Corrective Action REQUEST vs. Corrective Action REPORT

Dvora · Jun 24, 2008

I am working on our Quality Manual docs and have reached issues relating to corrective actions.
Throughout our company, CAR has two meanings - corrective action REQUEST, vs corrective action REPORT.

Now I am a bit confused about how to relate to all of this. ISO talks about requests, but we have reports and our QA Dir. said that CAR is a REPORT (not a request).

Here, a request is entered on a REPORT FORM. The Form thus is a permanent record of that corrective action- what the problem was, root cause, short term and long term goals - and if the CA is even accepted as valid (with a place to enter the reason denied, if not accepted as valid).

So now, the documentation talks about REQUESTS all the time... but it seems to me the REQUEST is more than that... since they have a reason to take this course of action before the form is ever filled out.

What is it that I have missed? Is the employee completing a CA REPORT Form (since that is the name of the form) to REQUEST a Corrective Action (CA)?

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this -
Dvora

Coury Ferguson · Jun 24, 2008

Re: Corrective action REQUEST vs REPORT

Dvora said:
I am working on our Quality Manual docs and have reached issues relating to corrective actions.
Throughout our company, CAR has two meanings - corrective action REQUEST, vs corrective action REPORT.

Now I am a bit confused about how to relate to all of this. ISO talks about requests, but we have reports and our QA Dir. said that CAR is a REPORT (not a request).

Here, a request is entered on a REPORT FORM. The Form thus is a permanent record of that corrective action- what the problem was, root cause, short term and long term goals - and if the CA is even accepted as valid (with a place to enter the reason denied, if not accepted as valid).

So now, the documentation talks about REQUESTS all the time... but it seems to me the REQUEST is more than that... since they have a reason to take this course of action before the form is ever filled out.

What is it that I have missed? Is the employee completing a CA REPORT Form (since that is the name of the form) to REQUEST a Corrective Action (CA)?

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this -
Dvora

It really is a matter on how the organization wants to define it. My personal feelings is they are one in the same.

I would ask the QA Director why they feel there is a difference and see how they want to define them.

Umang Vidyarthi · Jun 24, 2008

Re: Corrective action REQUEST vs REPORT

Dvora said:
I am working on our Quality Manual docs and have reached issues relating to corrective actions.
Throughout our company, CAR has two meanings - corrective action REQUEST, vs corrective action REPORT.

Now I am a bit confused about how to relate to all of this. ISO talks about requests, but we have reports and our QA Dir. said that CAR is a REPORT (not a request).

Here, a request is entered on a REPORT FORM. The Form thus is a permanent record of that corrective action- what the problem was, root cause, short term and long term goals - and if the CA is even accepted as valid (with a place to enter the reason denied, if not accepted as valid).

So now, the documentation talks about REQUESTS all the time... but it seems to me the REQUEST is more than that... since they have a reason to take this course of action before the form is ever filled out.

What is it that I have missed? Is the employee completing a CA REPORT Form (since that is the name of the form) to REQUEST a Corrective Action (CA)?

I'd appreciate your thoughts on this -
Dvora

When you initiate and process the CA, it is a 'request', when you record results of action taken, it is Corrective Action Report'.

Hope this clears the cloud.

Umang

Dvora · Jun 24, 2008

It would, except the REQUEST is an integral part of the REPORT.

We cannot have TWO CARs, one a request, and one a report.

I am trying to get around this by saying that a request for a CA is initiated on the CA Report Form (hereinafter CAR Form)....

The report, at least for us, is a living document. It is completed throughout the CA process. The final output is the completed Report form to file, and to customers (where applicable).

Dvora

Ajit Basrur · Jun 24, 2008

Then change to -

Corrective Action Plan / Proposal (CAP) and

Corrective Action Report (CAR)

Dvora · Jun 24, 2008

Hey - that would work! Thanks!

SteelMaiden · Jun 24, 2008

You can call it a ralph if everyone understands what it is for. A recording of the problem is a request for corrective action. After that, you must investigate the problem to see if it is even valid, and to find the root cause. After that, you must take action appropriate to the risk and effects. So, whatever you call it, fine, pretend you are Nike, and "just do it".

Ajit Basrur · Jun 24, 2008

Dvora said:
Hey - that would work! Thanks!

Good to note that

Dvora · Jun 24, 2008

Also, just talk with a colleague...

You wear a CAP but the CAR drives it... could work for taining as well....

David Hartman · Jun 24, 2008

Dvora said:
It would, except the REQUEST is an integral part of the REPORT.

We cannot have TWO CARs, one a request, and one a report.

I am trying to get around this by saying that a request for a CA is initiated on the CA Report Form (hereinafter CAR Form)....

The report, at least for us, is a living document. It is completed throughout the CA process. The final output is the completed Report form to file, and to customers (where applicable).

Dvora

Does your process allow for requesting corrective action without issuing a formal report form (for minor system noncompliances, or single incidents of a minor noncompliance, etc.)? If so, I would not tie your documented process down to requiring a request be made on a formal report form. Attempt to differentiate between the request for corrective action and the Corrective Action Report form (perhaps by not referring to the request as a Corrective Action Request, but by referring to it as a "request for corrective action").

Just my :2cents:

Corrective Action REQUEST vs. Corrective Action REPORT

Dvora

Coury Ferguson

Moderator here to help

Umang Vidyarthi

Dvora

Ajit Basrur

Dvora

SteelMaiden

Super Moderator

Ajit Basrur

Dvora

David Hartman

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