The blank template
| Task / decision | Role 1 | Role 2 | Role 3 | Role 4 | Role 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | |||||
| Task 2 | |||||
| Task 3 | |||||
| Task 4 | |||||
| Task 5 | |||||
| Task 6 |
R = Responsible (does the work) · A = Accountable (owns the outcome; one per row) · C = Consulted (input before) · I = Informed (told after)
A filled example: closing a quality non-conformance
| Task | Operator | Supervisor | Quality manager | Maintenance planner | Site manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise the non-conformance | R | I | A | ||
| Contain the affected product | R | A | C | I | |
| Root cause analysis | C | R | A | C | |
| Implement the corrective action | R | A | C | R | |
| Verify the fix held | R | A | I | ||
| Close and update the standard | I | R | A | I | I |
How do you build a RACI matrix?
- List the tasks or decisions, in the order they happen, down the left.
- List the roles across the top. Five to eight is usual; more than ten means the process should be split.
- Fill each cell. Blank is allowed and often right.
- Check each row: one A, at least one R, Cs only where their input genuinely changes the outcome.
- Check each column: a role that is A on every row is a bottleneck; a role with nothing but I may not need to be on the chart.
- Agree it with the people in the roles. A RACI nobody has seen is a wish.
What are the common mistakes?
- Naming people rather than roles.
- Making the senior person A for everything.
- Consulting everyone, so decisions wait for the slowest reply.
- Filing it after the kickoff and never looking again.
RACI and daily management
A RACI tells you who should own each type of action; the tier board shows whether they do. When an action type keeps being reassigned or overdue, the RACI is where the fix is made: give it a clear R and A and put it back on the board.
Step by step
- List the tasks. Every step and decision in the process, in order, one per row.
- List the roles. Across the top, as roles not names, five to eight of them.
- Assign R, A, C, I. Fill the cells; leave blanks where a role has no part.
- Check rows and columns. One A per row, at least one R, no bottleneck columns.
- Agree and publish. Walk it through with the people named, then put it where the work happens.
A worked example
A food plant kept missing CAPA closure dates. Their RACI for non-conformances showed the quality manager as A and R for every row, including implementing fixes on equipment the maintenance team controlled. Rewriting it made the supervisor R for implementation, the maintenance planner R for equipment changes and the quality manager A for verification and closure only. Overdue CAPAs fell within two months because each action on the board now had an owner who could actually do it.