Re: Corrective Action Plan Submission Time frame
Still - by what logic is there a specific time limit for discovering and implementing the optimum corrective action? It could be an hour...it could be 6 months. There is no natural law that would specify an optimum endpoint time. It is sheer dartboard logic...or wishful thinking. I try to avoid that...when I have a choice.
First of all, I didn't say I consider that optimal, just that I often see it.
With that said, I would like to explain my reasoning for having a general concept of what timely means on resolving corrective actions.
The analogy I like to make is with account receivable. Most accounts receivable are settled in 30 days. Mainly because that is the most common commercial terms. Accounts receivable have a value associated with them, hopefully the face value of each one.
When an accountant runs an accounts receivable ledger, he knows that as one ages much past 30 days, its value drops. At some point, depending on circumstances, the accountant knows that the likelihood of collecting is greatly diminished. In other words, the value drops dramatically. When does it get written off? Again, depending on circumstances, when it is determined that it is highly unlikely that it can be collected.
Your corrective actions have a value too. Perhaps not something you can put a dollar price on, but a value in that the resolution helps to improve your quality management system.
If there are a bunch of unresolved corrective actions that are beyond six months or even a year, (the worst example I can remember there three years old and there were a batch of them), I would submit to you that the resolution of actions that cannot be clearly remembered has little or no value for your quality management system.
On the accounts receivable example, there may be exceptions. For example a loan made to the president's brother in-law, or the customer that stuck by you when times were tough and now you are extending the same courtesy when they are going through tough times.
And of course, there will be exceptions on aging corrective actions. As you have pointed out, they have special needs for any of several reasons. But the reason for them still being open should be clearly understood (not just forgotten).