ISO 9001: 2000 lists 3 types of actions, including Corrections, Corrective Actions and Preventive Actions. While the difference between a Corrective Action and a Preventive Action may be obvious, many quality personnel have difficulty distinguishing between a Correction and a Corrective Action. As a result, many organizations in the market have been treating these requirements as the same, therefore complying to one means violating another, and therefore implementing an ineffective management system.

So what is the difference? What advice do you give employees on distinguishing between the two?

Answer: A “Correction” is an action to eliminate detected nonconformities which have occurred, whereas a “Corrective Action” is an action to eliminate the cause of the nonconformity which has occurred.