creates a finding owned by the work center’s manager
- Findings can’t be pencil-whipped: root cause, corrective action, and an effectiveness check are required before verification, the assigned champion can never verify their own fix, and close is blocked until independently verified
- Optional rotation assigns each auditor’s area per period and rejects off-assignment audits — no cherry-picking easy areas; flip on independence and a manager can’t audit their own work center
- Automatic reminder and escalation emails keep every layer on cadence without the quality manager chasing anyone
- Schedule-adherence evidence — planned vs completed per layer, plus coverage gaps — the objective proof an assessor checks
- Printable audit records and a printable adherence report, ready to hand to a customer or auditor
Works together with
Questions people ask
- Is this layered process audit software CQI-8 conformant?
- It is built on the AIAG CQI-8 Layered Process Audit Guideline model: multiple management layers with independent cadences, standardized checklists where every question carries an expected condition and a reaction plan, mandatory on-the-spot action for failed checks, findings that require root cause and an independent effectiveness check before closing, and planned-vs-completed adherence evidence per layer.
- Does IATF 16949 (formerly TS16949) require layered process audits?
- Not as a clause. LPAs arrive through OEM customer-specific requirements layered on top of IATF 16949, which is why most automotive suppliers run them. The schedule-adherence and reaction-plan evidence NominalQC produces is what those customers and your registrar ask to see.
- Can I build the LPA schedule per layer and per area?
- Yes. Each layer gets its own cadence — per shift, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or a custom interval — across your work centers. Optional rotation assigns each auditor an area per period, and the compliance view shows planned vs completed per layer with coverage gaps.
- What charts and reports does it produce?
- Schedule adherence by layer, process coverage, top failed questions, and finding status — on screen and as a printable adherence report alongside printable audit records, ready to hand to a customer or auditor.
- Is a layered process confirmation the same thing?
- Yes — layered process confirmation, layered audit, and layer audit are customer-specific names for the same CQI-8 mechanism, and the program here covers all of them.