Write a Corrective Action Plan

Use this immediately after audit review or incident review when findings need structured follow-up.

Use it when the team needs to move from issue description to accountable remediation.

1. Restate each finding in simple language so the supplier understands exactly what happened, why it matters, and what needs to change.

2. Identify any immediate containment or corrective action first if the issue presents active worker harm, legal risk, or an urgent control failure.

3. Separate the immediate correction from the root-cause action so the team does not confuse a quick fix with the change needed to stop recurrence.

4. Share the corrective action plan (CAP) with the factory in a format they can complete, and give them a clear reference for what good root-cause analysis and strong corrective actions look like.

5. Assign a single owner, a due date, and the exact evidence needed to prove completion for each action.

6. Define how closure will be verified over time through document review, photo evidence, worker interviews, or a follow-up visit, and agree what happens if actions are late, weak, or ineffective.

Each action has one accountable owner.

Root-cause steps are separated from immediate fixes.

Factories have enough guidance to write usable root-cause analysis and corrective actions rather than vague responses.

Evidence requirements and closure checks are specific.

Escalation conditions are documented up front.

Writing vague actions such as 'train staff' without defining the system change required.

Sending the corrective action plan (CAP) back to the factory without giving any reference for what a good root-cause analysis or corrective action looks like.

Closing corrective action plans (CAPs) based on screenshots or policies alone when worker impact is still uncertain.

Letting suppliers submit many actions without a clear owner for each one.