Working with Non-Conformances

Creating a Non-Conformance

1. Choose the Search icon, enter Non-Conformances, and select the related link.

2. Choose New to create a non-conformance.

3. Complete the header information:

   • No.: Automatically assigned
   • Description: Enter a brief description of the issue
   • Status: Starts as “New”
   • Source: Select the source (how the issue was detected)
   • Category and Sub-Category: Classify the type of issue
   • Severity: Indicate the impact level

4. In the Source section:

   • Source Type: Select Customer, Vendor, Internal, or Transport
   • Source No.: Select the specific customer, vendor, or shipping agent (not applicable for Internal)
   • Currency Code: Automatically populated or manually set for cost tracking
   • Contact No.: Optionally select a contact person
   • Source E-mail Address: Used for communication

Adding Non-Conformance Lines

For Customer or Vendor Non-Conformances:

1. In the Lines section, select the Source Document Type (Posted Sales Shipment, Posted Sales Invoice, Posted Purchase Receipt, or Posted Purchase Invoice).
2. Use the lookup on Source Document No. to select the document.
3. Select the Source Document Line No. to link to a specific line.
4. The system automatically populates:
   • Item No., Variant Code, Unit of Measure
   • Source Quantity and Unit Price
5. Enter the Non-Conformance Quantity (the affected quantity).
6. Adjust Non-Conformance Unit Price if different from the source.
7. Optionally select Serial No., Lot No., or Package No. from the item tracking.
8. Add a Line Description and Comments for Non-Conformance Report.

For Internal Non-Conformances:

1. Manually enter the Item No. and related fields.
2. Use lookups to select tracking numbers from existing lot or serial information.

Using Extract Document Lines:

1. Choose Extract Document Lines from the action bar.
2. Select the documents and lines you want to add.
3. The lines are automatically created in the non-conformance.

Creating an Action Plan

1. From the Non-Conformance Card, choose Create and Assign Action Plan.
2. Select an Action Plan Template or create actions manually.
3. The Action Plan is created and linked to the non-conformance.
4. Navigate to the Action Plan Card to:
   • Review and modify actions
   • Set due dates
   • Mark lines as completed when actions are done

Creating Follow-up Documents

To Create a Return Order:

1. From the Non-Conformance Card, choose Create Return Order.
2. The system creates a Sales Return Order (for Customer types) or Purchase Return Order (for Vendor types).
3. The return order is linked to the non-conformance and visible in the Related Documents factbox.

To Create a Credit Memo:

1. From the Non-Conformance Card, choose Create Credit Memo.
2. The system creates a Sales Credit Memo or Purchase Credit Memo with an Item Charge line based on the Sub-Category setup.
3. The credit memo is linked to the non-conformance.

Printing and Sending Non-Conformances

1. Choose Print Non-Conformance to generate a report.
2. Choose Send by E-mail to email the non-conformance report to the source contact.

Closing a Non-Conformance

1. Ensure all Action Plans are completed.
2. Ensure all related documents (return orders, credit memos) are processed.
3. Optionally set an Evaluation code.
4. Change the Status to “Closed”.
5. The Real Closure Date is automatically set.

Note: A non-conformance cannot be closed if there are open action plans or unprocessed related documents. Once closed, a non-conformance cannot be reopened.

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Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Customer Complaint About Damaged Cheese

A customer calls to report that a shipment of artisanal cheese arrived with damaged packaging and visible mold on several wheels.

1. Create a new Non-Conformance with:

   • Source Type: Customer
   • Source No.: Select the customer
   • Category: QUALITY
   • Sub-Category: PRODUCT-DAMAGE
   • Severity: MAJOR

2. Use Extract Document Lines to pull in lines from the Posted Sales Shipment.

3. For each affected lot:

   • Enter the Non-Conformance Quantity
   • Select the Lot No. from item tracking
   • Add comments describing the damage

4. Choose Create and Assign Action Plan to initiate corrective actions:

   • Investigation by Quality team
   • Root cause analysis by Production
   • Customer communication by Sales

5. Create a Sales Return Order for the customer to return the damaged goods.

6. Once the return is received and investigated, create a Sales Credit Memo if warranted.

7. Complete all action plan tasks and close the non-conformance with Evaluation: JUSTIFIED.

Scenario 2: Vendor Supplies Non-Compliant Raw Materials

Incoming inspection identifies that a batch of flour from a vendor has allergen cross-contamination (undeclared peanut traces).

1. Create a Non-Conformance:

   • Source Type: Vendor
   • Source No.: Select the vendor
   • Category: ALLERGEN
   • Sub-Category: CROSS-CONTAMINATION
   • Severity: CRITICAL

2. Link to the Posted Purchase Receipt.

3. Select the affected lots and enter the full quantity as non-conforming.

4. Create a Purchase Return Order to return the entire batch.

5. Assign an Action Plan including:

   • Vendor audit request
   • Review of supplier qualification
   • Update to receiving inspection procedures

6. Document the resolution and close with appropriate evaluation.

Scenario 3: Internal Quality Issue in Bottling Line

Production discovers that a batch of wine bottles has incorrect labels applied.

1. Create an Internal Non-Conformance:

   • Source Type: Internal
   • Category: LABELING
   • Sub-Category: WRONG-LABEL
   • Severity: MAJOR

2. Manually enter the affected item and lot numbers.

3. Create an Action Plan with tasks for:

   • Production to quarantine affected bottles
   • Quality to assess scope
   • Operations to relabel or dispose

4. Track corrective actions to completion.

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Non-Conformance Factbox

The Non‑Conformance FactBox provides users with a quick, contextual overview of all relevant links associated with a Non‑Conformance record. It gives immediate visibility into:

• Action Plans created for follow‑up
• Related Non‑Conformances connected through cross‑reference
• Documents generated from the Non‑Conformance (such as Return Orders and Credit Memos)

FactBox Elements

Action Plan No.

• Displays the Action Plan linked to the Non‑Conformance.
• Clickable field that opens the Action Plan Card.

Reference Non‑Conformance

• Clickable link that opens the referenced record.

Example scenario:

• If the user opens NC001, the FactBox displays all records where:
  • Reference Non‑Conformance No. = NC001

This enables quick navigation between related issues, such as:

• A customer claim linked to a vendor claim
• Multiple internal reports relating to the same deviation

Related Documents Cue

A dedicated cue displays all documents created from the Non‑Conformance, offering full traceability from detection to financial or logistical resolution.

Return Orders

If a Return Order is created from the Non‑Conformance:

• The corresponding Return Order No. is displayed.

Posted Return Documents

When the Return Order is posted, the FactBox displays the results according to the posting method:

Posting Method	Factbox Displays
Ship or Receive only	Posted Return Shipment / Posted Return Receipt
Ship & Invoice or Receive & Invoice	Posted Return Shipment or Return Receipt and the related Posted Sales Credit Memo or Posted Purchase Credit Memo

This mirrors real operational flows and gives users instant visibility of all financial and logistical documents resulting from the NC resolution.

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Troubleshooting

Cannot Close Non-Conformance

Symptom: The system displays an error when trying to set Status to Closed.

Resolution:

• Verify all Action Plan lines are marked as completed
• Check the Related Documents factbox for open return orders or credit memos
• Process all pending documents before closing

Cannot Select Transport as Source Type

Symptom: Selecting “Transport” for Source Type shows an error.

Resolution: The Transport type requires the Bricklead Transport Management app to be installed. Contact your administrator to install the app or use a different source type.

Non-Conformance Quantity Exceeds Source Quantity

Symptom: Error when entering Non-Conformance Quantity.

Resolution: The non-conformance quantity cannot exceed the original document line quantity. If tracking multiple issues for the same line, create separate non-conformance lines.

Cannot Find Posted Document in Lookup

Symptom: The expected posted document doesn’t appear in the lookup.

Resolution:

• Verify the correct Source Type is selected (Customer vs. Vendor)
• Ensure the Source No. matches the customer/vendor on the document
• Check that the document type is correct (e.g., Posted Sales Shipment for Customer)

Action Plan Template Not Available

Symptom: The Sub-Category is set but no template is suggested.

Resolution:

• Open the Non-Conformance Sub-Categories page
• Verify the Action Plan Template Code is set for the sub-category
• Ensure the template type matches the non-conformance source type

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I delete a closed Non-Conformance?

A: No. Closed non-conformances cannot be deleted to maintain audit trail integrity. This is essential for regulatory compliance.

Q: How do I track which lots are affected by a non-conformance?

A: On the Non-Conformance lines, use the Lot No., Serial No., or Package No. fields. You can also view non-conformances from the Lot No. Information Card using the Navigate action.

Q: Can multiple action plans be linked to one non-conformance?

A: No. Each non-conformance can have one action plan. If additional corrective actions are needed, add more lines to the existing action plan.

Q: How is the Estimated Closure Date calculated?

A: It’s calculated by adding the Default Treatment Duration (from setup) to the creation date, accounting for working days based on the company’s base calendar.

Q: Can I reopen a closed non-conformance?

A: No. Once closed, a non-conformance cannot be reopened. If a related issue occurs, create a new non-conformance and use the Reference Non-Conformance No. field to link them.

Q: How do I handle recurring issues from the same vendor?

A: Create separate non-conformances for each occurrence. Use the Reference Non-Conformance No. to link related cases. Analyze patterns using list views filtered by Source No.