The analysis can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it, but the important thing is to see if there are any trends in the type of complaint. It can be presented as tabular, or graphical - pareto, pie chart etc.
The emphasis in Issue 6 is to identify the root cause of the complaint. In some circumstances you can break down complaint numbers and complaint types still further to get to the root cause.
eg foreign body complaints on machine 1 compared to machine 2 or late deliveries for one haulier compared to another.
Sometimes complaint numbers are too low to do any significant statistical analysis, if so, explain this to the auditor, but make sure that you at least have a summary of all of the complaints.
One almost universal practice that I am not keen on, is to do a calculation on complaint numbers compared to units sold. Invariably, you get a very small number and it is too easy to take false comfort from this and not dig deep enough for a root cause. Remember, every foreign body complaint is a potential prosecution and every complaint is an upset customer.
I am often amazed at the amount of tolerance to complaints that I see from company to company. Some companies are almost suicidal after 5 complaints and and others seem completely untroubled by 2 or 300 hundred.
Edited by Foodworker, 13 February 2012 - 06:43 PM.