Definition
A combined system of measures: corrective actions that eliminate root causes for quality problems that have already occurred, and preventive actions that control the source for similar risks that have not yet occurred; corrective addresses what has happened, preventive addresses what has not, and "tightened inspection" cannot be passed off as prevention (tightened inspection is detection, not prevention).
In detail
Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) is a quality management system that takes corrective and preventive actions for both occurred and potential quality issues. It addresses the recurrence of quality problems and the failure to identify potential risks. Unlike simple correction, CAPA emphasizes root cause analysis and systematic prevention. Outputs include CAPA reports, verification records, and preventive action lists.
Example in practice
When a customer complains about a product defect, launch CAPA. For example, after an auto parts plant receives a complaint, it forms a team to analyze the Root Cause and finds it is a supplier material issue. The Corrective Action is to replace the supplier; the preventive action is to proactively investigate the source control for the same failure mode at other similar suppliers, rather than tightening inspection (tightening inspection is only a detection method). Ultimately, the defect rate drops and customer satisfaction improves.