5 steps to handle nonconformances

According to ISO, a nonconformance is not fulfilling a system requirement, either specified or not. A requirement is a need or established expectation, usually explicit or mandatory.

First, you need to determine: what’s the contention or immediate action?

The purpose of this action is to stop the nonconformance occurrence and then analyze the root causes that provoke this nonconformance. Once determined the root cause(s), it shall be established corrective actions that attack each problem; otherwise, we could omit an activity or situation leading us to provoke a nonconformance. Afterword’s, once each action is made, some activities shall be determined to prevent nonconformance recurrence and most importantly, we shouldn’t confuse recurrence preventive actions and preventive actions, since they are different. This occurrence preventive actions will lead us to change formats and documents, and establish locks avoiding a nonconformance.

How to properly handle a nonconformance?

To determine contention or immediate actions can help us to find a root cause provoking a nonconformance.

Steps to follow:

1. To determine the contention or immediate action.
2. To stop nonconformances.
3. To detect the root cause making a nonconformity.
4. To establish corrective actions.
5. To determine actions to prevent nonconformities.

Global Standards advice organizations setting methods of measuring and analysis to detect nonconformities, by using these methods and then establishing corrective actions the nonconformances minimize and then you can eliminate them.