Nonconformances

A nonconformance links directly to the inspection that exposed the problem. It records detection date, severity, description and status. That relationship lets the quality team see the original inspection and its check observations while the outcome is decided. A case at Containment signals that affected scope needs attention while an owner investigates. The later Investigation and Disposition states keep the follow-up separate from the initial inspection result.

Use Minor, Major or Critical for severity according to a policy agreed by Quality Manager. The label should reflect the finding being investigated, not the urgency of an unrelated production order. A good description identifies the affected subject and observed failure in language the corrective action owner can use.

• Detection. Quality Reviewer opens the inspection and its failed checks before creating a linked nonconformance.
• Containment. The case is set to Containment for responsible follow-up. Its inspection link remains visible to anyone reviewing the scope.
• Resolution. Investigation develops the cause; Disposition records the quality path; Closed finishes the case after the related work is reviewed.

The Nonconformance queue shows active cases with severity and detection date. The Containment board removes dates from its main lanes so the current state is easy to scan during a quality meeting. Open the record for the full description and inspection context.

Agree what evidence is enough to identify failed inspection scope. Decide which reviewer raises the case, how an owner is assigned through the operating process, and who decides when containment can move to Investigation. Use the linked inspection’s subject reference to identify the physical scope for the people handling containment.

Define the severity scale and what each status means in everyday work. A status should indicate a real handoff: the failed scope has been seen, investigation has started, or a disposition has been made. Agree when an issue needs a linked corrective action, who reviews that action, and what evidence allows the nonconformance to close.

A Final inspection contains a failed check with an evidence attachment. At Review, Quality Reviewer opens the failed check and creates a nonconformance linked to its inspection before recording the Rejected outcome. The case begins at Containment with the detection date, severity and a description of the defect. Corrective Action Owner can return to the original inspection to understand exactly what failed before recording root cause.

Rehearse a second case where the inspection number is known but the check evidence is missing. Do not advance the case on a bare status label; send the underlying check back for a usable observation. Rehearse a defect that first appears as a board record or an ESD Fail. The reviewer should be able to navigate from that evidence to the inspection and then to the contained case, preserving the physical identity and the decision history.

• Nonconformance queue — Active cases with inspection, severity, detection date and current state.
• Containment board — Current work grouped by state for a short quality review.
• Failed checks — The inspection detail that explains why the case was opened.

See containment and correction and inspection review.