When to do an 8D

Do an 8D when:

• You do not know the cause or causes of the problem

• It's a repeat problem (perhaps previous attempts at solving it have failed)

• It's a serious problem (e.g. high cost, safety issue, etc.)

• It affects subsequent or dependent operations

• It's hard to define

• There is disagreement regarding the problem and/or solution

Don't do an 8D if:

• It's a small, isolated non-conformance that's easily fixed with no likelihood of repeating

• The cost of performing the solution exceeds any possible future problems due to not solving it