NCR (non-conformance report)

NCR stands for non-conformance report. A non-conformance is anything that does not match the contract documents: the drawings, specification, approved shop drawings, an Australian Standard the specification calls up, or the project's own quality procedures. A concrete slab out of level tolerance, the wrong grade of reinforcement, a missed hold point or an untested weld can all be non-conformances.

The NCR is the paper trail. It turns "someone noticed a problem" into a numbered record with an owner, a decision and evidence that it was closed out. On most commercial and civil projects, raising and closing NCRs is part of the contractor's quality management system, often one aligned to ISO 9001.

Anyone can spot a non-conformance, but it is usually raised by the site engineer, foreman, quality manager or the client's representative. A typical flow is:

• Identify and contain. Stop work on the affected item and tag or isolate it so it is not built over.

• Raise the NCR. Record what was found, where, against which requirement, with photos.

• Propose a disposition. The responsible party proposes how to fix it.

• Approve. The superintendent, designer or client representative accepts or rejects the proposal, especially where the fix departs from the design.

• Rectify and verify. The work is fixed, then inspected or tested again.

• Close out. The NCR is signed off with evidence and any root cause or corrective action noted.

The usual dispositions are rework (redo it to specification), repair (fix it to an acceptable but different standard), use as is (accept it with the designer's approval), or reject and replace.

The two overlap, and many builders track them in the same register, but they are used differently. A defect is usually a workmanship or finish issue found during inspections, at practical completion or during the defects liability period, such as damaged paint or a sticking door. It goes on a defect list and gets fixed.

An NCR is a quality system record for a departure from a requirement, often during construction and often something that needs a design or engineering decision. A cracked post-tensioned slab or concrete below specified strength is an NCR, not a defect list item. An NCR also expects a root cause and corrective action, so the same problem does not repeat on the next pour or the next floor.

• Treating NCRs as blame. If raising an NCR gets someone in trouble, people stop raising them and problems get covered up.

• Closing without evidence. A closed NCR needs photos, test results or an inspection record, not just a signature.

• Use as is without the designer. Accepting non-conforming structural or fire work needs written sign-off from the person responsible for the design.

• No root cause. Fixing the item but not the cause means the same NCR appears again next week.

• Letting them age. Open NCRs at practical completion can hold up handover and certification.