Meaning
Quality control systems detect and record any departure from specified requirements, technical standards, or engineering drawings during the production cycle. Identifying a non-conformance initiates a structured review process to determine whether the affected material must be scrapped, reworked, or accepted under concession. This designation applies to raw material arrivals, in-process sub-assemblies, and finished goods that fail to meet the established design tolerances.
It differs from a system defect because it refers to a specific physical unit or batch that deviates from a validated standard.
Discrepancy Evaluation
Inspection reports document the deviation in detail, including the measured dimension and the allowable tolerance. Once a non-conformance is identified, the quality team quarantines the material in a designated area to prevent it from moving further down the assembly line. This rapid separation is crucial for maintaining overall product integrity.
The engineering team then reviews the deviation to decide if the part remains functional.
Remedial Sequence
Resolving the deviation requires executing a corrective action plan that addresses the immediate failure. If the non-conformance is systemic, engineers must audit the process to locate the root cause. This investigation protects future runs.
Financial Impact
Manufacturing managers measure the rate of deviation to evaluate the stability of their production processes. Early detection reduces scrap costs because parts are caught before receiving expensive value-added processing. Letting a non-conformance slip into the final product can lead to field failures and expensive warranty claims.
A robust quality gate at each station protects the company from these downstream costs.
