Corrective and Preventive Action
Corrective and Preventive Action, or CAPA, is a controlled process for correcting a problem, removing its causes, and preventing recurrence or similar future problems.
What this term means in maintenance
Corrective and Preventive Action, or CAPA, is a controlled process for correcting a problem, removing its causes, and preventing recurrence or similar future problems.
Corrective action and preventive action
Corrective action addresses the cause of an existing nonconformity or problem.
Preventive action addresses conditions that could create a future problem. In some management systems, risk-based preventive action is integrated into normal planning rather than managed as a separate label.
Typical CAPA stages
A CAPA process may include:
- Problem definition
- Immediate containment
- Risk assessment
- Root cause analysis
- Action plan
- Responsibility and due dates
- Implementation evidence
- Effectiveness verification
- Formal closure
Practical example
A critical PM was repeatedly missed. The organization corrects the overdue work, investigates the scheduling and ownership failure, updates responsibilities, adds escalation, and verifies that compliance improves over the next three months.
Effectiveness review
Completing an action does not prove the problem is controlled. The team should confirm whether recurrence, risk, or performance actually improved.
Common mistake
Using “retrain the employee” as the default corrective action without examining process, workload, system, design, or control weaknesses often fails to prevent recurrence.
Related concepts
Related maintenance terms
Keep exploring connected CMMS, reliability, and maintenance planning terms.
Nonconformance
A nonconformance is a failure to meet a specified requirement, procedure, standard, acceptance criterion, or approved maintenance control.
Root Cause Analysis
Root cause analysis is a structured investigation used to identify the underlying conditions that allowed a failure or problem to occur and determine actions that reduce recurrence.
Maintenance Audit
A maintenance audit is a structured review of maintenance controls, records, execution, asset condition, and evidence to determine whether requirements are defined and consistently followed.
Glossary FAQs
- What does CAPA stand for?
CAPA stands for Corrective and Preventive Action.
- What is the difference between correction and corrective action?
Correction fixes the immediate problem. Corrective action removes or controls the underlying cause.
- How is CAPA effectiveness verified?
Review evidence showing whether the problem, recurrence, or risk has actually reduced after implementation.