Audit Preparation & CAPA: Proving Your System Works

Quality audits — whether internal, customer, or third-party (ISO, AS9100, IATF 16949) — evaluate one fundamental question: Does your quality management system do what it says, and can you prove it?

The two most scrutinized areas in any quality audit are: 1. CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action) — How do you handle problems? 2. Management Review — Is leadership engaged in quality system performance?

Framework: Corrective Action Report Writer

Write a corrective action report for the following nonconformance:

NC Number: [Tracking number]
Source: [Internal audit / Customer complaint / Process monitoring / Supplier issue]
Date identified: [Date]
Description: [What was found to be nonconforming — be specific]
Clause/Requirement violated: [ISO clause, customer spec, internal procedure]

Containment actions taken:
[What was done immediately to protect the customer/process]

Root cause analysis performed: [5 Whys / Fishbone / Fault tree — summarize results]
Root cause: [Specific, verified root cause]