CAPA stands for Corrective and Preventive Action, a structured approach used to identify the causes of problems, correct existing issues, and prevent similar problems from occurring again. Corrective action addresses the root cause of a problem that has already occurred, while preventive action focuses on identifying and addressing potential causes before they result in failures or nonconformities.
CAPA is widely used in quality management, manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and regulated industries. For example, if a manufacturing defect is traced to an equipment setting, a CAPA process may involve correcting the setting, investigating why it changed, documenting the findings, and introducing controls to prevent recurrence. CAPA systems are often supported by root cause analysis, quality management software, and workflow automation.
