Quality reviews find the same defects repeatedly. How do we improve prevention?
Repeated defect causesUse recurring findings to improve upstream work, examples, and checks. More inspection alone will not solve a process that continues generating the same defect.
What to do now
- Group defects by recurring cause
- Identify where prevention is practical
- Change the relevant work method or check
- Verify recurrence falls in later work
When to escalate
Escalate when
Repeated defects indicate a systemic control failure.
Who decides
The acceptance authority and relevant quality owner
Example
A recurring data-format defect leads to validation at entry rather than repeated cleanup at export.
Mistake to avoid
Telling staff to be more careful without changing the process.
Prevent a repeat
Check that closure evidence proves the agreed outcome instead of relying only on a completion percentage.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Tasks
- Documents
- Approvals
Attach acceptance criteria and test evidence to the deliverable or task, then record the authorized review decision. See the platform
Related cases
- Can we launch with known defects?Uncontrolled residual quality exposure
- How do we measure quality without counting defects alone?Narrow quality metrics
- The client changes their mind repeatedly. How do we manage the relationship?Repeated preference changes
- Should defects always go into the next sprint?Context-free defect prioritization