Corrective action plan template

When teams fail to document problems or follow up on corrective actions, issues can recur, sometimes with more severe consequences. If a team member misses a milestone, fails to comply, or has ongoing nonconformity, acting without a structured response puts business operations at risk.

A corrective action plan template provides a step-by-step workflow to identify problems, uncover root causes, assign responsibility, and implement corrective actions. It helps managers keep each team member responsible, set timeframes for improvements, and prevent issues from happening again.

Who benefits from corrective action plan templates?

We’ve seen how recurring problems can stall a team’s progress and damage trust between its members. Using a corrective action plan template can help put everyone on the same page, so accountability and transparency don’t fall through the cracks.

Quality assurance teams

Use corrective and preventative action (CAPA) templates to document nonconformities, investigate causes, and monitor implementation of action steps that meet regulatory requirements.

Business owners and department leads

Monitor business operations more effectively by setting detailed expectations, deadlines, and metrics for follow-up and resolution.

Project managers

Coordinate with team members, assign tasks, and ensure everyone meets milestones on time to meet deadlines.

HR and compliance teams

Respond to non-compliance issues with well-documented resolution plans, while maintaining transparency with stakeholders.

Manufacturing and operations teams Improve work processes, reduce error rates, and resolve safety or quality issues with detailed action tracking.

Why use Asana’s corrective action plan template?

Corrective action plans only work if they’re easy to manage. That’s why Asana’s free corrective action plan template gives teams one place to log issues, document solutions, and track resolution over time.

Use this template to:

• Define the problem and document its impact on business operations

• Perform a root cause analysis using pre-defined methods

• Assign a person responsible for each action item

• Track due dates, milestones, and review periods

• Maintain a structured, repeatable corrective action process

How to use this corrective action plan template

Each section in this template reflects a critical stage of the corrective action process. Columns like Impact Level, Root Cause Analysis Method, and Verification help you organize details, monitor progress, and report progress. Use this corrective action plan template to simplify follow-up and reduce legal risk.

Step 1: Project overview

Begin by outlining the scope of the corrective action plan. Include reference numbers, affected areas, and the reason for starting the plan. Add the CAP Reference Number, assign owners, and set initial due dates.

Use this section to give everyone the same starting point. A short summary of context, like what triggered the plan and which teams are involved, helps people understand why the plan matters and how their role connects to the larger goal.

Step 2: Problem description and impact

Describe the issue or noncompliance. What went wrong? What are the consequences? Use the Impact Level column to rate severity, and be specific to help brainstorm appropriate solutions.

Include any evidence that supports your findings, such as reports, photos, or logs. This extra context helps everyone understand the full scope of the issue before corrective actions begin.

Step 3: Root cause analysis

Use this section to identify and document the root cause of the problem. Specify the Root Cause Analysis Method (e.g., 5 Whys, fishbone diagram) used. This step ensures your solution addresses the real issue, not just symptoms.

Invite input and feedback from cross-functional team members to make your analysis stronger. Each perspective can uncover different factors that contribute to the issue, which ensures your fix goes deeper than surface-level symptoms.

Step 4: Corrective and preventive action plan

List each corrective action item with its corresponding Action Type (corrective vs. preventive). Assign a person responsible and link each action to the root cause. Add due dates and milestones to keep your plan on schedule. Make this section actionable and realistic. Each step should be easy to follow and measurable, so team members can see progress from start to finish.

Step 5: Verification and validation

Track how you will verify and implement that each corrective action is working. Use the Verification and Effectiveness Review Period columns to document follow-up efforts and measure success. Schedule checkpoints to confirm that your corrective actions are actually preventing recurrence. These reviews will help you build confidence in the process and identify lessons for future plans.

Step 6: Final sign-off

Once all action items are completed and validated, document formal approvals or sign-offs. This confirms that you've closed the corrective action plan, and you've fully implemented changes.

Use this final section to summarize what you achieved and acknowledge contributors. Reviewing lessons learned here helps refine future corrective action plans and improve your team’s workflow.

Asana documentation features

Asana turns this free corrective action plan template into a reliable, collaborative process. We’ve included a few of our go-to documentation features in this template, but you’re definitely not limited to these. Visit the complete list of Asana features to find even more inspiration.

Custom fields 

Track the level of impact, root cause, or verification methods for all of your team’s CAPA records. Custom fields make reporting and filtering easy.

Automation rules

Set up automated reminders for due dates or trigger follow-up tasks when completing action steps.

Project views 

Toggle between list, calendar, board, and timeline views to visualize your corrective action plan’s milestones, so nothing slips through the cracks.

Approvals

Update stakeholders using built-in approvals for validation steps or sign-offs without extra emails.

Attachments 

Store reports, screenshots, or documentation directly within each task for full context.

Recommended integrations for your corrective action plan templates

Integrations let you connect Asana to the tools your team already uses, without needing to jump back and forth between platforms. You'll find a few of our favorite integrations for corrective action plans below, but be sure to review our app integration hub to find your go-to tools.

Slack 

Notify team members in Slack when anyone assigns, updates, or validates corrective actions within your Asana project.

Google Drive 

Sync any root cause analysis documents, reports, or training materials related to the CAPA directly from Google to Asana.

Microsoft Word 

Export CAPA summaries or final sign-off documentation for compliance or auditing purposes directly into Microsoft workspaces and vice versa.

Zoom

Add Zoom links to tasks when corrective actions require stakeholder reviews or virtual meetings.

Google Sheets 

Track action items and metrics by syncing your Asana project with Google Sheets.

FAQs about corrective action plan templates