Overview
Investigators or Quality Owners can assign Action Plan tasks to specific individuals or functional teams, define due dates, and outline the required activities needed to resolve the underlying issue. Once assigned, each action enters the Implementation stage, where progress can be monitored, documented, and tracked to completion. This structured workflow ensures accountability and visibility while enabling organizations to maintain compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 13485, FDA QSR, and general CAPA best practices.
By capturing Action Plans within the same record as the Investigation, Root Cause, and Proposed Actions, ComplianceQuest maintains full traceability from the problem to the resolution. This alignment ensures that stakeholders can clearly see how each action relates to the evidence, analysis, and causes identified during the investigation, supporting stronger decision‑making and more effective long‑term prevention.
Prerequisites
Available in: Audit Findings, CAPAs, Complaints, Nonconformances, Safety Incidents, Safety Observations
Installed Package: CQ Core, EHS - Winter 2025
User Profile: Standard User
Permissions: CQ Base User PSG, CQ Record Owner PSG and/or Task Assignee PSG
Next Best Action: Perform Investigation
Root Cause(s): Added to Investigation
Instructions
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From the CQ record, click the Perform Investigation button.
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From the Performing Investigation Form, click the View link under the Whiteboard column; if 5 Why Investigation Tool is not used, click the Save & Next button.
Adding Action Plans using 5 Why
Adding Root Cause using any other Investigation Tools
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Click the New button under the Action Plans section.
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Enter the information as needed:
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Plan Type - select Correction, Corrective, or Preventive.
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Title - enter the title of the Action Plan.
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Description - enter the detailed description of the Action Plan.
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Due Date & Days Required - enter Date and Required Days to complete the Action Plan.
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Is Complete - select if the Action Plan has since been completed and enter information on the completion.
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Click the Save button or Save & New to add more Root Causes.
Results
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The Action Plans now display under the Action Plans section of the Investigation Form.
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The Action Plans can also be viewed under the Action tabs under each Audit Finding, CAPA, Complaint, Nonconformance, and Safety records.
Troubleshooting
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Check back for new articles
Additional Resources
CQ Resources
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Completing Action Plans
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Adding Root Causes for Investigations
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Completing 5 Why Investigations
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Performing Audit Finding Investigations
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Performing CAPA Investigations
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Performing Complaint Investigations
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Performing Nonconformance Investigations
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Performing Safety Incident Investigations
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Performing Safety Observation Investigations
Summer 2026