Tell them what you've done!

Finally, when you have solved a problem, completed a CAPA, it is time to tell the world!! Okay, maybe not the world. But it is important to notify stakeholders, interested parties, customers of the issue that occurred, how it was solved and new controls to either prevent or detect the problem in the future.

This last step in a good CAPA is an easy one. Here are some considerations:

Your fellow team members who directly affect product quality should be made aware of the problem that occurred, the impact (how much did this issue cost the company or cost our customers) and the solution with future controls. This will empower your team members!

• Stakeholders, decision-makers in production, design & development, supplier management, etc., depending on where the problem occurred, should also be made aware of the solutions and future controls.

• Customers will also want to know what steps have been taken to solve the problem they experienced with your product. This is only positive as problems will occur. Addressing problems in an intentional manner builds trust and confidence with customers

And, if the problem was big enough and the efforts to solve tremendous, get some t-shirts and cake!