What does the acronym CAPA stand for in quality management?

The acronym CAPA stands for Corrective and Preventive Action in quality management, which is a crucial concept in ensuring that organizations can identify, address, and prevent non-conformities in their processes or products. Corrective Action involves taking steps to eliminate the causes of existing non-conformities or undesirable situations. This could mean modifying a process, retraining staff, or implementing new quality control measures.

Preventive Action, on the other hand, focuses on identifying potential issues before they occur. By analyzing trends and data, organizations can proactively implement measures to prevent future occurrences of problems. Together, these actions contribute to improving quality, ensuring compliance with regulations, and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Understanding CAPA is essential for quality analysts as they work to develop robust systems that not only rectify issues but also build resilience against future challenges, maintaining a cycle of continuous improvement within the organization.