Remedy Complaints With An 8D Report Checklist

What is an 8D Checklist?

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.

This article briefly discusses the following topics:

1. The 8D’s in an 8D template checklist

2. The 8D report: what to remember

3. Advantages of an 8D digital solution

Definition of an 8D Template Checklist

The 8D Method uses a total of 8 steps to find a solution to a specific issue with a product or process.

Step 1: Establish a Team

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.

Step 2: Define 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..

Step 3: Contain the Problem

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.

Step 4: Establish the Root Cause

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.

Step 5: Define Corrective Measures

Once the root cause is established, the corrective steps to minimize or solve the issue should be assigned to the qualified personnel. .

Step 6: Keep track of the Progress

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.

Step 7: Establish Preventative Measures

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.

Step 8: Recognize the Team’s Efforts

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.

What do you Need to Bear in Mind?

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.

What are the Advantages of Implementing an 8D Analysis using Lumiform?

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.

Benefits

• Lumiform’s flexible checklist builder helps you to convert any individual paper list into a digital checklist without a hitch.
• In addition, we offer more than 9,000 ready-made templates to help companies get started digitally in no time.
• Using the super intuitive mobile app, you and your teammates can conduct checks in the field with ease.
• All results, images, and comments are automatically bundled in a digital report.
• Comprehensive analyses help you to identify inefficient areas in your company more quickly and, thus, help you continuously improve your auditing and inspection processes.