8D Report Template
Answer a customer complaint from containment to a verified fix and closure.
Example loaded: oversize bore found by the customer.
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How to fill out an 8D report
- D0 to D2: decide, staff and describe. Name a team with process knowledge and an owner. Describe the problem with is / is not: what part, where found, when it started, how many, and what similar parts are not affected.
- D3: contain within a day. Quarantine and sort stock at your plant, in transit and at the customer. Record how many were checked and how many failed, so you know containment works.
- D4: find the occurrence and escape root causes. Use a fishbone for breadth and 5 Whys for depth. Verify each cause by turning the problem on and off, not by agreement in the room.
- D5 and D6: fix the cause and prove it. One action per root cause. Implement, then measure over a defined run before lifting containment.
- D7: prevent it elsewhere. Update the PFMEA, control plan and work instructions, and apply the fix to similar parts and lines.
- D8: close. Confirm with the customer, record lessons learned, and recognize the team.
8D example: oversize bore found by the customer
A filled 8D for a machined housing. The part, numbers and dates are an illustration, worked so they can be checked.
| Discipline | What the 8D says |
|---|---|
| D1 Team | Quality engineer (owner), machining lead, process engineer, inspection lead, supplier quality engineer. |
| D2 Problem | Customer found 14 housings with bore diameter 0.04 mm over the upper limit in a lot of 600 received on 12 March. Is: part 4410 bore, machine cell 2, second shift, lots from 10 to 12 March. Is not: cell 1, first shift, other bores on the same part. |
| D3 Containment | Customer stock (586 remaining) and our finished stock (1,150) 100% gauged within 24 hours: 31 more found over limit, all from cell 2 second shift. Bore gauged on every part at final until D6 is verified. |
| D4 Root cause | Occurrence: the boring tool offset is adjusted by hand at shift start, and second shift used the previous tool's offset after a tool change. Verified by reproducing the oversize with the old offset. Escape: final inspection samples 1 in 50 for this bore, so a run of oversize parts between samples passed. |
| D5 Corrective actions | Occurrence: tool offset loaded from the tool presetter by tool ID, manual entry locked. Escape: in-process probe on the bore every part, machine stops on out-of-tolerance. |
| D6 Verification | 3,000 parts over 4 weeks after the change: 0 over limit, bore Cpk 1.67 (was 0.94). 100% final gauging lifted on 15 April. |
| D7 Prevent recurrence | Same presetter lock and probe added to cells 1 and 3. PFMEA and control plan updated; offset entry removed from the setup work instruction. |
| D8 Closure | Customer accepted the 8D on 22 April. Lesson added to the new-machine launch checklist. |
Containment found 14 + 31 = 45 oversize parts in 600 + 1,150 = 1,750 checked (2.6%), all from one cell and shift, which matched the is / is not in D2 and pointed the root cause search at that shift's setup. D4 names both an occurrence and an escape cause, and D5 answers each one. For the method behind each step, see root cause analysis and RCCA; for capability before and after, see process capability.
Why this tool matters
An 8D is how a supplier shows a customer that a problem is contained, understood and fixed, in that order. The structure makes you protect the customer first (D3), then prove the cause with data (D4), then show the fix works before you stop sorting (D6). It also asks the question most investigations skip: why did the defect escape?
Facilitator tip
Write two root causes in D4, one for why the defect was made and one for why it escaped. Customers reject 8Ds that fix only one. And do not lift containment until D6 has the data.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 8 disciplines of an 8D report?
D1 form the team, D2 describe the problem, D3 contain it, D4 find and verify the root cause, D5 choose and verify permanent corrective actions, D6 implement them and confirm the effect, D7 prevent recurrence across similar products and processes, D8 close and recognize the team. Many forms add D0, the emergency response and the decision that an 8D is needed.
When should you use an 8D instead of an A3?
Use an 8D when a customer complaint or a quality escape needs a formal, traceable response, often in a format the customer specifies. Use an A3 for internal improvement problems. Both follow the same logic; the 8D adds explicit containment (D3) and escape-point analysis, which a customer will ask for.
What is the difference between D3 containment and D5 permanent corrective action?
D3 stops bad parts reaching the customer now: sort stock, add an inspection, quarantine. It does not fix the cause and usually adds cost. D5 removes the root cause so the containment can be lifted. An 8D that stops at D3 has protected the customer but will see the problem again.
What is the escape point in an 8D?
The earliest point in the process where the problem should have been detected and was not. A good D4 names two causes: why the defect was made (occurrence) and why it was not caught (escape). D5 needs an action for each.
How long should an 8D take?
Customers commonly expect containment (D3) within 24 to 48 hours, root cause and planned actions (D4 to D5) within about 2 weeks, and closure once the action has been verified over enough production to show it worked, often 30 to 90 days. Use the customer's own requirement when one is set.