Corrective action is action taken to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and prevent its recurrence.
Difference from correction
Correction eliminates the detected deviation itself: segregating the nonconforming part, completing the missing record.
Corrective action is the system change that ensures the same nonconformity does not occur again: setting up a tracking mechanism, defining responsibility, updating the procedure, building competence.
Process steps
- React to the nonconformity: control it, deal with the consequences
- Evaluate whether similar nonconformities exist elsewhere
- Determine the root cause
- Plan and implement the action
- Verify effectiveness
- Update risks and the system if necessary
Effectiveness verification
This is the most frequently skipped step. Having implemented the action is not enough; evidence is needed that it produced the intended result. Verification requires an appropriate period of time to pass and a measurable criterion to have been defined.
Corrective action effectiveness is one of the inputs to management review and is evaluated in external audits as an indicator of system maturity.
The corrective action process is a common clause of all management systems. The chain from finding to closure is covered in the ISO 19011 audit training, while standard-specific requirements are addressed in programmes such as the ISO 9001 training. All our topics are on the Academy page.