Manufacturing · Daily operations · 9 min read

Quality checks and non-conformance reports

Raise and record checks, handle failures with a non-conformance report, and approve a deviation.

Before you begin

• The Quality checks and non-conformance switch is on and the production profile has Quality enabled.
• Quality templates exist in Manufacturing > Configuration > Quality Templates (also reachable from Manufacturing > Quality > Inspection Plans). A template has a Check point (Incoming, Before operation, During operation, After operation, Final), optional product or product category, and a table of checks with specification and limits.
• Recording results needs manufacturing.quality.record. Closing an NCR or approving a deviation needs manufacturing.quality.approve.

Steps

Get checks onto an order

• At release, final-point templates for the product are raised on the order, and an operation's quality plan is raised on that work order.
• To add one by hand, use the order's Quality tab: choose From template, or type a Check name, Type (Pass / fail, Measure, Text), Specification, Lower limit and Upper limit, UOM, Operation, and whether it Blocks completion.

Record a result

1. Go to Manufacturing > Quality > Quality Checks and open a check on the Pending tab.
2. For a Measure check enter the Measured value and choose From the measurement. Inside the limits it passes; outside it fails.
3. Otherwise choose the Result: Pass, Fail, Conditional pass, Hold, Rework, Scrap or Deviation approval.
4. Enter Qty failed if relevant. With Rework and a quantity, a rework request is raised.
5. Tick Raise a non-conformance to open an NCR when the result is Fail.
6. Add Notes and save.

Approve a deviation

1. A different person with manufacturing.quality.approve opens a failed or held check.
2. Choose Deviation approval and add a note, for example "Customer accepted".
3. The check shows Deviation approved and no longer blocks completion.

Work a non-conformance report

1. Go to Manufacturing > Quality > Non-Conformance and click New NCR.
2. Describe the Issue (required). Set Type, Severity (Minor, Major, Critical), product, supplier, machine, operator, quantity, Owner and Due date.
3. Click Investigate, then Action as the work progresses. Statuses run Open, Investigating, Corrective action, Closed.
4. Enter the Root cause and Corrective action.
5. Click Close. Only someone with manufacturing.quality.approve can close or reopen.

What happens next

• Checks you cannot ignore (Blocks completion) stop their work order, and the order's Complete Production, while Pending, Failed or on Hold, if Quality checks must pass to complete is on.
• An NCR linked to an order stops that order from being closed until the NCR is closed.
• Overdue NCRs show their due date in red.
• Manufacturing > Quality > Quality Reports shows pass rate per product and check point.

Example: a table's height must be between 74.5 and 75.5 cm. Measuring 75.2 passes. Measuring 76.0 fails. Choosing Pass for 76 is refused: '76 is outside 74.5 - 75.5; it cannot pass.'

Good to know

• Segregation of duties. 'The inspector who failed the check does not approve its deviation.' Deviation is only for a failed or held check: 'A deviation is approved for a failed or held check.' After it, 'This check was closed by a deviation.'
• 'Enter the measured value.' when a Measure check is recorded From the measurement with no value.
• Closing an NCR without a root cause and action: 'Record the root cause and the corrective action before closing.' A closed report is not edited: 'A closed report is not changed.'
• When creating an NCR, the Order box expects the order's internal id, not the MO number. Leave it empty if unsure; a typed MO number does not link the NCR to the order.
• Turning the Quality switch off hides the menus and refuses new results and NCRs; existing checks remain readable.