Tooling Kick-Off
Freeze the industrial assumptions, supplier feasibility, tooling scope, timing, risks and inputs required to start.
The road from TKO to SOP.
A practical milestone model for turning product definition into a stable production system — with tooling, trials, validation, PPAP and launch readiness connected.
FACTORY READINESSTKO → SOP
TKOIndustrial assumptions
TOOLINGDesign • Build • Try-out
PPAPProduction evidence
SOPStable production
MILESTONE LOGIC
Build maturity step by step.
Design & Build
Progress tool design, manufacturing, try-outs and modifications against product and process requirements.
First Production Evidence
Use representative tools/process conditions to expose geometry, material, process and quality gaps early.
Prove the System
Run dimensional, functional, material and process validation; correlate simulation and physical results.
Evidence & Approval
Assemble the evidence package, close non-conformities and obtain the required approval status.
Vehicle / Plant Builds
Check integration, assembly sequence, ergonomics, quality loops, logistics and real line behavior.
Readiness Decision
Confirm that critical risks are closed or controlled before the authorization of sellable production.
Start of Production
Launch with controlled configuration, capacity, quality reaction plans and a ramp-up feedback loop.
PROJECT CONTROL
What belongs in the industrialization plan?
Product maturity
Design freeze, technical specifications, interface maturity, change status and validation plan.
Process maturity
Process flow, tooling, workstations, controls, FMEA/control plan, cycle time and capacity.
Supplier maturity
Feasibility, tooling progress, samples, validation, PPAP, packaging and escalation actions.
Plant maturity
Equipment, operators, logistics, quality loops, capacity demonstration and build feedback.
Issue closure
Prioritize issues by launch impact, define containment and permanent corrective action, verify effectiveness.
Change control
Link every significant change to affected parts, tools, validation, stock, documents and application date.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLE
A tooling issue is not just a tooling issue.
A dimensional deviation can propagate through tolerance chains, assembly interfaces, vehicle geometry, validation results, PPAP and SOP risk. The industrialization engineer therefore connects the technical root cause to the project milestone and the decision path.