Implementing corrective or preventive measures is a fundamental part of continuous improvement. CAPA management is therefore used in many factories to prevent recurring problems. How and when to use CAPA in order to optimize your production environment? You’ll find out in this blog.
What is CAPA?
CAPA is a term commonly used in production environments. But what is CAPA exactly? CAPA stands for Corrective And Preventive Action. CAPA is used in quality management to identify, correct, and prevent problems and deviations in the production process. Corrective actions are taken to address immediate issues that have arisen (Corrective Action), while preventive actions are taken to prevent potential issues in the future (Preventive Action). CAPA management involves not only identifying deviations and problems but also analyzing the underlying causes and implementing corrective and preventive actions. Monitoring the effect of these actions and documenting all steps constitute as important parts of the CAPA process to achieve continuous improvement.
When do you use corrective and preventive actions?
When errors or deviations become visible in the end product, corrective or preventive action can be taken. The goal is to address immediate issues that have occurred and ensure that these problems do not recur in the future. By eliminating errors or deviations in this way, you will be able to give an extra boost to the culture of continuous improvement within the organization. Therefore, you use CAPA when you want to continuously improve processes to increase efficiency, optimize quality, and reduce costs.
What are the benefits of CAPA?
When CAPA management is implemented effectively, you are actively engaged in continuous improvement within the organization. Some benefits associated with this are:
- The CAPA system helps create reports and management information efficiently, clearly, and quickly. These reports can then be used perfectly as a starting point during audits or decision-making moments.
- With the CAPA system, it is easier to comply with, among other things, ISO standards.
- The work environment becomes flexible and controlled thanks to the self-configurable CAPA workflows. Think of checklists and forms tailored to the organization.
- The efficiency of operational processes and quality processes is increased by integrating CAPA management with other systems. Think of the ERP systems used within the organization.
- The risk of recurring problems and deviations is reduced thanks to the implemented CAPA solutions, which are designed to prevent the repetition of the same problem.
- By employing CAPA from the principle of continuous improvement, the CAPA cycle is closed, and forgotten or incomplete data is therefore less likely to occur.
What is involved in CAPA management?
CAPA management consists of, among other things, reports, root cause analyses, action plans, and monitoring moments. A systematic approach is required to keep track of all this correctly. Only with complete information and accurate analyses can sustainable solutions be devised and implemented. The entire process must therefore be set up in such a way that CAPA management is always present. This means that employees, management, and other stakeholders must strive for an effective CAPA system to achieve actual results.
How do you use CAPA in your business?
To support the entire process of corrective actions and preventive actions, you need software that centralizes and makes the CAPA system visible to all stakeholders. The EZ-GO platform is an example of such a system, where deviations, complaints, registrations, and of course solutions can be tracked in one digital location. EZ-GO follows all steps of the PDCA cycle, which can be used as a tool for a successful CAPA system. After all, you identify the problem and make a plan for a corrective or preventive action (Plan). Then you carry out this action(s) and collect performance data (Do). After evaluating the effectiveness of the action (Check), you can standardize the action with satisfaction or restart the PDCA cycle if further improvement is needed (Act).
Example of CAPA management
Imagine that a manufacturing company regularly receives complaints from customers about a product they produce. After thorough analysis, they discover that the complaints are due to one specific component that does not meet quality standards. To address this issue, the company uses a CAPA process. This begins with identifying the deviation (the defective component). Subsequently, analyses are carried out to determine the root cause of the problem. This could be, for example, a problem with the supplier or a phase of the production process that is not proceeding correctly. Thereafter, an action is devised to eliminate the cause. An example of a corrective action could be to improve the component specifications. A preventive action could take the form of tightening quality controls upon receipt of materials. After performing the actions, it is checked whether the component that caused complaints now meets the standards.
By applying this CAPA process, the company improves product quality, reduces complaints, and strengthens customer satisfaction. If the complaints do not decrease after the process, a new CAPA cycle is initiated to identify new causes and actions.
Questions about CAPA?
Do you want to know more about implementing the CAPA system within your organization? Or are you curious about how the EZ-GO platform can support the entire CAPA process? The specialists working at EZ-Factory will be able to tell you everything about centralization and digitalization of all the steps surrounding corrective and preventative actions.