NCR procedure

There is no single universal aerospace NCR workflow. The mandatory steps are defined by the organization’s QMS, customer requirements, contracts, and applicable standards. Common minimum steps include identification, containment, documentation, disposition, correction, verification, approvals, traceable closure, and CAPA when required.

A nonconformity is the actual failure to meet a defined requirement. An NCR is the controlled record or workflow used to document, evaluate, disposition, and close that issue. The exact trigger for creating an NCR depends on site procedures, customer requirements, and system configuration.

Suppliers should quantify recurring nonconformances as cost of poor quality by defect family, part, process, program, and time period. Include booked scrap and rework, but separate estimated capacity loss, containment, expedite, customer chargebacks, and administrative effort from costs that finance can directly verify.

In aerospace, scrap is not just a quality KPI. High material costs, long lead times, tight capacity, and fixed-price or long-term contracts mean scrap directly drives margin volatility, delivery risk, and cash exposure. Reducing scrap is less about “looking good on metrics” and more about stabilizing unit economics, capacity, and program-level financial performance.