Non-Conformance Report Processing
A non-conformance, a batch, part, or product that fails to meet a specification, needs to be logged, contained so it doesn't ship or get used further, dispositioned by someone with the authority to decide use-as-is, rework, or scrap, and tracked through to a closed record, and every one of those steps has a way to go wrong under production pressure. An NCR written up on a paper form or in an informal note can get lost before it's ever logged in the system of record, containment sometimes doesn't actually happen because the flagged material keeps moving through the line while the paperwork catches up later, and disposition decisions get made verbally by whoever's available rather than by someone with the documented authority to make that call.
STARTING PRICE
From €299
Standard tier · Multi-step workflow with AI extraction/decisioning and 2-3 integrations.
Get a quote →Saves roughly 3-5 hrs/week for a production quality team processing a steady volume of non-conformances.
How the automation works
We log every non-conformance the moment it's raised, whatever the source, inspection, customer complaint, internal audit, and immediately flag the affected material or lot for containment, so the non-conforming item is tracked as held from further use until a disposition decision is made and recorded. Disposition, use-as-is, rework, scrap, routes to someone with the documented authority for that decision, and the decision along with its justification is recorded against the NCR, not made informally and reconstructed later. Where a non-conformance indicates a systemic issue rather than an isolated event, it's linked into your CAPA process automatically, and every NCR stays open in the system until containment, disposition, and any required corrective linkage are all complete and documented. Disposition decisions (use-as-is, rework, scrap, return-to-vendor) are logged with the deciding authority's sign-off and rationale, creating a defensible record for a customer or auditor asking why a specific non-conforming lot was accepted rather than rejected.
Process flow
- 01
Non-conformance logged trigger
An NCR is created the moment a non-conformance is identified, from any source, inspection, complaint, or internal audit, with the affected material or lot identified.
- 02
Flag material for containment output
The affected material or lot is flagged as held, blocking it from further use or shipment until disposition is decided and recorded.
- 03
Route for authorized disposition output
The NCR routes to a person with documented disposition authority, use-as-is, rework, or scrap, and the decision with its justification is recorded against the record.
- 04
Assess for systemic linkage ai
Where the non-conformance pattern or severity indicates a systemic issue, the NCR is linked automatically into your CAPA process rather than closed as an isolated event.
- 05
Close on full completion output
The NCR closes only once containment, disposition, and any required CAPA linkage are complete and documented, not on partial completion.
Inputs
- Non-conformance source data (inspection, complaint, audit)
- Material and lot identification
- Disposition authority assignments
- CAPA linkage criteria
Outputs
- Logged NCR with containment status
- Recorded disposition decision and justification
- CAPA linkage for systemic non-conformances
- Full NCR closure record
Works with
Prefer a fully custom build instead of an off-the-shelf integration? We scope both options during your free consultation — most jobs like this one work fine on standard connectors, but higher-volume or non-standard systems sometimes need bespoke API work, reflected in the complex tier.
Where this goes wrong if you get it wrong
- A non-conformance identified on the line but not logged until the shift ends, or logged on a paper form that takes days to reach the system of record, creates a window where the affected material keeps moving through production or shipment before containment actually takes effect, logging and containment need to happen at the moment of identification, not after the fact.
- A disposition decision made verbally by whoever happened to be nearby, without documented authority for that specific decision, creates a record that won't hold up if the disposition is later questioned, especially a use-as-is decision on product that later has a field issue, disposition needs to route to and be recorded against someone with the documented authority for that call.
- Treating every non-conformance as an isolated event misses the pattern that matters, three non-conformances on the same part from the same root cause over a quarter is a systemic problem that needs a CAPA, not three individually dispositioned and closed NCRs that never get connected to each other.
- An NCR marked closed once disposition is decided, before containment is confirmed complete or before any required CAPA linkage is actually opened, understates what's still outstanding, closure needs to require every required step complete, not just the decision step.
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from CAPA tracking?
NCR processing handles the immediate containment and disposition of a specific non-conforming item or lot; a CAPA is opened separately when a non-conformance or pattern of them points to a systemic issue needing root cause analysis and preventive action.
Who makes the disposition decision?
Disposition routes to whoever holds documented authority for that decision in your quality system, use-as-is, rework, or scrap, and the automation enforces that routing rather than allowing an informal call by anyone available.
Does every NCR result in a CAPA?
No, only non-conformances that indicate a systemic issue based on your defined criteria link into CAPA automatically; isolated, one-off non-conformances close through disposition alone.
What happens to material flagged for containment?
It's tracked as held from further use or shipment until a disposition decision is recorded, preventing it from continuing through production or reaching a customer while the paperwork is still open.