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8. Corrective and Preventive Action

In ISO 9001:2015, the concept of preventive actions has been integrated into the overall risk-based thinking approach. The standard encourages organizations to identify risks and opportunities that could affect the quality management system and its processes. By identifying these risks and opportunities, organizations can take proactive measures to prevent or reduce negative effects and enhance performance.

Specifically, clause 6.1 of ISO 9001:2015, "Actions to address risks and opportunities," emphasizes the importance of addressing both risks and opportunities in order to ensure that the QMS achieves its intended outcomes, prevents or reduces undesired effects, achieves continual improvement, and enhances customer satisfaction.

Therefore, while the term "preventive actions" may not be as explicitly used as in previous versions, the concept of preventing issues and taking proactive measures to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of the QMS is still a fundamental part of ISO 9001:2015.

Corrective action

Corrective Action is a reactive process to address concerns or issues after they have occurred. It assumes that a non-conformance or problem has been identified and has been reported by employees of the organisation or by customers or other interested parties / stakeholders.

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Preventive action

Preventive Action is a proactive process and is initiated to stop a potential problem from occurring or from becoming too severe. Preventive action focuses on identifying negative trends & addressing them before they become significant.

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