Use a digital 8D Report checklist to develop time-saving and effective, long-term business solutions. Discover the hidden advantages of the 8D approach, how to conduct the 8-step process, and which industries where its conduction is mandatory. Do all this and more with Lumiform’s free, downloadable template.s
Lumiform enables you to conduct digital inspections via app easier than ever before.
Get a kickstart with one of our +12000 ready-made and free checklists
An 8D report documents a complaint, provides a structured approach and notes the achieved effect all while solving the problem. The name of the document is derived from the 8D methodology which it follows. To be more specific, this methodology consists of 8 steps one needs to undertake to fulfill the procedure.
Such an approach to treating complaints is widely used within industries where the supplier is directly influenced by customer feedback. Industries, where it is necessary to take the time to address specific issues, are, for example, the automotive, mechanical engineering, medical, aviation industry, etc.
1. The 8D’s in an 8D template checklist
2. The 8D report: what to remember
3. Advantages of an 8D digital solution
The 8D Method uses a total of 8 steps to find a solution to a specific issue with a product or process.
A small team should be established to deal with specific issues that arise during the process. An employee should be assigned to find a solution for each aspect of the problem.
The team should discover the root cause of the problem before attempting to solve it. The ensuing solution should be fact-based and clearly define how the problem affects various aspects of the company. By clarifying this, the experts working on the issue can prioritize problems according to their urgency..
The solution should not affect the daily business operations. This means if you have to implement your solution over the weekend because it will inconvenience your customers during the week, then that’s what you’ll have to do. The bottom line is the solution should not cause a chain reaction of new problems. It’ll be helpful to document the process step by step in order to keep track of the progress and the solution’s effectiveness.
The root cause of the specific problem should be defined as precisely as possible. A root cause analysis (such as 5-Why) is a helpful tool in order to identify the basis of malfunctions in the company. Using a root cause analysis template or checklist can help with this.
Once the root cause is established, the corrective steps to minimize or solve the issue should be assigned to the qualified personnel. .
It is necessary to keep track of the progress of all implemented corrective actions. If the root issue cannot be effectively minimized through the assigned remedial steps, it will be necessary to revise the actions and repeat the measures until the problem is sufficiently solved.
Even if the root cause is sufficiently solved, it is possible for it to occur again. Therefore, it is crucial to define preventative principles of quality management which will minimize the probability of reoccurrence.
It is of great importance to recognize and reward your team to show your appreciation. You can also reward specific members responsible for coming up with innovative solutions. This will motivate your employees for future projects.
If your team or company decides on doing an 8D report, you should also be aware that the process usually takes ten days. The first four steps should be concluded within four days. In a perfect world, it would look like this: 8 steps = 8 days. However, we all know the world is a far from perfect place. It’s more important to give each step the attention it deserves. If you’re going to take the time to do the lengthy process of an 8D report, you might as well get it right the first time around instead of finding out a week down the road that you have to redo the entire process. Therefore, depending on the procedure’s degree of complexity, some steps can take longer than the prescribed one day. That’s okay.
Besides, in most of the industries undertaking the 8D process is solely voluntary. It is an effective way to prevent complaints by eliminating systematic errors. Therefore, more and more companies are starting to do an 8D check on a regular basis. However, the 8D analysis is mandatory in the automotive and aviation industry.
With Lumiform's mobile app, you can easily conduct quality and safety checks, report issues, and quickly assign corrective actions to team members. Easy communication with colleagues and third parties allows you to improve internal processes and solve issues up to four times faster.
You have questions or would like to schedule a personal demo? We are happy to help you!