First steps
- Correction and containment.
- Root cause (why was the system weak?).
- Evidence of effectiveness before the follow-up audit.
How to measure success
Open findings and repeat findings. Record the value before you start, so the effect of every action can be shown.
When these methods are the wrong choice
- 8D report: Small internal issues where one person can fix the cause in a day.
- CAPA / NCR tracker: Analysing one problem in depth.
- Internal QMS audit: Single product defects.
- Turtle diagram: Product defects.
- Layered process audit (LPA): Finding root causes.
The methods in one line
| Method | What it is |
|---|---|
| 8D report | Team-based method for customer complaints: containment, root cause for occurrence and non-detection, verified corrective action, prevention. |
| CAPA / NCR tracker | Register of nonconformities and corrective actions with owners, deadlines and effectiveness checks. |
| Internal QMS audit | Checks the management system against ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 and your own processes. |
| Turtle diagram | Describes one process with inputs, outputs, resources, people, methods and KPIs. |
| Layered process audit (LPA) | Short daily checks of key process controls by several management layers. |