The thesis has the objective of analyzing when, how and what documentation is needed when adopting the APQP methodology, for the development of an automotive component. This is done highlighting what the benefits of adopting this framework are, and what it can provide to the automotive industry, to produce a product quality plan that will support the development of a product or service that will satisfy customers. Then, a case study of a real component under development is analyzed, with the objective of understanding better how the APQP methods are implemented for process design, including the elaboration of the PFMEA, a crucial document for the future production run of the component developed.