TEMPLATE
8D report:
Word template
Download the template
Use this template to work through a customer complaint or an internal deviation from D0 to D8, with short instructions in every discipline.
You define the problem, contain the affected stock, prove the root cause with 5 Why and close the report only once the corrective action has been shown to work.
What is in the template:
D0 to D8 with fill-in fields and short instructions for each discipline
Problem description by 5W2H with is and is not
Containment actions with a quantity balance and an effectiveness check
Root causes by 6M and 5 Why, split into occurrence and non-detection
Permanent corrective actions with success criteria, transfer to similar processes and a closure checklist
Filled-in example from a fictional plant, Word file to edit
Who it is for
Who the 8D report template is for
The template is for quality managers and complaint handlers who need to deliver a complete 8D report to a customer. It also works for internal deviations where you want to keep containment, root cause and corrective action clearly apart.
How to work with the 8D report template
- 1
Set up the team and the problem (D1, D2)
Name the team and describe the problem by 5W2H, with what is affected and what is not.
- 2
Contain and prove the cause (D3, D4)
Block the stock with a quantity balance and trace the cause by 6M and 5 Why to occurrence and non-detection.
- 3
Correct and close (D5 to D8)
Define corrective actions with a success criterion, transfer them to similar processes and close the report with the checklist.
What makes a good 8D report
Containment and corrective action are two things
Containment in D3 protects the customer while the cause is open, for example by blocking and sorting. The corrective action in D5 and D6 removes the cause, after which containment ends.
The quantity balance makes D3 verifiable
A customer wants to know where every affected part went. The balance of stock at the customer, in the warehouse and in production answers that in one line.
D7 prevents the same defect elsewhere
In D7 you check which similar processes, products or plants share the same weakness. Only then is the problem solved for the company and not just for one complaint.
Further reading
Download the 8D report template
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