The primary clause is AS9100 clause 8.7, Control of nonconforming outputs. That is the clause that directly addresses how an organization identifies, contains, evaluates, disposes of, and records nonconforming product or process output.
That said, if you are asking what clauses auditors and quality teams usually look at in connection with nonconforming product, the answer is broader than 8.7 alone.
Core clause
- 8.7 Control of nonconforming outputs: This is the specific requirement for preventing unintended use or delivery of nonconforming product, defining disposition, obtaining required approvals where applicable, and retaining evidence of the nonconformity and resulting actions.
Closely related clauses
- 8.5.2 Identification and traceability: Relevant when affected parts, lots, serial numbers, or assemblies must be identified, segregated, and traced through rework, scrap, return, or concession workflows.
- 8.5.1 Control of production and service provision: Relevant because nonconformance control depends on controlled execution methods, hold points, status visibility, and prevention of unintended processing.
- 8.6 Release of products and services: Important because nonconforming product must not be released without the required review, authorization, and records.
- 9.1.1 Monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation: Inspection and test results often trigger the nonconformance process, so weak measurement controls can undermine clause 8.7 execution.
- 10.2 Nonconformity and corrective action: This is related but not identical. Clause 8.7 is about controlling the specific nonconforming output. Clause 10.2 is about investigating causes and preventing recurrence when corrective action is warranted.
- 7.5 Documented information: Required records, disposition evidence, approvals, and revision-controlled procedures sit here.
- 8.4 Control of externally provided processes, products and services: Relevant when the nonconformance originates at a supplier or outside processor and must be contained across organizational boundaries.
Important distinction
If your question is whether AS9100 has one clause that fully covers NCR, MRB, rework, scrap, deviation, concession, and corrective action end to end, the practical answer is no. Clause 8.7 is the anchor, but an effective nonconformance process usually spans multiple clauses and multiple systems.
In brownfield operations, that often means the nonconformance record may begin in MES or inspection software, disposition may involve QMS or MRB workflows, traceability may depend on ERP or genealogy records, and release controls may sit elsewhere again. If those handoffs are weak, you can meet the wording of a procedure on paper while still having real execution gaps on the floor.
What organizations usually need to show
- Clear identification of nonconforming product or output
- Containment to prevent unintended use or shipment
- Defined disposition paths such as rework, repair if allowed, scrap, return, or acceptance under authorized concession or deviation where applicable
- Appropriate approval authority for disposition
- Records of the nonconformity, actions taken, and resulting decisions
- Traceability to affected part numbers, lots, serial numbers, work orders, or assemblies as needed
- Reverification after rework or correction before release
How much of this is manual versus system-enforced depends heavily on process maturity, integration quality, and validation discipline. In regulated aerospace environments, full rip-and-replace strategies often fail because nonconformance handling is entangled with legacy ERP, MES, PLM, QMS, supplier portals, and customer-specific requirements. Replacing everything at once can increase validation effort, downtime risk, and traceability gaps rather than reduce them.
So the short answer is: 8.7 is the specific clause, but in practice you should also review 8.5.1, 8.5.2, 8.6, 8.4, 9.1.1, 10.2, and 7.5 to understand how nonconforming product is actually controlled in an operating system.
