The template
| Section | Field | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identification | NCR number · Date raised · Raised by · Area / line · Product, batch or process · Source (inspection, audit, supplier, customer, deviation) | |
| 2. Description | What was found · Requirement not met (spec, drawing, procedure, standard, clause) · Quantity affected · Evidence (photos, measurements) | |
| 3. Containment | Quarantine / hold · Line stopped? · Other batches checked · Customer notified? · By whom, when | |
| 4. Disposition | Rework · Repair · Use as is (concession no.) · Scrap · Return to supplier · Approved by | |
| 5. Root cause | Method (5 whys, fishbone) · Root cause statement · Why it was not detected | |
| 6. Corrective action | Action · Owner · Due date · Hierarchy-of-control level (safety) · Preventive action for similar processes | |
| 7. Verification | Evidence the action is complete · Evidence it is effective (measure, period) · Verified by, date | |
| 8. Closure | Closed by · Date · Lessons shared to |
A filled example
| Section | Entry |
|---|---|
| Identification | NCR-0412 · 14 Mar · Line 2 QC · Carton sealing · Batch 2403-17 · Source: in-process inspection |
| Description | 38 cartons with incomplete side seal; requirement: seal width ≥ 8 mm per packaging spec PS-21 rev 4; photos attached |
| Containment | Batch on hold; line stopped 20 min; previous two batches checked, no defects; no product shipped |
| Disposition | 38 cartons reworked through manual sealer and re-inspected; approved by QA lead |
| Root cause | Seal-bar temperature drifted after mid-shift clean; no check in the post-clean procedure; drift not visible to the operator |
| Corrective action | Add temperature check to post-clean checklist (supervisor, 21 Mar); fit drift alarm (engineer, 30 Apr); review other lines (QA, 30 Apr) |
| Verification | Checklist in use from 21 Mar; alarm fitted 26 Apr; zero seal NCRs in the following 8 weeks |
| Closure | QA manager, 30 Jun; shared at Tier 3 and to sister site |
How do you complete an NCR?
- Raise it the moment the non-conformance is found; do not wait for the end of shift.
- Contain first: stop the spread before you investigate.
- Describe against the requirement, with numbers and photos, not "poor quality".
- Decide disposition with the authority your procedure sets; record concessions.
- Find the root cause with the people who run the process, and ask why it was not detected as well as why it happened.
- Corrective actions get owners and dates; for safety, record the hierarchy level.
- Verify effectiveness over a period, then close and share.
Common mistakes
- Closing at "action assigned".
- Root cause written as "operator error".
- Disposition recorded, sections 5–7 blank.
- Repeat NCRs for the same cause with no project raised.
NCRs inside daily management
Open NCRs and overdue corrective actions appear on the quality section of the tier board. The daily huddle agrees containment and assigns the root cause work; the Tier 2 meeting reviews ageing NCRs and repeat causes, and turns repeats into improvement projects. The verification step is a dated action like any other.
Step by step
- Raise and contain. Record what was found against which requirement; hold the affected items and check adjacent batches.
- Disposition. Rework, repair, use as is with concession, scrap or return; approved by the set authority.
- Root cause. 5 whys or fishbone with the people who run the process; include why it was not detected.
- Corrective action. Actions with owners and dates on the tier board; preventive action where similar processes exist.
- Verify and close. Evidence of completion and effectiveness over a period; close, then share.
A worked example
A pharmaceutical packaging site had 140 open NCRs, most closed at the disposition step with root cause left blank. Making sections 5–7 mandatory and putting ageing NCRs on the Tier 2 agenda every Thursday cut the open count to 31 in a quarter. Three repeat causes accounted for 60 per cent of the historic NCRs; each became an improvement project, and the site's deviation rate at its next audit was the lowest recorded.