Number of days to respond to corrective action - Standard response time frame?

[little__cee]

I generate the corrective actions and log the dates in a spreadsheet.

Currently, I assign the "response due date" as 10 days from the date of the request for corrective action. This is a purely random number, as far as I can tell, and I based this number on how my predecessor assigned response due dates.

The only time I vary from the 10 day response due date is if I have a customer requesting a response sooner.

Now to my question - what do other people do? Do you have a standard response time frame? Do you consider the nature of the problem to be analyzed and assign a date accordingly?

I'm trying to figure out if I'm doing this right or if there is some universally accepted time frame I should adopt. Thanks.

 

[Joe Cruse]

lc,

we use 30 days as the default max time limit for a full response. That includes root cause finding and verification of the corrective action(s). We generally try to get root cause done ASAP. Verification on implemented CA may take up to and over 30 days, depending on the process in question, but 30 days has worked for us, so far.

Some of this with regards to customer issues gets overriden by the customers' CAR system. GM, for instance, wants initial feedback within 24 hours (I think) on a PRR, but then has other, later deadlines to meet within the PRR system for its suppliers.

 

[Wes Bucey]

Excellent thinking in considering your CAR process!

I used to be a little more specific in a Corrective Action Request to a supplier:
"Please respond to this request within 72 hours indicating contact information for the person who will shepherd this request through your system. Respond within 5 days with a target date for resolution plus an explanation if the target date for resolution will be more than 10 days."

We used internal "ticklers" to follow up if the target dates weren't met. Once we got responses, we reset the ticklers to correspond with projected time table. At all times, we tried to maintain a "personal, hands-on" relationship with the "shepherd," emphasizing we did not want "blame" against an individual, but blame and "Fix" against a "process."
Just today, I had a conversation with a "supervisor" at ASQ who believed she had resolved a glitch by saying, "an employee didn't follow procedure." I didn't let the supervisor get away with that finger pointing, neither should you when you seek a CAR.

 

[mike101338]

Our company uses 2 weeks maximum for response to CAR. In the response they are to document the action they took or provide an action plan for action they are going to take in the future.

If the response was in the form of an action plan I ensure the target timeframes are appropriate for both the problem and the action to be taken. Then I follow-up on the action plan to ensure the time frames are being met.

As for shortening the time frame for certain problems, no. Our procedures do not allow for that. Certain problems may require quicker action however that is up to the individuals involved with the CAR's. To me, as the Quality Manager, they are all equally important.

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Our company uses 2 weeks maximum for response to CAR. In the response they are to document the action they took or provide an action plan for action they are going to take in the future.

If the response was in the form of an action plan I ensure the target timeframes are appropriate for both the problem and the action to be taken. Then I follow-up on the action plan to ensure the time frames are being met.

That matches our procedure exactly...

A side note: Unless I recieve a response within those two weeks, the CAR will be placed on the delayed actions list, which the entire staff can access from our intranet. The same goes when an action plan passes the deadline without my recieving information about its status. This list is empty at the moment.

To be fair I also have lists displaying all active issues and deadline within 30 days (Early warning so to speak).

/Claes

 

[behoops]

CAR's (from audits)
Responce time is the first key to effective corrective action. We use 15 days to state root cause, what action has or will be taken to correct the deficiency and the target date for completion. The Quality Manager must deem the responce acceptable within the same 15 days. If it is found unacceptable we allow 20 days (5 additional days to resolve the problem). We use two forms of verification:
1. Has corrective action been fully implemented? (this must be completed by the target date)
2. Has the corrective action been effective? (no default time frame is set for this)
All CAR's are reviewed by MRB.
NCR's
Because this may be customer driven or be driven by shipping schedules each case responce time is set based on need. The same default 15 days is applied or less.
NCR's are reviewed by an NCR Analysis Team which reports statisical findings to MRB.
behoops

 

[RoxaneB]

I wish that my answer was simply saying 14 days or 30 days....not so lucky.

14 days - Minors & Majors & Opportunities for Improvement & Customer Complaints - updating (i.e., root cause - where applicable, corrections, active and verification plans development)
45 days - Minors, including minor Customer Complaints - closure (45 days because these can only be closed at a Department's Key Indicator meeting and if, for example, a Minor was issued November 1, they have until their December meeting - around the middle of the month - to close)
90 days - Majors, including major Customer Complaints - closure (again, can only be closed at a Department's Key Indicator)
60 days - OFI's - closure

The issue of updating within 14 days, during my month-end review, any new items not addressed with 14 days hits the 'bad boy' list.

Any items >45/90/60 without closure hits my Key Indicators for the system's health - I expect to see explanations about WHY the issue is not closed.

NOTE: Majors (including major CC's) > 90's but in the Verification Stage do not hit the trigger - with out products, we can not verifiy sometimes until the next rolling of the product (which can be up to a year away!). Issue remains open pending verification.

 

[Kevin H]

Time Frames for Corrective Action

Our system is based on a 10 working day response. It varies a little if it's an external complaint or an internal corrective action. For an external complaint, our goal is to provide our customer a preliminary response within 3 working days, and a complete response wintin 10. To exceed that requires an extension from a multidisplenary quality committee that includes quality assurance and senior management. Our goal for internal corrective actions is to have a response registered and recorded within 10 working days of issuing the request - usually associated with nonconformances identified by an internal audit.

We're not yet meeting the goal 100% of the time, but are generally making improvements towards them as our system matures.

 

[Missileman - 2009]

I’m glad to see this thread because I get questioned by our suppliers as to why we are short on the expected response times. I’ve seen other companies’ web sites and the response times go from 7 to 60 days.

Several years ago we changed from 30 days for a response. Now we allow 7 calendar days for documentation problems and 10 calendar days for non-failure analysis and 20 calendar days for failure analysis. Our goal is to receive an acceptable response ASAP. The reason for the quick turn around to stop future escapes from entering our business if the supplier has work in progress. This also helps identify if we have defective product already in plant or installed in the field, in a timely manner.

I would like to know if anyone else has to “baby-sit” suppliers to get the SCAR response on time. My team talks to the supplier when the SCAR is sent and then follows up a couple of days prior to the due date if the response has not been received and the supplier has not initiated communication.

When an acceptable response is not received by the due date, our procedure allows us to remove the supplier from our Approved Supplier List. This prevents future purchase orders from being placed until the SCAR is resolved. This action can be avoided if the supplier demonstrates (not lip service) that they are working the problem and needs more time to complete the response.

 

[QCAce]

My procedure is set up a little different. I have a default due date set at the end of the following month. So sometimes an investigator will have 30 days and sometimes they'll have 60, depending upon when the CAR was written during the month.

This allows me to only have see what corrective actions are open and followup with investigators at the end of each month, rather than having to see what is due on a daily basis.

Any CARs written against suppliers are also assigned an internal investigator. This investigator, (usually someone from Quality or Purchasing), has the responsibility for following up with the supplier and making sure they respond on time.

I try to be flexible. If the end of the month comes and the investigator needs more time, most often I will extend the due date again to the end of the following month. The due date becomes more of a tool to keep us from forgetting about an open corrective action.

Just another option for you to consider...........