A non-conformance report (NCR) is the formal record created when a product, material, or process output fails to meet a specified requirement, describing what failed, against which specification, how it was contained, and how it was resolved. The NCR is the paper trail that turns a shop-floor problem into data a quality system can act on.
A non-conformance is any departure from a defined requirement: a dimension out of tolerance, a wrong material certificate, a missed process step, a skipped test, or a supplier delivery that fails incoming checks. Not every non-conformance is a defect in the everyday sense; a perfectly functional part made from an unapproved material lot is still non-conforming. Our guide on nonconformance vs defect covers the distinction in detail.
Use-as-is means the deviation is formally accepted, usually with customer or engineering approval. Rework brings the item back into full conformance. Repair makes it functional but not fully conforming, which typically needs explicit authorization. Scrap removes it from the value stream, and return-to-supplier pushes the cost and correction upstream. The right choice balances safety, contract requirements, and cost.
An incoming check finds 120 machined shafts with an undersized bearing seat. Material and machining cost so far is 18 euro per part, so 2,160 euro is at risk. Rework by hard chrome plating and regrinding costs 9 euro per part (1,080 euro) and recovers all 120; scrapping them costs the full 2,160 euro plus a 3-week delivery slip. The team disposition is rework: total cost 1,080 euro instead of 2,160 euro, and the NCR data (undersized seat, supplier X, third occurrence this year) triggers a corrective action request to the supplier. Multiply cases like this across a year and NCR records become your best map of where quality cost actually comes from.
An NCR fixes the batch; corrective action fixes the system. Repeat NCRs on the same failure mode should escalate into a structured problem-solving process such as 8D or a CAPA, with the NCR trail as evidence. The seven quality tools, especially Pareto charts of NCR causes, tell you which few failure modes deserve that deeper treatment.
Many NCRs are discovered long after the parts were made, when tracing the cause is guesswork. Real-time production monitoring shortens that loop: when equipment stops, slows, or drifts, the event is visible immediately and can be tied to the exact time window and machine that produced the suspect parts. Fabrico combines live OEE and production monitoring with computer-vision-verified stop reasons and CMMS maintenance history, so quality teams can connect an NCR to what the machine was actually doing when the parts were produced.
Anyone who finds a suspected non-conformance should be able to trigger the process: operators, inspectors, warehouse staff, or engineers. Restricting NCR creation to the quality department slows detection and hides problems; quality then reviews, classifies, and manages the report.
No. An NCR documents and dispositions a specific non-conforming item or lot. A CAPA is a corrective and preventive action process that addresses the underlying cause, usually opened when NCRs repeat or the impact is serious.
Follow your industry and contract requirements; regulated industries often require years of retention. Practically, keep NCRs at least long enough to support trend analysis, supplier scorecards, and audits of the affected product's lifecycle.
Want to trace quality escapes back to real machine events instead of guesswork? Book a Fabrico demo.
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