Material Review Board

A Material Review Board (MRB) is a cross-functional team that evaluates nonconforming, damaged, or otherwise suspect material and makes formal decisions about its disposition within a controlled quality process.

Core meaning

In industrial and regulated manufacturing environments, a Material Review Board commonly refers to:

• A defined group of roles (for example, quality, manufacturing engineering, design engineering, supply chain, and operations) authorized to decide what to do with nonconforming or suspect product or components.
• A formal process, often supported by an MES, QMS, or ERP workflow, through which nonconforming material is documented, analyzed, and dispositioned.

The MRB typically reviews:

• In-process or finished goods that fail inspection or test
• Incoming materials that do not meet specifications
• Assemblies affected by deviations, concessions, or engineering changes
• Field returns or rework material in some organizations

Typical MRB activities

Operationally, a Material Review Board is responsible for:

• Confirming the nonconformance and reviewing objective evidence (inspection data, test results, NCR records, traceability data).
• Assessing risk and potential impact on safety, performance, regulatory requirements, and customer specifications.
• Determining and approving disposition, such as:

• Scrap
• Use as is (when justified and allowed by requirements)
• Rework or repair to a defined and approved process
• Return to supplier
• Concession or deviation against requirement, when permitted

MRB decisions are normally documented and linked to related records such as nonconformance reports (NCRs), CAPA investigations, engineering changes, and batch/lot or serial number traceability.

Use in regulated and standards-based environments

In industries aligned to standards such as AS9100, IATF 16949, ISO 13485, or similar frameworks, MRB activity is typically part of the documented nonconformance control process. Auditors often expect to see:

• Clear criteria for what material requires MRB review.
• Defined MRB membership and authority.
• Recorded MRB decisions and rationales.
• Traceability from MRB records to production orders, inspection results, and any resulting corrective actions.

Common confusion

• MRB vs. MRB record: The term can refer either to the decision-making group or to the documentation produced by that group. In many systems, an “MRB record” or “MRB ticket” is the electronic or paper record of the nonconformance, analysis, and disposition.
• MRB vs. CAPA: MRB decides what to do with specific nonconforming material. CAPA focuses on investigating root causes and preventing recurrence. A single CAPA may be linked to many MRB events.
• MRB vs. Change Control Board (CCB): A CCB governs design or process changes, while MRB handles specific material that already exists and does not meet requirements, although MRB outcomes can trigger change requests.

Systems and workflow context

In integrated MES, ERP, or eQMS environments, MRB workflows may include:

• Automatic creation of MRB tasks from nonconformance events on the shop floor.
• Role-based routing for review and electronic approval.
• Linkage to inventory status (for example, quarantine, hold, or blocked stock) and release after disposition.
• Reporting on MRB volumes, disposition trends, and cost of poor quality.

In paper or hybrid systems, the same steps exist, but records are maintained through forms, logs, and controlled documents rather than fully digital workflows.