Combining Corrective Action / NCP / Customer Complaint Documentation

[ISO in Baltimore]

Does anyone have any suggestions/feedback/advice on combining Corrective Action, Nonconforming Product and Customer Complaint information onto one record? I work for a commercial moving and storage company where 99% of the time, nonconforming service we provide to a customer generates a customer complaint which in turn generates a corrective action request. It only makes sense for us that we would capture this information on one record instead of generating 3 seperate records. Just wondering if anyone out there has tried this approach.

 

[David Mullins]

Hi,
I've only ever used one form to record all this information. Compliments, complaints, suggestions, improvements, safety hazards, workplace accidents, nonconforming product, lost equipment, process failures, material failures, etc, etc.
To be effective, you then need to categorise the types of report. This allows for trend analysis, pareto analysis, etc.


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[ISO in Baltimore]

Thanks! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't out in left field!!

 

[CarolX]

Hello ISO in Baltimore,

I use a combined form. It is 2 sided. First side is the non-conforming material report with a box to identify where the problem was discovered (i.e. incoming inspection, final inspection or customer return). The back side of the form is the corrective action report. Works pretty well for us.

Good Luck,
CarolX

 

[lou hannigan]

It is a good idea to enable similar sources of nonconformities to be documented on one medium. Even better when you can categorize the sources.

For customer complaints - couple of ideas. Firstly, customer complaints may be unjustified. They will be dutifully recorded on the nonconformity or corrective action document and, for the sake of goodwill a "corrective action" or apology issued, but it should be recognized that the complaint is not necessarily a nonconformity.

Secondly, the medium should include the customer input, as applicable, for the investigation into the cause of the complaint and the acceptance of the corrective action.

Are you thinking of putting the document and the information on a database?

Good luck.

Lou

 

[ISO in Baltimore]

Thanks for the advice on customer complaints.

I think the only really effective way to store and track this information is in a database. Intially I think we will just have to re-enter the information from the form into the database. Hopefully one day we will get sophisticated enough that the form will automatically feed the database but this may take some time.

 

[muhsanjee]

Regarding your request Pgapro, I don't have an example of these forms, but I find these are the sort of thing it is better to generate yourself anyway. Just think about the sort of information you want to collect from your customers and how you intend to use it. Customer reference/Contact details are obvious, then you might want to detemine which product of yours the feedback is about, the type of feedback, a satisfaction index, comments, etc.


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ahsan

 

[p1stonbroke]

Combining the format for managing the investigation and resolution on various different types of issues works well with an 8-D type approach, tailored to suit your needs.

The approach below was used successfully in an aerospace organization which designed, produced and maintained aircraft parts and components, and was also used for airfield operations.

It managed
customer complaints.
Complaints to suppliers (including material returns)
Internal findings from audits
Findings from audits of suppliers
Findings from external auditors (regulatory, and customer)
Ad-Hoc findings (from walk-arounds etc)

I hope that this helps a little.

Regards

Piston.

 

[Mark Meer]

...99% of the time, nonconforming service we provide to a customer generates a customer complaint which in turn generates a corrective action request.

A couple of comments:

1. The order of events you're describing seems strange. I'm going to presume that it's usually the customer complaint that happens first, and from that a "nonconforming service" is identified (not the other way around as stated)?

2. I might suggest keeping your corrective actions requests separate. If you're just starting out, there may be a bunch of problem root-causes to correct, but overtime, if your system is improving, you should find that the need for CARs decreases.

The fact that "99%" (which I presume is exaggerated) complaints result in a CAR is questionable. The distinction should be made between:
a) A correction (or remedial action), which corrects a single-instance of an issue. This would go nicely with a complaint record, as nearly all complaints will necessitate some kind of action to appease the customer.
b) A corrective action which is to address the root-cause of an issue. This is more involved than a simple correction, as it usually involves an investigation (to identify the root-cause), some systemic change to address the root-cause, and then some followup to evaluate the effectiveness of the corrective action.

Obviously (b) is far more involved - and hence usually has its own record.

EDIT: now realize that the OP was from 2001, and is probably long gone! ...oh well, to whom it may concern then... more content for the Cove!