A firm has discovered a product quality issue.

Quality Issue Response: Addressing a quality issue requires a systematic approach to identify and eliminate the problem.

Root Cause Analysis: The first step is to understand why the issue occurred to prevent recurrence. This involves investigating the processes, materials, and procedures that may have contributed to the defect.

Explanation of Choice:

Option B: Separating non-conforming products is necessary but should follow root cause analysis.

Option C: Tracing the location of faulty products is part of containment but not the first step.

Option D: Replacing faulty products addresses customer satisfaction but does not prevent future issues.