Using Recurrence Check (QMS)

The Vault QMS Recurrence Check feature is an intelligent and streamlined interface for users to determine whether a Quality Event is a recurrence of another Quality Event. With this feature configured, Vault can simplify a complex manual process with a simple user action where text search terms are automatically suggested by Vault. After performing the user action, the user is shown a set of potential records along with their similarity score in a side-by-side comparison user interface. When the analysis is complete, Vault stores the results and automatically links recurrent events by creating applicable related event records. If configured by an Admin, Vault also provides insights following recurrence check completion to advise next steps according to your organization’s processes.

The Recurrence Check feature supports custom and standard object types of the Complaint, Change Control, Change Plan, Deviation, Findings, Lab Investigation, Continuous Improvement, Nonconformance, and MedTech CAPA objects, as well as any custom and standard object types for the Quality Event object.

How Recurrence Checks Work

When you perform the recurrence check user action from a recently closed Quality Event, or at another point as defined by your business processes, Vault uses an advanced search algorithm to check certain text fields on the current object record against the same fields on applicable past object records.

Vault presents the results of this comparison in an easily understandable interface, showing only the most relevant record data from only the most relevant records. From here, you can review each record for potential recurrence and provide the appropriate responses to complete your analysis.

When you complete the check, Vault automatically creates relationship records joining any past records for which you identified the current record as a recurrence. Vault also stores a summary of the check you have completed as a related Record Check Result record on the current object record.

If configured by an Admin, Vault automatically navigates to an insights interface following recurrence check completion to help determine whether your organization can leverage an existing investigation, evaluate the effectiveness of existing CAPAs, and identify common root causes and other field values associated with identified recurrences.

Completing a Recurrence Check

To complete a recurrence check:

  1. From the Quality Event object record, select the Run Recurrence Check action from the Actions menu. The label of the action may differ depending on your Vault configuration. If configured by an Admin, Vault may perform the record check automatically once the object record reaches a particular lifecycle state and you should proceed to step 5. If there is a recurrence check in progress for the record, Vault prompts you to either discard or resume it.
  2. Optional: If the Run Recurrence Check dialog is displayed, select the Type of recurrence check to run from the drop-down. The dialog box displays the match criteria that Vault uses to search for recurrences.
  3. Optional: If the Suggested Match Terms dialog is displayed, you can add or remove terms as needed. These are the terms Vault will search for in previous object record fields. Click Continue. Vault performs the record check. There may be a 60-second delay between when you execute the record check and when Vault displays results.
  4. Once the record check is complete, Vault displays the applicable results in the record check interface. Review the presented records, select relationships, and provide justifications as needed.
  5. Once your review is complete, click Review.
  6. Optional: Click Refresh Icon to refresh your record check results according to the latest information in your Vault. This is useful when you want to query based on the latest information in the Vault and don’t want to discard the current record check and execute a new one.
  7. Review your record check results and click Complete. The Complete button only becomes available after you have provided all required relationships and justifications. Click Back to return to the object record without completing the recurrence check.

Vault automatically relates the records you have identified as matches to the current record, and creates a Record Check Result record with your review data. If an Admin has configured a Recurrence Check Insights page for the object and object type of the current record, Vault automatically navigates to this page. If recurrences and insights exist for that record, you will receive a notification.

If configured by an Admin, you can perform a user action on the Record Check Result record to create a report document with summary details.

Recurrence Check Delay

You may experience a 60-second delay between when you execute the record check and when Vault displays results in the following scenarios:

  • If a user executes a recurrence check within 60 seconds of creating or modifying the record
  • If a recurrence check returns records that were created or modified in the last 60

Re-Running a Recurrence Check

If you perform the recurrence check user action, and the current object record has a completed Record Check Result related record, Vault displays the Prior Record Check Complete dialog with several options:

  • Cancel: Do not perform the recurrence check.
  • Supersede Latest: Perform the recurrence check and, when complete, supersede only the most recent Record Check Result data, while preserving older Record Check Results.
  • Supersede All: Perform the recurrence check and supersede all previous Record Check Results on this record.
  • Preserve: Perform the recurrence check and do not supersede any previous Record Check Results.

You must have the following permissions to use recurrence checks:

Type Permission Controls
Security Profile Object: Quality Event: [object type]: Read, Edit Ability to view Quality Event records of this object type in the recurrence check interface and add relationship data during review