How to Log and Manage Nonconformances (NCRs)

This guide explains how to raise a Nonconformance Report (NCR) when a product or process does not meet requirements, and how to record the disposition — required by ISO 9001:2015 §8.7.

What Is a Nonconformance?

A nonconformance is any product, lot, or process that fails to meet a specified requirement. This includes:

• Dimensions out of tolerance
• Wrong material or finish
• Customer return or field failure
• Failed visual inspection
• Process deviation

Every nonconformance must be documented, contained, and dispositioned. NCRs are the primary traceability mechanism for nonconforming product.

Prerequisites

• Any logged-in user can raise an NCR
• Only a superuser (admin) can record a disposition or close the NCR

Navigating to Nonconformances

Click NCRs in the navigation bar, or go to /nonconformances.

The table shows all NCRs sorted by date raised, with status badges:

Status	Meaning
Open	Raised, awaiting review
Under Review	Being evaluated
Dispositioned	Decision made, awaiting verification
Closed	Fully resolved and documented

Raising an NCR

1. Click Raise NCR
2. Fill in the fields:

Field	Description	Required
Lot Number	The lot associated with the nonconformance
Part Number	The part number affected
Description	Clear description of what is wrong and how it was found	Yes
Containment Action	Immediate step taken (e.g. "Quarantined, awaiting review")

3. Click Save — the NCR is created with status Open

Tip: Be specific in the Description. "Out of tolerance" is less useful than "Bore diameter 0.502″ against 0.500 ± 0.001″ requirement on Lot 2024-041."

Recording a Disposition (Admin)

Once reviewed, a superuser records how the nonconforming product will be handled:

1. Find the NCR and click Edit
2. Set the Disposition:

Disposition	Meaning
Scrap	Product destroyed — cannot be used or shipped
Rework	Returned to production to bring into conformance
Use As Is	Accepted under concession with documented justification
Return to Supplier	Supplier is responsible; product returned

3. Complete the disposition fields:

Field	Description
Disposition Notes	Why this disposition was chosen (required for Use As Is)
Authorized By	Name of the person authorizing the decision
Customer Notified	Toggle on if the customer has been informed
Customer Notification Date	Date customer was notified

4. Update Status to Dispositioned and click Save

Closing an NCR

After rework is verified or product is removed from inventory:

1. Open the NCR and click Edit
2. Set Status to Closed
3. Add a brief note in Disposition Notes confirming completion
4. Click Save

Initiating a Corrective Action

If the same type of nonconformance recurs, or the root cause needs formal investigation, create a linked Corrective Action (CAPA). See the How to Manage Corrective & Preventive Actions guide.

⚠️ Warning: ISO 9001 requires that nonconforming product be clearly identified and segregated. If a lot is tagged as nonconforming in the system, physically segregate it to prevent accidental use or shipment.