QIC Guru

A preventive action is a change implemented to address a weakness in a business management system that is not yet responsible for causing nonconforming product or service.

Preventive Actions cannot be determined until the direct, causative, and root causes have been identified. When determining a solution, remember that there is no single right answer. The solution should be chosen on its effectiveness, feasibility, suitability to the company, and the company’s budget. Solutions should not be rushed into. Rushing can cause additional problems. It is best to think about alternatives before choosing a solution.  Good tool for exploring and determining the best alternative is called “The Five Whys”. Five Whys is the Japanese philosophy of repeatedly asking why to find not only the direct sources of your problems, but also the root of those sources. It’s about thinking long-term and looking both ahead and behind, not just in the present. It is also important to correct the process from a long term perspective instead of focusing on the short term. If the solution is only focused on the short term, there is no point in performing a corrective action.

Candidates for preventive action generally result from suggestions from customers or participants in the process but preventive action is a proactive process to identify opportunities for improvement rather than a simple reaction to identified problems or complaints. Apart from the review of the operational procedures, the preventive action might involve analysis of data, including trend and risk analyses and proficiency-testing results.

The focus for preventive actions is to avoid creating nonconformances, but also commonly includes improvements in efficiency. Preventive actions can address technical requirements related to the product or service supplied or to the internal management system.