ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | MARCH 2026 27 have a book, but it is a very useful tool to consider and have available. Some investigations initially seem very simple but grow in complexity as evidence and interactions of the failed components are identified. Beginning the investigation with the concept of maintaining an organized book is considerably easier than trying to create one well into the investigation. The best way to set up the book is to have each of the 8P processes as a separate section to retain the information obtained. Additional sections should be included as needed such as test results, general contact lists, and any additional pertinent information. Keeping the book up to date will help maintain a chronological order to the investigation. The book will also prove very beneficial in com- piling the final report. P-8 Presentation. When the investigation is complete, it is now time to write the final report and present it to management, customers, and all interested parties. This part of the process should be the sole responsibility of the team leader. The report should present the facts and only the facts of the investigation in a clear concise manner with specific conclusions, recommendations, and corrective actions. Personal opinion is not part of the process. In an ideal situation and after an effective and successful investigation identifies the TRC, the report should reflect the desired steps and corrective action to eliminate the TRC. Unfortunately, for a multitude of reasons, the TRC occasionally eludes discovery and the investigation falls into the “cold case” files. When this happens, a final report is still required describing the investigation and reason(s) the TRC was not determined. This will be a valuable source of reference when and if a similar failure occurs. It is also wise to create a database for all failures that is readily searchable to help identify recurring problems. Extreme care must be taken to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the report. The damage that can be done to a career by expounding at great length on a failure cause only to be proven wrong can be devastating. Remember this: They will seldom remember when you were right, but seldom forget when you are proven to be wrong. IMPLEMENTATION OF CORRECTIVE ACTION As with any process, the system once established and implemented should always be open to revision and continual improvement. After some time, it was found necessary to add a ninth step to the 8P Process: P-0 prevention, also identified as corrective action. P-0 Prevention (Corrective Action). With the original design of the 8P process for failure investigations there was a reliance on the final report to be the summation of the process and to identify corrective and preventive actions required. That reliance was also predicated on the belief that the report’s distribution, conclusions, and recommendations would be read, understood, and any corrective action required would automatically be implemented. That seemingly gave the premise that once the report was issued and distributed, the failure investigation team had done their job; so time to move on to the next crisis. That may sound good in theory, but as with any effective corrective and preventive action (CAPA) process, there must be a follow up to verify effectiveness of the CAPA. This is where the investigation and identifi- cation of the TRC gets a bit tricky when it comes to permanent corrective and preventive actions. As was discussed in the first article of this series, the purpose of the failure investigation is threefold: 1. Identify the TRC of the failure and eliminate it via corrective action 2. Initiate product and manufacturing improvements 3. Protect life and property Identifying the TRC of the failure and eliminating it is the purpose of applying corrective and preventive action to the source of the failure. It must be kept in mind that of the three purposes of the investigation, if the first is not accomplished then the second purpose cannot be implemented, and likewise the third purpose cannot be guaranteed. As has been established, the entire success of the failure investigation process relies on determining the TRC of the failure or specifically the “why.” If that goal is not accomplished, the investigation will remain open as a cold case and therefore CAPA opportunities are not possible to implement. SUMMARY All problem-solving processes or procedures must have a systematic approach to be effective. The 8P process is an effective tool to ensure the failure investigation process is properly performed and documented. Literally hundreds of failure investigations ranging from very simple to extremely complex were conducted under the direction of this author during his career as a metallurgist. For additional information or templates for the forms utilized in the 8P process, contact the author at jlhess50@gmail. com. ~AM&P For more information: Jeffrey L. Hess, retired manager of metallurgy and quality engineering, Auburn Gear LLC, Auburn, IN 46706, jlhess50@gmail.com. Selected References 1. J.L. Hess, Failure Investigations: A Systematic Problem-Solving Process, Part I, Advanced Materials & Processes, Vol. 183, Issue 8, November/December 2025. 2. J.L. Hess, Failure Investigations: A Systematic Problem-Solving Process, Part II, Advanced Materials & Processes, Vol. 184, Issue 1, January 2026. 3. R.H. McSwain, Visual Examination and Photography in Failure Analysis, ASM Handbook, Vol. 11, Failure Analysis and Prevention. 4. D.J. Wulpi, Understanding How Components Fail, third edition, ASM International, Materials Park, Ohio, 2013.
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