Preventive Action (PA) and Corrective Action (CA) - One or Two Procedures?

[isomr53]

Wasn't it Deming who said that Preventive Actions " imply anticipatory counteraction"?

 

[abd_sg]

Hi Kim,

We have one procedure also for CA/PA..as long as it conforms with the clause for TS.

 

[Jcowan - 2010]

I have implemented bringing PA sheets into our weekly Management meetings so that the regular PA that come up can be documented. It has been very effective and helped the rest of management understand how PA and CA fit together.

 

[C Emmons]

I have to admit - I struggle with PA all the time. I finally ended up keeping a log - anytime we implement a new training program - It is a preventive action - any time our 3rd party auditor issues an OFI - I turn it into a preventive action - I don't think it is very effective - but it's all I can come up with.

 

[Stijloor]

I have to admit - I struggle with PA all the time. I finally ended up keeping a log - anytime we implement a new training program - It is a preventive action - any time our 3rd party auditor issues an OFI - I turn it into a preventive action - I don't think it is very effective - but it's all I can come up with.

Hello C Emmons,

Look at this post + attachment: "Preventive Action Matrix", that may help you.

Stijloor.

 

[C Emmons]

Thank you so much - I am going to put a matrix like this together for my own organization! This makes much more sense to me - ever have any problems presenting this for a 3rd party audit?

 

[Stijloor]

Thank you so much - I am going to put a matrix like this together for my own organization! This makes much more sense to me - ever have any problems presenting this for a 3rd party audit?

No, the auditors realy liked this because it makes the PA process a lot more transparent. So many organizations do not give themselves credit for the good PA activities they have in place.

Make the PA Matrix part of your PA procedure, or maintain it as a record.
Whatever works best.

Stijloor.

 

[Roland Cooke]

Every time you have designed a new process, or amended an existing one*, you probably put one or more inspection/check steps into that process.

Why did you bother to do that? Surely you designed your process to be perfect each and every time? :mg:


Or maybe, just maybe, you systematically built preventive actions into your process...



*i.e. not as the direct result of a non-compliance being detected.

 

[Helmut Jilling]

Wasn't it Deming who said that Preventive Actions " imply anticipatory counteraction"?

...ummm, wouldn't that be a good thing?

 

[Helmut Jilling]

I don't think it matters how you describe what you do. The common problem I see as an auditor is lack of a clear initiation for preventive actions. We seem to be stuck in the 80's with prevention as an afterthought to corrective actions.

Most organizations seem to have a reactive approach to prevention and limit its application to a complaint or quality spill, if they remember to do it. I often see a CAR/PAR log with 50 CAR's and no PAR's.

Good points.

If you proactively initiate action to prevent a potential problem, call it a Preventive Action.

If you reactively initiate action to address (prevent) the reoccurrence of an existing problem, call it a Corrective Action.

Then move on. I think we are WAY overthinking this!

Good to hear from you again, Chuck!