Non-Conformance Reporting

Overview

Non-Conformance Reporting (NCR) is a quality management process used to document and address deviations from standard specifications. In printing companies, including those in packaging and signage, NCR identifies, tracks and corrects quality issues such as print defects, incorrect sizing and colour inconsistencies.

The NCR module includes functions to manage and report NCRs from recording the problem to the final evaluation.

Navigation

Main Menu > Office > Non-Conformance Reports (NCR)

For step-by-step instructions, see the Non-Conformance Reports Tutorial.

User Access Settings

Navigation

Main Menu > Office > My Organisation > Staff (tab) > Double-click a name > Settings (tab)

Note

The defaults are the values for new databases and new users. Your database may have different values.

Setting Description Default
General > Non-Conformance Reports (NCR) - Access Allowed
  • None
  • User
  • Supervisor: Supervisors can access the NCR Category settings, use the commands on the Actions button and change the status manually.
None
Tracker > Timekeeping: Enabled Non-Conformance Reports (NCR)
  • Yes: Can select an NCR when recording time against a job. The NCR option is always visible, and you can select NCR Pending if no NCR exists yet. NCR Pending can be edited in Timekeeping to link it to an actual NCR.
  • No: The NCR function is suppressed.
No

Categories

  • The Categories determine the types of NCRs, and which sections must be completed. Click Menu (button) > Edit Categories to create or edit categories.
  • The sections are:
    • Containment
    • Root Cause
    • Correction
    • Prevention
    • Evaluation
  • A Type must be selected for each category. The available Types are:
    • Supplier Return: Links to a Purchase Order Item.
    • Customer Complaint: Links to a Customer Invoice Item.
    • Production Related: Links to a Work Order.
    • Process Related: Related to a problem on an internal Process.
    • Audit Finding: Related to a Quality Audit finding that requires an intervention.
    • Safety, Health & Environment (SHE): Related to an internal safety, health or environmental issue. Not usually linked to a transaction.

Category Fields

Info

Fields marked in green (✎) can be edited.

Field Description
DescriptionThe name of the category.
TypeSelect a type from the dropdown list.
Visible Sections (Default)A dropdown list of all the available tabs and fields. Checked entries appear.
Owner (Default)A dropdown list of staff to select an owner.
Department (Default)A dropdown list of departments to select one.
Staff (Default)
  • Right-click and select View/Edit Staff.
  • Move staff from the Available to the Selected section to add them to the list.
  • Move staff from the Selected to the Available section to remove them from the list.

Categories Submenu (Right-click Context Menu)

  • View/Edit Staff
  • View/Edit Problem lookup
  • View/Edit Containment lookup
  • View/Edit Correction lookup
  • View/Edit Cause lookup
  • View/Edit Prevention lookup
  • View/Edit Evaluation lookup

NCRs and Transactions

  • The NCR No appears on the transaction header of linked Transactions.
  • NCRs can be linked to Customer Invoices, Purchase Orders and Work Orders.
  • Transactions that raise costs against an NCR are highlighted with a Cost to NCR [123] component in the header. Applicable to:
    • Material Movements Issue (MMI): Linked to NCR Work Order (WO) or Remake/Rework WO.
    • Purchase Order (PO): Linked to NCR WO/PO or Remake WO and Credit Note (Linked to NCR Customer Invoice (CI)).
  • When a transaction (WO, PO, CI) is selected, the Customer/Supplier fields are populated by default.
    • Selecting a WO or CI updates the Customer field.
    • If a PO is selected, the Supplier field is updated and the customer from the linked WO when applicable.

Examples of Use

  • Customer Complaint:
    • A job is delivered late, and the customer suffers a financial loss.
    • You agree to credit part of the invoice as compensation.
    • The Customer Invoice is linked to an NCR.
    • The Credit Note that is issued becomes the cost associated with the NCR.
  • Supplier Return:
    • You outsourced part of a job, but it had an error.
    • You did not discover the error until the job was completed.
    • An Outwork Purchase Order is created and linked to the NCR.
    • A Remake Work Order is created to redo the job.
    • The NCR incurs costs from the Purchase Order, Material Issues and Timekeeping linked to the Remake Work Order. (Assuming you had to pay twice for the outsourced work, alternatively any debit note from the supplier offsets the costs).
  • Production Related:
    • Incorrect spot colours are used to print a job or part of a job. The job must be printed again.
    • The Remake Work Order is linked to the NCR.
    • The NCR incurs costs from the Purchase Orders, Material Issues and Timekeeping linked to the Remake Work Order.

List View

Buttons Explained

Button Description
View, ResetList the NCRs, or clear the filters.
NewCreates an NCR.
OutputOpens the output options, using your NCR output templates.
Menu
  • Edit Categories (see Categories)
  • Export Grid and Email Excel
  • The grid layout options.
Menu (...)A submenu with these options:
  • Edit
  • Delete: only Supervisors can delete NCRs.
  • Open SM Ticket: opens the linked Service Manager ticket.
  • View SM Responses: shows the linked ticket's responses.

Filters Explained

Filter Description
Date rangeSelect a date range, then click View to list the NCRs:
  • No Date
  • User Date
  • Today
  • Yesterday
  • This week
  • Last week
  • This month
  • Last month
  • This year
  • Last year
  • Fin Year

Fields Explained

Note

These columns are hidden by default: Cus Contact, Sup Contact, Root Cause, Containment, Correction, Prevention, Evaluation, Investigated by, Date Investigated, Implemented by, Date Implemented, Prevented by, Date Prevented, Evaluated by, Date Evaluated, Direct Cost, Labour Cost, Est Cost, Remake/Rework, Trans No., SM No., Due Date, Reminder, Period, Branch, Updated by, Updated.

Column Description
NCR No.The NCR's number.
StatusThe NCR's status (see Header Fields).
DateThe date the NCR was created.
CategoryThe NCR's category.
Customer, SupplierThe linked customer or supplier.
TypeThe category's type.
Department, Owner, Assign toWho is responsible for the NCR.
ProblemThe brief description of the problem.
Total CostThe NCR's total cost (see Costs).

NCR Fields Edit View

Buttons Explained

Button Description
ArrowsNavigates between NCRs.
StatusSets the status of the NCR.
LinksQuick access to linked documents (e.g. transactions, service tickets).
Output
  • Available if templates are added.
  • If the body of the NCR email template contains the [ATTACHMENTS] tag, you can add the NCR's attachments to the email as links. In the email, click Actions > Link Attachments, select the attachments and click Link to Email.
NewCreates an NCR.
DeleteDeletes the NCR.
SaveSaves any changes and displays additional fields if selected next to Show/Hide.
Actions
  • Add Attachment/Link: You can add multiple attachments to the NCR. The attachment links appear in the top right corner of the NCR.
  • Edit Customer: Opens the customer's record.
  • Edit Supplier: Opens the supplier's record.
  • Clear ... (name of the transaction): Clears the transaction. (Transactions cannot be changed if costs are allocated to the NCR.)
  • Clear ... (name of the Rework transaction): Clears the transaction. (Transactions cannot be changed if costs are allocated to the NCR.)
Menu
  • View SM Responses: Opens a panel on the right with any Service Manager responses.
  • Layout

Header Fields

Field Description
Status
  • Statuses are changed by clicking Status (button) on the top row.
  • When a section is approved, statuses are automatically set to the next status.
  • The available statuses are:
    • Problem (Default for new)
    • Containment
    • Root Cause
    • Correction
    • Prevention
    • Evaluation
    • Complete (The NCR can no longer be edited.)
    • Cancelled (The NCR can no longer be edited.)
Status NoteEnter any note.
BranchSelect a branch if applicable.
ReminderSelect a date to be reminded about the NCR.
Due DateSelect a date for completing the NCR.
NCR No.Auto-generated reference number.
DateThe date on which the NCR was created.
CategorySelect a category from the dropdown list.
TransactionSelect a transaction from the dropdown list if applicable.
Transaction - RemakeSelect a transaction from the dropdown list if applicable.
QtyThe number of items on the linked transaction that is affected.
Customer/Supplier Select a customer or supplier from the dropdown list if applicable.
ContactSelect the customer or supplier's Contact Person.
DepartmentSelect a department from the dropdown list. (Departments are created on the Organigram.)
OwnerSelect an owner from the Active Staff dropdown list. The Owner must approve all the completed steps in the NCR.
Assign toSelect a person to assign the NCR from the dropdown list of Active staff.
Show/Hide
  • Select the sections to add or remove. Each section opens a new tab.
  • Customers and Suppliers can also be selected from this dropdown list.

Tabs

Info

Each tab has two fields, a smaller block for a brief description and a larger block for more information.

Lookup lists can be created for the brief description from the categories interface (right-click context menu).

If a lookup list is not created, a description can be entered.

Tab Description
ProblemDescribe the issue.
ContainmentDescribe the steps to take to contain the problem (e.g. if a product must be recalled).
CorrectionDescribe how the problem will be solved (e.g. remake the product, credit the customer).
Root CauseDescribe what the root cause of the problem was (e.g. customer did not clearly communicate their deadline, printer was not properly cleaned).
PreventionDescribe how this problem will be prevented in the future.
EvaluationEnter an evaluation of the problem.

Progress

  • Every time the status, Owner or Assign to fields are updated, a timestamped note is added to the Progress list.

Staff

Field Description
StaffAdd staff by selecting a name from the dropdown list.
RoleEnter their roles.
Add (button)Add staff to the list of staff involved in the NCR.

Costs

Info

The costs appear in the footer of the form and in the Costs section.

Costs appear in the local currency.

Field Description
Estimated (Cost)Based on the Unit Price of the linked Transaction multiplied by the NCR Qty.
Direct (Cost)
  • The cost of Credit Notes, Purchase Orders and Material Issues linked to the NCR.
  • The costs are determined by the Cost to NCR link in these transactions. The field is visible only if an NCR is linked to a transaction in the same flow.
Labour (Cost)
  • The cost based on Timekeeping linked to the NCR.
  • If using the Tracker app, when a transaction is linked to an NCR, you are prompted to select the NCR. Your labour cost on the timekeeping record is then linked to the NCR's labour cost.
  • Timekeeping records can be edited in the desktop app if necessary and if you have the required authority.

Service Manager

  • Log Customer Complaints and Queries in the Service Manager.
  • If necessary, the complaint can be escalated to an NCR.
  • In this case, the NCR can be created from the Service Ticket:
    1. Click Actions (Button) > Create a linked NCR and then select the Category for the NCR.
    2. An NCR which is linked to the service ticket is created and opened.
    3. The Customer and Contact are copied from the Service Manager to the NCR.

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