8D Software That Makes Problem Solving Faster for the Whole Team
PHRED guides every team member through the 8D process one clear step at a time, keeps every action in front of the person who owns it, and builds a customer-ready 8D report the moment you need one. No more chasing spreadsheets, re-typing reports or wondering what is overdue.
8D Forms on Excel Slow Your Team Down
-
Nobody is sure which version of the 8D report is current.
-
Actions live in emails and meeting notes, so due dates slip quietly.
-
Building a report for a customer means copying and reformatting by hand.
-
The same part fails again, and nobody remembers it was already solved last year.
Everything You Own on One Screen
Log in and your home page shows exactly what needs your attention: your open problems, open actions, actions due soon, overdue items and anything due today. Update an action right from the home page without opening the full 8D. Start a quick Problem ID for a smaller issue, or a full 8D when it needs thorough root cause analysis.
The 8D Process, One Clear Step at a Time
A step bar runs across every 8D, from stating the problem to closing it, so everyone knows where the problem stands and what comes next. Save and move to the next 8D step with one click. Tips, reminders, attachments, team members and revision history sit alongside every step.
D1–D2: Build the Team and State the Problem
Add your team, capture the voice of the customer, and record other important data points based on your needs. Describe where, when and how the problem shows up. For example, when a part number, customer or supplier already appears on other records, PHRED flags it as a likely/possible repeat issue and links the earlier problems. Related problems are always one click away.
D3: Contain the Problem Fast
A built-in containment/countermeasure step asks the important questions: could other products be affected, is all suspect product on hold, and did any escape the factory? Record who needs to be notified and when containment was complete.
D4: Root Cause Analysis With 5 Whys and a Fishbone View
List every possible cause, then see them grouped on a fishbone diagram by the 6 Ms: man, method, machine, material, measurement and environment. Empty categories prompt your team to consider what they may have missed. For each cause, build a 5 Whys chain, decide to keep or eliminate it, and attach your verification evidence. A progress bar shows how many causes are confirmed, eliminated or still waiting.
D5–D6: Corrective and Preventive Actions That Stick
Summarize the plan, record how you verified it prevents recurrence, and set how you will confirm the problem stays fixed. Every containment, investigation, corrective and preventive action gets an owner, a due date and a status.
D7–D8: Close With Confidence and Keep the Lessons
PHRED will not let a problem close while actions are still open and any containments are still in place. Capture lessons learned and what to do if it happens again, so the next team starts with your knowledge instead of a blank page.
8D Reports in One Click, Not One Afternoon
Every 8D produces two reports automatically. The one-page short report tells the story at a glance for customers or executives: what is wrong, why it happened, what you are doing about it and where it stands. The long report includes every single field, the full why chain, all actions and attachments. Print them, email them, or export to PDF, Word or Excel.
8D Reporting Built for Quality Managers and Directors
See every open problem and action across your plants without asking for a status update.
Know What Is Overdue
The overdue actions report groups late work by person responsible and by how long it has been overdue. Send each person a reminder with a single click.
See Where Problems Get Stuck
The problem summary shows open problems by 8D step, by plant and by month, plus the average age of open problems and how many have been open too long.
Track Team Workload and Completion Rates
The action summary shows open actions by person or type and their overall completion rate. Click any person or bar to filter the list.
Find Any Problem in Seconds
Search by keyword, part number, problem type, region, plant, department, owner, team member, date or any combination of these. Select results to generate a report or export to Excel.
Spot Trends With Built-In Charts
Failure mode pareto charts, problems by plant, opened versus closed over time and problems by process step filtered by problem type, region, plant, department, owner, team member, date, status or any combination of these.
8D Software Built for Your Process
Already have an 8D report template your customers expect? We replicate your existing forms in PHRED, so your team keeps the format they know. PHRED also supports A3, 5 Whys and custom workflows, with templates such as customer complaints, supplier complaints (SCARs), internal problems, audit findings and any other templates you need. You can edit/add them yourselves at any time using our built-in Admin tool.
Getting Started is Simple
Step 1: Consult
Show us your current 8D forms, spreadsheets and pain points.
Step 2: Build and Implement
We replicate your process in PHRED, so training is minimal.
Step 3: Optimize
We keep refining the system as your needs change.
8D Software FAQs
What is an 8D report?
An 8D report documents the Eight Disciplines problem-solving method: forming a team, defining the problem, containing it, finding the root cause, choosing and implementing corrective actions, preventing recurrence and recognizing the team. Customers often require a thorough 8D report when a defect is reported to them.
What does 8D software do that Excel can't?
8D software assigns actions, sends reminders, flags overdue work, catches repeat problems and builds reports automatically. Every 8D is stored in one searchable database instead of scattered files/filing cabinets.
Is PHRED difficult to use?
PHRED walks users through each step with clear questions and built-in tips, so team members who only join an 8D now and then can contribute without training on the method.
Can managers see overdue actions across plants?
Yes. Overdue, action and problem summary reports can cover every region, plant and department, and you can send reminders directly from the overdue report. Regularly scheduled emails can be sent to managers weekly or monthly with all currently open items in their responsible areas.
Can PHRED use our existing 8D template?
Yes. We replicate your current 8D forms in PHRED, so your reports keep the format your team and customers already use.
Is our data secure?
PHRED is SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified and supports single sign-on (SSO).