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There has been some confusion concerning when to use the OFI (Opportunity for Improvement),
CPAR (Corrective/Preventive Action Request) and NCR (Nonconformance Report) processes. They
are an important part of the EEP and are required by the ISO/API quality standards. The NCR and the
CPAR are addressed in the sections on Nonconformance control and Corrective/Preventive action,
while the OFI is covered under the Continual Improvement section of the applicable industry
standard(s) and our QMS (Quality Management System).

In the following paragraphs, we have provided a brief discussion covering what these processes are
and where to use them. Hopefully this will help eliminate the confusion and make them easier to use.

The OFI process provides an individual the means of communicating to management those situations
that make it difficult for him to improve. It also allows him to identify those instances where
opportunities for improvement exist. The individual, along with his supervisor, document the situation
using the WPTS (Weatherford Performance Tracking System) and a resolution should generally be
obtained at the natural work group level. Incidents that cannot be satisfactorily resolved at this level
may require involvement of the more detailed CPAR process. The OFI is used to address incidents
that are typically local in scope and is usually completed in one to two weeks.

The CPAR process provides a systematic method of resolving problems through the use of the 5-Step
problem solving technique. The incident is documented in the WPTS database and a CAT is assigned
to conduct the investigation. Once the actual root cause(s) is determined, applicable
corrective/preventive action is developed and implemented. The effectiveness of the actions taken is
verified and if found to be acceptable, the incident is closed. The CPAR is used to address incidents
that are more global in scope and generally include; customer complaints, field equipment problems,
audit findings, HSSE concerns and identified trends. Completion of a CPAR may take anywhere from
a couple of days to several months depending on the nature of the incident.

The NCR process provides a means of documenting and dispositioning nonconformances related to a
specific group of parts or products and is primarily used by manufacturing facilities. Items found to be
out of specification/print tolerance are submitted to the specified authority for disposition. Disposition
decisions typically include, Accept, Rework, Scrap or Return to the Vendor. If it is decided to accept
an item for use in its current condition, a technical justification must also be provided. NCR’s are
analyzed to identify potential trends. If a trend exists, it is documented on a CPAR for further review
and analysis. The NCR is used to address nonconformances that apply to a specific group of parts. The
parts are put on hold and quarantined in a “designated” area until a disposition/justification is
determined. The completion of an NCR is generally required in a relatively short timeframe.

If you are not familiar with the EEP, please visit our site on The Exchange and view one of our
overview presentations. The path is Enterprise Excellence, Process Overview, Presentations.

William Black
Director – Quality
Weatherford International
Ph: 713-693-4894
Email: William.Black@weatherford.com