Corrective vs. Preventive actions

Answer:

Corrective action is taken when there is some nonconformity in the product, process or the QMS (Quality Management System) itself. Purpose of the preventive action is to resolve the cause of the nonconformity and prevent it from recurring.

Preventive action is taken when there is no nonconformity but there is a high chance of nonconformity or the organization what to take actions to improve the processes or the QMS. Purpose of the preventive action is to prevent nonconformity from occurring in the first place and to improve the QMS. In new version of the standard, preventive actions are replaced with actions to address risks and opportunities.

For more information, see: Seven Steps for Corrective and Preventive Actions to support Continual Improvement https://advisera.com/9001academy/blog/2013/10/27/seven-steps-corrective-preventive-actions-support-continual-improvement/