Identify and Contain
Create a unique NCMR, define the expected condition and actual discrepancy, identify affected quantities, and record the controlled status and location.
ISO 9001 & AS9100 Quality Software
Inspection and Nonconforming Material Software for ISO 9001 and AS9100
Our nonconforming material software helps manufacturers identify and control rejected product from receiving, in-process, final inspection, and customer returns. Quality teams can document discrepancies, place material in a controlled status, assign MRB review, authorize dispositions, account for affected quantities, verify reinspection, and preserve the complete NCMR history.
Control of Nonconforming Material
Prevent Unintended Use or Delivery of Rejected Product
Finding a discrepancy is only the beginning. A controlled nonconforming-material process must identify the affected product, preserve lot or serial traceability, communicate its status, evaluate the condition, authorize the disposition, control the affected quantity, verify required work, and retain evidence of the final decision.
Database Providers' Inspection and NCMR application centralizes the electronic records supporting that process. Your organization must also establish effective physical controls—such as labels, quarantine locations, access restrictions, or other approved methods—appropriate to the product and risk. Software status alone does not physically segregate material.
Evaluate and Disposition
Route each discrepancy to authorized personnel, document the decision, allocate quantities, and preserve approval evidence.
Verify and Close
Confirm that disposition actions were completed, required reinspection passed, quantities reconcile, and closure was authorized.
End-to-End Product Control
NCMR Workflow: From Detection Through Approved Closure
Keep the material, decision, assigned work, and evidence connected throughout the entire nonconformance lifecycle.
| Stage | Controlled Activities | Records Retained |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Detect | Record the inspection source, requirement, expected condition, observed discrepancy, defect category, and evidence. | Inspection result, discrepancy, inspector, date, files, and unique NCMR ID |
| 2. Identify | Identify the affected part, revision, lot, serial numbers, work order, purchase order, supplier, customer, and quantity. | Product identity, source, traceability, and affected population |
| 3. Control | Assign a nonconforming status and record the hold, quarantine, controlled location, notification, or other approved containment method. | Status, location, responsible person, containment action, and date |
| 4. Evaluate | Validate the discrepancy when required, assess risk and impact, identify MRB participants, and determine needed approvals. | Review, validation, comments, technical evaluation, and assignments |
| 5. Disposition | Authorize one or more dispositions and allocate the quantity assigned to each decision. | Disposition, quantity, cost, approver, date, conditions, and customer authorization when applicable |
| 6. Execute | Perform rework, repair, return, scrap, regrade, concession, or another approved action and attach completion evidence. | Responsible party, completion date, evidence, supplier return, and action status |
| 7. Verify | Reinspect or otherwise verify the product after correction when required and confirm that all quantities and tasks are accounted for. | Verification method, result, inspector, accepted or rejected quantity, and remaining balance |
| 8. Close | Confirm actions, approvals, evidence, quantity reconciliation, related records, and authorized closure. | Closure approval, date, final status, linked corrective action, and permanent history |
Nonconformance Identification
Describe the Requirement and the Actual Discrepancy
Each rejection can retain the expected condition and the condition actually observed, rather than relying on a vague defect description. Add drawings, photographs, specifications, test results, redlined documents, certificates, or other evidence needed for evaluation.
- Unique inspection record and NCMR identifier
- Requirement, expected condition, and actual discrepancy
- Defect category, code, quantity, and inspection source
- Part number, revision, lot, date code, and serial numbers
- Supplier, customer, purchase order, work order, and operation
- Attachments, photographs, drawings, specifications, and test evidence
Identification, Segregation, and Status
Keep Nonconforming Material Under Control While It Awaits a Decision
The application can identify the material's electronic status, controlled location, responsible party, affected quantities, and open actions. Your documented procedure should define how that electronic record connects to physical identification and control on the shop floor.
Product Identity
Preserve part, revision, quantity, lot, serial, date-code, supplier, customer, PO, work order, and inspection-source traceability.
Controlled Status
Record hold, quarantine, pending MRB, rework, supplier return, scrap, verification, closed, or other configured status values.
Controlled Location
Identify the cage, rack, bin, department, supplier location, work center, or other approved place where the material is controlled.
Control Must Match the Risk
Labels and quarantine areas may be appropriate for physical material, while electronic records, tooling, documents, or product already in transit may require different controls. Configure the application to support your approved method, including notification and escalation when potentially affected product may have escaped your facility.
MRB Evaluation
Route the Decision to Authorized Personnel
Identify the Material Review Board or other authorized reviewers appropriate to the product, discrepancy, customer requirement, and proposed disposition. Assign technical evaluations and action items while open work remains visible on the dashboard.
- MRB members, reviewers, responsible parties, and due dates
- Discrepancy validation and supporting technical evaluation
- Drawing, specification, contract, customer, or regulatory references
- Manufacturing, engineering, quality, supplier, and customer input
- Email notification and open-action tracking
Disposition Authorization
Record the Decision, Quantity, Conditions, and Approval
Each discrepancy can have multiple dispositions. This allows part of a lot to be reworked while another quantity is returned, scrapped, or handled under a separately authorized decision.
- Rework to the original specified requirements
- Repair under an authorized method
- Return to supplier for replacement, repair, or credit
- Scrap or permanently prevent unintended use
- Regrade or redirect to an approved alternate use
- Use-as-is or concession only with required authorization
Customer or Design-Authority Approval May Be Required
A use-as-is or repair disposition should not be treated as an internal convenience. When the nonconformance departs from customer, design, regulatory, or contractual requirements, obtain authorization from the appropriate authority when required and retain that evidence with the disposition.
Quantity Accountability
Account for Every Affected Unit Across Multiple Dispositions
The original affected quantity, individual disposition quantities, reinspection results, supplier-return quantities, scrapped quantities, and remaining balance should reconcile before closure.
| Control | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Affected Quantity | Defines the population placed under nonconforming control. |
| Disposition Quantity | Shows how much material is assigned to each authorized decision. |
| Serial or Lot Allocation | Connects individual units or traceable groups with their actual disposition. |
| Reinspection Quantity | Documents how much corrected product was evaluated and the result. |
| Remaining Balance | Identifies material that is still awaiting decision, action, or verification. |
Disposition Execution
Verify Rework, Repair, Return, or Scrap Completion
Assign the approved action to a responsible person, preserve instructions and due dates, attach evidence, and record actual completion. When product is returned to a supplier, retain the supplier RMA, shipment information, return status, and applicable replacement or credit information.
- Responsible person and completion date
- Rework or repair instructions and evidence
- Supplier RMA and return-shipment details
- Scrap authorization and confirmation
- Disposition cost for cost-of-quality reporting
Reinspection and Closure
Do Not Close the NCMR at the Disposition Decision
When product is corrected, verify conformity to the applicable acceptance criteria before release. Closure should confirm that assigned work is complete, required approvals and evidence are present, quantities reconcile, and no affected material remains uncontrolled.
- Reinspection method and acceptance criteria
- Inspector, date, result, and accepted or rejected quantity
- Reopened or additional disposition when verification fails
- All tasks and supplier actions complete
- Authorized closure and permanent history
Inspection Sources
Control Nonconforming Material Wherever It Is Detected
Use consistent NCMR controls while retaining the information unique to each inspection source.
Receiving Inspection
Record supplier, PO and line, part and revision, received and inspected quantities, sampling method, accepted and rejected quantities, lot, serial, date code, COC, and test results.
In-Process and Final Inspection
Connect product and inspection results to the work order, operation, work center, customer, part revision, lot, serial number, method, tools, and supporting files.
Customer Returns
Record the RMA, customer, returned product, quantity, inspection, discrepancy, investigation, disposition, and linkage to corrective action when warranted.
Organizations may record every inspection or only inspections that identify nonconforming material, depending on the controlled process and reporting needs. ERP or MRP integration can reduce duplicate entry by transferring approved purchase-order, work-order, part, supplier, and customer data.
Correction and Corrective Action
Escalate Significant or Recurring Problems
The NCMR controls the affected product and its disposition. Corrective action is a separate process used when cause analysis and action are needed to reduce recurrence. A one-click process can create and link the corrective-action record when that module is installed.
Quality Visibility
NCMR Dashboards, Search, Reports, and Trends
See open material controls and assigned work while retaining the detail needed to investigate recurring quality problems.
Open NCMR Status
Items awaiting validation, MRB, disposition, approval, execution, supplier return, reinspection, corrective action, or closure.
Supplier and Process Trends
Rejected quantities, defect categories, part numbers, suppliers, work centers, operations, costs, and repeat conditions.
Management Reporting
Receiving results, internal rejects, customer returns, aging, disposition activity, cost of quality, and linked corrective actions.
Connected Quality Records
Integrate Inspection and NCMR with the Rest of Your QMS
Corrective Action
Link significant or recurring nonconformances to containment, root cause, assigned action, verification, and effectiveness.
Calibration Management
Identify measurement devices used for inspection and evaluate affected product when a device is later found out of tolerance.
Control Plans
Reference part, revision, operation, characteristic, method, sampling, acceptance, and reaction requirements during inspection.
Document Control
Reference current drawings, specifications, procedures, instructions, forms, and approved rework or repair documents.
Integrated QA Suite
Use shared records and cross-module links among Inspection and NCMR, Corrective Action, Documents, Training, and Audits.
Authoritative References
Review the official ISO 9001 standard overview and IAQG 9100 information.
Open-Source and Customizable
Microsoft Access Front End with Access or SQL Server Data
The application is delivered with an open-source Microsoft Access front end, including forms, reports, queries, tables, and VBA source code. Adapt inspection fields, NCMR workflows, dispositions, approvals, reports, and integrations to your operation.
- Modify forms, reports, queries, tables, and VBA logic
- Add inspection types, defect codes, locations, dispositions, and approval rules
- Integrate with existing ERP, MRP, Access applications, and business systems
- Retain ownership and control of your application and data
| Deployment | Best Fit |
|---|---|
| Access front end + Access back end | Smaller workgroups seeking a fast, economical deployment on a stable local network. |
| Access front end + SQL Server back end | Growing multi-user environments needing stronger concurrency, security controls, scalability, and data-management options. |
Straightforward Licensing
Inspection and Nonconforming Material Software Pricing
Purchase the stand-alone application or obtain Inspection and NCMR as one of the five connected applications in the QA Suite.
Stand-Alone
$699
One-time software license
- Inspection and NCMR application
- Receiving, WIP, final, random-audit, and RMA records
- Unlimited users
- Open-source Access front end with Access or SQL Server back end
- No annual software-license fee
If purchased separately and integrated with another Database Providers module later, a $250 integration fee applies per module.
Ask About Stand-AloneIncluded in the QA Suite
$2,499
Five connected core applications
- Inspection and NCMR
- Corrective Action
- Document Control
- Employee Training
- Internal Auditing
- Unlimited users and no annual software-license fee
Implementation, customization, data conversion, training, ERP integration, SQL Server setup, and ongoing support are quoted separately when requested.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inspection and NCMR Software FAQ
What is nonconforming material software?
Nonconforming material software records rejected product, discrepancies, affected quantities, controlled status and location, MRB evaluation, dispositions, approvals, assigned actions, reinspection, closure, and permanent NCMR history.
Does the software make our company ISO 9001 or AS9100 compliant?
No software can certify conformity. This application supports inspection and nonconforming-output records that an organization may configure for its quality management system. Your organization remains responsible for applicable requirements, physical product control, authorized decisions, effective implementation, and evidence of conformity.
Can one NCMR contain multiple discrepancies and dispositions?
Yes. An inspection can contain multiple discrepancies, and each discrepancy can have multiple dispositions with separately allocated quantities, responsibilities, dates, approvals, costs, and evidence.
Does the software physically quarantine rejected material?
No. It records the status, location, responsibility, and containment evidence. Your organization must implement appropriate physical or operational controls, such as labels, quarantine locations, access restrictions, or another approved method.
Can rework or repaired product be reinspected before release?
Yes. Reinspection can record the applicable criteria, inspector, date, result, accepted and rejected quantities, evidence, and additional disposition when verification fails.
Can supplier returns and customer RMAs be tracked?
Yes. Supplier returns can retain supplier RMA and shipment details, while customer returns can retain the customer RMA, returned product, inspection, discrepancy, disposition, and related corrective action.
Can existing inspection or NCMR records be imported?
Often, yes. Import feasibility depends on the structure and quality of existing spreadsheets or databases. Mapping, cleanup, validation, attachments, and historical conversion can be quoted separately.
Is Inspection and NCMR included in the QA Suite?
Yes. Inspection and NCMR is one of the five core QA Suite applications, together with Corrective Action, Document Control, Employee Training, and Internal Auditing.
Control Rejected Product from Detection to Closure
See How the Software Can Fit Your Inspection and NCMR Process
Discuss your inspections, material controls, MRB workflow, dispositions, existing records, integrations, and Access or SQL Server deployment.