Root Cause - sharing information globally

I'm looking for advice on sharing information if you are part of a global company.  If you don't have access to a globally shared software for root cause, CAPA, etc. what kind of system, process, or tools do you use to share information?  How can you ensure a problem at one site doesn't happen at another site?

Thanks.

Hi -

In lieu of a common database that would house all CAPAs, Some of the best practices/approaches I have seen around this are

Agree on the inputs (Food Safety, Quality, Internal Audit, External Audit, Customer Complaints, etc. agree on the severity of those inputs for which a detailed CAPA would be communicated amongst the different groups). A summary of all the issues (inputs for CAPA) can be shared in any form like simple set of numbers or as graphs for comparison & improvement sake, on a regular basis. But as details, only the agreed significant ones will be communicated as separate document to serve learning, awareness needs to prevent similar issues. A tip on deciding the input that is worth communicating globally would be, anything that would impact Food Safety, Regulatory, Customer expectations & Compliances. When such a system or similar system is implemented, eventually the calibration process happens for it to more meaningful and helpful & it runs on its own from there on.

I have seen companies sharing such documents in word format with pictures or as Pdfs to start with via emails. Later they would move to a shared folder or database where such things will be housed for future references companywide or across multiple sites.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

I'm looking for advice on sharing information if you are part of a global company.  If you don't have access to a globally shared software for root cause, CAPA, etc. what kind of system, process, or tools do you use to share information?  How can you ensure a problem at one site doesn't happen at another site?

 

Thanks.

Dear mics,

What level of security are you expecting ?

Better than email ?

Rgds / Charles.C

PS - for non-Americans(?), I believe CAPA = Corrective and Preventive Actions

Email is fine from a security standpoint.

Are there any example root cause/CAPA reports someone can share?  I'm looking for a report template that summarizes an invesitigation at one site that can be shared with several other sites so they can look for preventive actions.

Thanks.

Oh, we used to get these when I worked at a huge company with 40 different factories all doing the same thing.  We called them "Quality Bulletin" - there would be a big picture of the disaster (one time a lab fire where the alcohol stored caught flame, another where the preform blower thingy (technical term) was malfunctioning and creating slight smaller bottles) , the literally bullet points written by the offending plant on what happened.   Then, on our monthly call, we'd go through each one of them that had cropped up, and talk about the solution. 

I always thought it was more of a shame thing than a "this is helpful to you" thing  :dunno:  - if you're only a handful of plants, and you think people will actually read or use it instead of throwing it away,  you can use a shared drive with a folder Labeled "Plant X CAPA log"

Example

Here is one, a wee bit simple but can absorb the amount of possibilities.

I have used it with different companies, BRC and SQF.

-Baron

Dear mics,

i deduce that the Best Practice answer to the OP is to use a Corrective Action Form, including a section on Root Cause(s), presumably transmitted by email.

One limitation IMEX is that many CAs may well be interesting to other sites but not directly relevant unless the "situations" are comparable. Likely exceptions might be relating to prerequisites, eg missing screws upon reassembly of a machine (probably not exactly a "revolutionary" News item of  course :smile: )

Rgds / Charles.C

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