Why track open 8Ds in one place
A missed 8D deadline rarely comes from one hard case. It comes from five open complaints from three customers, each with its own portal, reference and clock, kept in email folders. The containment date slips on the quiet one while everyone works on the loud one.
A tracker doesn’t write a better 8D. It shows, every morning, which case is due next, which step it is really at, and who owns the next action. Use it for the 8Ds your customers request from you, or, as a buyer, for the SCARs you have open with your suppliers.
What the tracker covers
| Columns | What goes in them |
|---|---|
| ID, customer, part, complaint or SCAR ref | One row per open case. Use the customer’s reference so you can match their portal or email. |
| Received | The date the complaint or SCAR reached you. All due dates count from here. |
| Current step | Drop-down: D0 to D8 or Closed. It shows where the case really is, not where the form is. |
| D3 due / D3 done | Containment due date (formula) and the date containment was in place. |
| D4/D5 due / D4/D5 sent | Due date for root cause and planned actions, and the date you sent them. |
| D8 due / D8 closed | Due date for the closed 8D and the date the customer closed it. |
| Owner, next action | One name and one concrete next step per row. |
| Status, days late | Formulas: On track, Due soon, OVERDUE D3 / D4/D5 / D8, or Closed. Overdue rows turn red, due soon turns amber. |
A Settings sheet holds the targets in working days. Change them once per customer or copy the file per customer. Three fictional example rows show an overdue, an on-track and a closed case; delete them before use. The PDF is a blank printable version for a whiteboard or a weekly meeting.
How the overdue flags work
Each due date is the received date plus the target in working days. The status checks the steps in order: if D3 is past due with no done date, the row says OVERDUE D3; then D4/D5 with no sent date; then D8. Within the warning window before D8 it says Due soon. A closed date or the step Closed greys the row out. Days late counts calendar days past the missed date.
The flags only know the dates you enter. A D4/D5 “sent” date for a report the customer sent back is not the same as a finished D4, so set the step back and note it in the next action.
How to use it
- Enter the case on the day it arrives, with the customer’s own deadlines on the Settings sheet if they differ.
- Review it at a fixed time, for example the daily quality meeting: red rows first, then amber.
- One owner, one next action: “waiting for the customer” is a status, not an action. Write who does what by when.
- Tell the customer before a date passes. If a date will slip, follow the steps in missed 8D deadline: what to do.
- Check the report, not only the date: before sending, run the supplier SCAR 8D checklist. Buyers issuing requests can start from the SCAR template.
Reviews are paused for now. Check your 8D yourself with the free 21-item PDF checklist.
8D Gate’s AI review is paused for now. The checklist and templates are free to use; your customer’s requirements always come first.
Weak vs strong: a tracker row
Illustrative, fictional example from a metal stamping supplier with an open customer complaint:
| Field | Weak | Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Next action | Waiting | Run the gauge study on line 2 by Thursday (owner: process engineer) |
| Current step | In progress | D4: two candidate causes, verification test booked |
| D4/D5 sent | (blank, due date passed, nobody told the customer) | Interim 8D sent on the due date with D4 marked open and a new date |
The strong row tells anyone in the meeting what happens next and shows the customer heard about the delay before the date passed. The same layout works in other sectors: a food plant would track lot codes and retailer complaint numbers, an electronics assembler the customer’s RMA or 8D number.
FAQ
- How is this different from the 8D deadline calculator?
- The calculator works out the due dates for one complaint in your browser. The tracker keeps every open supplier 8D or SCAR in one sheet, with the same default targets, the current D-step and an overdue flag per row.
- Are the default deadlines a standard?
- No. The defaults (D3 in 1 working day, D4/D5 in 5, D8 in 20) are typical customer targets, not a standard. Change them on the Settings sheet to match each customer’s requirements; theirs always come first.
- Does it work in Google Sheets or LibreOffice?
- It uses plain formulas (WORKDAY, TODAY, IF) and conditional formatting, which Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets open. Working days skip weekends, not public holidays.
- What does 8D Gate check?
- 8D Gate’s AI review is paused for now. Meanwhile, use the free 21-item PDF checklist and the free 8D templates to check the report yourself before it goes to the customer. It isn’t a customer decision.
Check it before you send
Before the 8D goes to the customer, go through the free 21-item 8D checklist.
Reviews are paused for now. Check your 8D yourself with the free 21-item PDF checklist.
8D Gate’s AI review is paused for now. The checklist and templates are free to use; your customer’s requirements always come first.
Get the free 8D / D4 checklist
Optional. The tracker downloads above are free, no card. Want the D1–D8 checklist too, with more on root cause, escape and verification? Leave your address here and it downloads right away.
Get the free 8D / D4 checklist