CAPA - The Foundation of Continuous Improvement
CAPA - Corrective and Preventive Action is the most basic and the most important Tool for Continuous Improvement. When implemented effectively CAPA leads to significant gains in Productivity, Quality and Cost Efficiency. You can boast of Kaizens and Gembas and anything else that you think helps to showcase your Plant – but they are all just Noodles if your Workforce is not habituated to this essential ingredient of Continuous Improvement. Allow me to deviate a little to deliberate on the difference between Kaizen / Gemba etc on one hand and Continuous Improvement or Lean Thinking on the other. The former are like tyres and the latter your driving skills (or your Driver’s). If all you have is a swanky shiny car with a set of Made In Japan wheels that outshine sunshine but have no driving skills – you know your car is not going anywhere, any time soon! Why bring this up ? Because if CAPA is not a part of the way your workforce thinks – your plant is not going very far on the
