What is a non-conformance report?

The purpose of a non-conformance report is to document the particulars about a deviation from expectations that a quality audit or some other type of process review. The reason behind having this report is to provide a definition of an existing problem in a clear, logical and concise way so that management takes steps to implement necessary changes.

While some variety exists with the formatting of non-conformance reports, they have some similarities as far as content. Many of them begin with a general statement summarizing the area of non-compliance, followed by a statement of the policy, instruction, procedure or other norm that was violated by the situation. Any objective evidence appears in the report.