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CAPA Log and Tracker Worksheet

A CAPA log is the control panel of a corrective action system. This worksheet keeps each CAPA with source, severity, owner and status, and calculates days overdue so late items stand out. Edit rows, add your own, and export to Excel for management review.

Download:

CAPA no.	Date opened	Source	Severity	Owner	Status	Target days to close (days)	Days open (days)	Days overdue (days)	Late (1 = yes)
								49	1
								0	0
								9	1
								0	0
								0	0

CAPAs listed

Total overdue days

CAPAs past target

Average days open

69.4

Share of CAPAs past target

40%

Late CAPAs divided by CAPAs listed.

Average overdue days per late CAPA

Enter days open as a number so the sheet works offline. In Excel you can replace it with TODAY() minus the opened date after export. Filter closed items out for an open CAPA report.

Feed the CAPA log from ERP data

Optional: we can look at your ERP quality events and outline how to build this register automatically.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use the CAPA log

Enter one row per CAPA with its number, opening date, source, severity and owner. Set the target days according to your procedure, for example shorter for high severity and longer for low. Update days open when you review the log, weekly or monthly. The sheet calculates days overdue and flags late items, then summarises the share past target and the average lateness. Sort by overdue days to run your review meeting, and export a copy for the management review pack.

One row per CAPA, one owner per row.
Set target days by severity.
Update days open at each review.
Sort by overdue days before the meeting.

Metrics worth tracking

Beyond overdue items, useful CAPA measures include average days to close, number opened by source, repeat CAPAs on the same cause, and the percentage verified as effective at first review. A rising count from one source, such as supplier issues, points to a systemic problem. A high reopen rate suggests weak root cause work. Track the age profile too: a few very old CAPAs usually indicate unclear ownership or actions waiting on resources, which management should resolve.

Common mistakes

Logs often fail because no one owns updating them, so dates are stale. Others mix actions and CAPAs, creating hundreds of rows with little meaning. Another trap is moving the target date whenever an item is late, which hides the problem. Keep the original target and record revisions separately with a reason. Finally, do not close a CAPA at action completion. Add a status for effectiveness check, as in this worksheet, so closure reflects evidence rather than activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a CAPA log include?

At minimum: number, date opened, source, description, severity or risk, owner, target and actual dates, status, linked NCRs or complaints, and effectiveness result. This worksheet covers the core columns and calculates overdue days.

How often should the CAPA log be reviewed?

Weekly at the quality team level and monthly or quarterly in management review is common. High severity items deserve closer attention. The review frequency should be written into your CAPA procedure.

Can I use this as a corrective action log for audits?

Yes as a register, but auditors will also want the underlying CAPA records, root cause evidence and effectiveness checks. Use the log as the index and keep each full record linked by CAPA number.

How do I calculate days open automatically?

After exporting to Excel, set days open to TODAY() minus the opened date for open items, and closed date minus opened date for closed ones. The overdue columns will update when you reopen the file.

If your CAPA data should come from ERP quality events rather than manual entry, we can help automate the feed and the overdue report.

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