Glossary

What is CAPA (corrective and preventive action)?

Also called: corrective and preventive action, corrective action

Definition

Last updated October 2026

CAPA, short for corrective and preventive action, is a quality management process for dealing with problems. Corrective action finds the root cause of a problem that has happened and fixes it. Preventive action deals with the cause of a problem that could happen. Each action is recorded, assigned and checked for effectiveness.

In more detail

CAPA is used across quality management, and is a formal requirement in regulated industries such as medical devices and pharmaceuticals. ISO 9001 requires corrective action, and handles prevention through risk-based thinking. In every case the point is to fix causes, not just symptoms: replacing a faulty part corrects the problem, while finding out why it failed and changing the process stops it happening again.

A CAPA usually follows the same stages: describe the problem, contain it, find the root cause, decide the action, assign it with a due date, carry it out, and check later that it worked. Each stage is recorded, because the record is what an auditor reviews.

Example

An inspection finds labels printed with the wrong batch code. The team quarantines the affected stock (containment), finds that the label template was edited without review (root cause), adds a second check before label changes go live (corrective action), and reviews the next three months of labels to confirm it worked (effectiveness check).

CAPA in CheckFlow

In CheckFlow a CAPA runs as a checklist: each stage assigned with a due date, the root cause and the actions recorded in fields, a halt before the effectiveness check, and the activity feed as the record. Conditional logic can add steps when the problem is more serious.

Compliance checklist software