Dealing with Non-conformances, Best Practice in Determining Root Cause

Good day!

I am a newbie in answering Corrective Action Requests (CARs) for Non-conformances,  for we had recently had our first Internal Quality Audit in preparation for our first third party BRC and IFS audit. I would like to gather advices regarding, what are the best ways to answer a Corrective Action Request (CAR), specially in determining the Root Causes of the Non-conformities. I would like also to know what do most auditors like to see in our CARs. I am also open to additional advices, materials and references that would be reccommended. Hoping for your outmost help.

Thank you.

Respectfully yours,

RaymondD.

Good day!

 

I am a newbie in answering Corrective Action Requests (CARs) for Non-conformances,  for we had recently had our first Internal Quality Audit in preparation for our first third party BRC and IFS audit. I would like to gather advices regarding, what are the best ways to answer a Corrective Action Request (CAR), specially in determining the Root Causes of the Non-conformities. I would like also to know what do most auditors like to see in our CARs. I am also open to additional advices, materials and references that would be reccommended. Hoping for your outmost help.

 

Thank you.

 

Respectfully yours,

 

RaymondD.

Dear RaymondD,

Welcome to the forum !

Re- CARs - yr question is a rather wide scope. It might be useful from yr POV if you suggested a specific item perhaps relating to yr product / process / Internal Audit.

I presume you already have a HACCP plan. For CCPs the related corrective action has presumably been detailed therein and this will need to be matched by the input to yr associated form in case of a process failure of the critical limits.

Re- Root Cause Analysis. Have you seen the freely (I think) downloadable webinar on this site ? Should answer a lot of the general requirements. There are also several threads here detailing (with links)  the typical approaches, Pareto, 5-Why, eg

http://www.ifsqn.com...indpost&p=72192

(and many more, maybe try a search for "root cause".)

Rgds / Charles.C

I agree with Charles and narrowing it a bit might it easier to help you. 

The best ways I have found responding to CAR's that auditors are impressed by is using the 5 Why Method or Fishbone Method to find your RCA for the non-conformity. Address the non-conformity with why it happened who responsible will correct it how will they correct it and when will they correct. Add evidence with pictures if its physical or add the document highlighting the corrected area.

I would like to comment on "what auditors like to see in our CARS" i.e. air freshener but I'm trying to stay on topic.

The best ways I have found responding to CAR's that auditors are impressed by is using the 5 Why Method or Fishbone Method to find your RCA for the non-conformity. Address the non-conformity with why it happened who responsible will correct it how will they correct it and when will they correct. Add evidence with pictures if its physical or add the document highlighting the corrected area.

 

 

I would like to comment on "what auditors like to see in our CARS" i.e. air freshener but I'm trying to stay on topic.

Am trying to think of funny comeback......but brain is too strained.  

I recently had an auditor who didn't know what a CAR was! 
I rest my case!!! 

The best ways I have found responding to CAR's that auditors are impressed by is using the 5 Why Method or Fishbone Method to find your RCA for the non-conformity. Address the non-conformity with why it happened who responsible will correct it how will they correct it and when will they correct. Add evidence with pictures if its physical or add the document highlighting the corrected area.

There are probably more than a few that won't know what the fishbone method or RCA is.  I passed a test.  I know 

Good day Sir Charles and everyone.

Thank you replying :).

Yes sir, we had already our HACCP plan but still to be verified and on-going revision as it has been missing out some requisites found during our recent IQA. 

Sir may I ask what  is the definition and specifics of a valid root cause? Is boiling down the root cause to management, poor funding and supplier fault a valid root cause? 

I'am also interested to what does most Auditors want to see on the CARs specially BRC and IFS Auditors.

Thank you also for the references sir.

Thank you very much.

Respectfully Yours and Best Regards,

Raymond  

Dear Raymond,

There are a variety, eg -

http://asq.org/learn...w/overview.html

http://www.idcon.com...root-cause.html

http://www.taproot.com/archives/120

The middle one is perhaps the operationally simplest but maybe less analytically impressive.

(added) - on the other hand many people seem to like asking multiple why's ?

Rgds / Charles.C

PS - (added) - 3-4 neat examples here although the following text rapidly gets "heavy"

http://www.thwink.or...y/RootCause.htm

Thank you very much sir :).

 whys methods is the effectives way of finding the root cause of the problem. when you find the root cause of the problem, you have to correct it and then determine and implement the corrective action and the preventive action for the future