ISO 9001 corrective action is action taken within a quality management system to eliminate the cause of a nonconformity and reduce the likelihood that it will happen again. In manufacturing, it commonly applies to product defects, process deviations, audit findings, customer complaints, or other quality issues that show a process did not meet a requirement.
A corrective action normally starts after a nonconformity is identified. The organization may first make a correction, such as reworking a part or fixing an incorrect record, but corrective action addresses why the problem occurred. Typical workflow elements include problem description, root cause analysis, planned action, implementation, responsibility, due dates, and effectiveness review.
The term is often used with CAPA, nonconformance management, internal audits, supplier quality, and manufacturing execution or quality management software. It should not be confused with containment or correction alone. Containment limits immediate impact, correction fixes the detected issue, and corrective action targets the underlying cause to prevent recurrence. In ISO 9001:2015 usage, preventive action is generally handled through risk-based thinking rather than as a separate required procedure.