Correction vs corrective action

Answer:

When something goes wrong you have a non-conformity. For example, your company sent the wrong product to fulfill a customer order. Or your production line manufactured a product with a defect, or your after-sales service provided the wrong service.

When you have a non-conformity, you need to eliminate it. Correction attacks non-conformities, a correction focus the defect, focus what is wrong and tries to solve the situation. For example, through rework, through scrapping, through downgrading, through a discount with the customer to try to see if he agrees in receiving the wrong product.

Corrective action is done after the correction and has another purpose, try to eliminate the cause behind the non-conformity. When we do an effective corrective action we eliminate or reduce the non-conformity frequency of occurrence. For example, changing a raw-material supplier in order to minimize production problems due to a raw material.

The f ollowing material will provide you information about corrections and corrective actions:

- ISO 9001 – Difference between correction and corrective action - https://advisera.com/9001academy/blog/2016/02/09/iso-9001-difference-between-correction-and-corrective-action/
- free online training ISO 9001:2015 Foundations Course – https://advisera.com/training/iso-9001-foundations-course/
- book - Discover ISO 9001:2015 Through Practical Examples - https://advisera.com/books/discover-iso-9001-2015-through-practical-examples/