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    8D report example

    This is a worked 8D example based on a common manufacturing defect: intermittent surface scratches on a machined aluminium housing shipped to an automotive Tier 1 customer. It shows what each discipline looks like when done properly.

    Key takeaways

    • Realistic 8Ds have gaps and revisions — that is a feature, not a defect.
    • Root cause reproduction is the key evidence a customer looks for.
    • System updates (D7) are as important as the corrective action itself.

    D1–D3 (team, containment, description)

    D1: 5-person team (leader from plant quality, process engineer, tooling engineer, supplier-quality contact, customer interface).

    D2: quarantine of all housings shipped in the previous 30 days (both plant + Tier 1 site); 100% visual inspection on the machining line; interim response to customer within 24 hours.

    D3: Is — scratches on top face only, second shift only, machining line B. Is-Not — no scratches on other faces, no scratches on line A, no scratches on first or third shift. Defect rate on second shift line B: 0.7% (14 defective out of 1,980 units).

    D4 — Root cause

    Candidate causes from Ishikawa included fixture wear, tool wear, coolant contamination, operator handling, chip evacuation and part-transfer robot end-effector. Is-Not analysis eliminated tool wear (would affect other faces) and coolant (would affect all shifts).

    Reproduction: with a worn end-effector rubber pad reinstalled on the transfer robot, the defect returned within 40 units. With a new pad, defect rate dropped to 0.0%. Root cause: worn rubber pad on second-shift transfer robot, previously replaced ad-hoc rather than on schedule.

    Escape cause: pad wear was not on the preventive maintenance schedule and not in the PFMEA detection controls.

    D5–D8 — Verification, prevention, closure

    D5: pad replaced on all shifts; observation window of 3 weeks / 42,000 units on line B; defect rate on top face: 0.0%. Customer field data: no new complaints.

    D6: same replacement rolled out to line A.

    D7: PFMEA updated with new failure mode (transfer-robot pad wear); control plan updated with visual pad-condition check every shift; PM schedule updated with 30-day pad replacement.

    D8: customer sign-off received on day 26; team recognised in monthly quality review; lessons learned tagged "machining / transfer-robot / surface defect".

    Frequently asked questions

    Is this a real 8D?
    It is a composite based on common manufacturing scenarios. The structure and phase depths reflect what customer auditors expect.
    Do all 8Ds have such a clean reproduction step?
    No — reproduction is the gold standard but not always achievable. Where reproduction is not possible, D4 relies on stratified data analysis and designed experiments.
    Where should we store worked examples?
    Lessons-learned index, tagged by product family, process and failure mode. See D8 for details.

    Related guides

    Getting started
    What is 8D problem solving?
    8D is a structured, team-based problem-solving method used to contain defects, find root cause and prevent recurrence. Learn how it works in practice.
    Getting started
    The 8D steps explained
    Walk through each of the 8D steps — D1 team, D2 containment, D3 problem description, D4 root cause, D5–D8 corrective action, prevention and closure.
    Getting started
    8D report structure
    Structure of an 8D report — header, D1–D8 sections, evidence, approvals and appendices. Includes the fields customers typically require.
    Industry & intent
    8D for automotive
    Automotive customers have specific expectations for 8D — interim response times, phase gates, PPAP evidence and PFMEA/control plan updates.
    Software & templates
    8D software
    8D software gives every investigation a repeatable D1–D8 structure, linked evidence and audit-ready exports. See what a modern 8D workspace looks like.

    Replace your 8D template with a structured workspace

    Qhubio gives every investigation a repeatable structure — D1 through D8, with linked evidence and a clean report at the end.

    Open Qhubio 8D Back to the 8D hub