Non-conformance report template: base template and example

Where NCRs fit in

• ISO 9001 is the international standard for quality management systems. It includes requirements for dealing with nonconformities and taking corrective action, and an NCR is a common way to record them.
• The latest version, ISO 9001:2026, was published on 16 September 2026. Businesses certified to the 2015 version have until 30 September 2029 to move across.
• Using this form doesn't make your business ISO 9001 compliant. If you're certified, check with your certification body for what's expected.

When a non-conformance has to be reported outside your business

Most NCRs stay in-house, but some defects trigger legal reporting duties, with short deadlines. We're not a regulator, so check what applies to your products:

• Consumer products: if a product you supplied is linked to a death, serious injury or serious illness, suppliers must report it to the ACCC within 2 days of becoming aware. See the ACCC's mandatory reporting page

• Building products in Queensland: designers, manufacturers, importers and suppliers must report a suspected non-conforming building product to the QBCC as soon as practicable, and within 2 days. See the QBCC's guide for manufacturers and suppliers

• Worker injuries: if a defect injures someone at work, it may also be a notifiable incident. See Safe Work Australia's incident notification guidance

Other states have their own building product rules, and your customer contract may set its own notification times, so check both.

Tips for a useful NCR

• ISO 9001 expects corrective actions to be reviewed to check they worked, so track each NCR until it's closed out.
• If the issue could also be a safety risk, it may need more than an NCR. Safe Work Australia's risk code explains how to manage health and safety risks.
• Quarantine and tag nonconforming product straight away, and find the root cause before choosing an action, so you fix the system and not just the part.

Non-conformance traps and how to avoid them

Every NCR is different, but these are traps that often let the same problem come back, with a way around each:

• Quarantine on paper only: physically separate and tag the product so it can't be picked, used or shipped by mistake.

• Only checking the batch you found: check other batches, stock on hand and anything already shipped that could have the same fault.

• "Use as is" without the right approval: get sign-off from the customer or designer where your contract or specification requires it.

• Rework that isn't re-inspected: inspect reworked items against the original requirement before they're released.

• Supplier faults handled internally: send the NCR to the supplier and ask for their corrective action.

• Fixing the part, not the process: find the root cause, such as an old drawing revision, worn tooling or unclear instructions.

• Repeat NCRs that nobody notices: review NCRs by product, supplier and cause, so patterns show up.

• A quality defect that's also a safety risk: run it through your incident and risk process too, not just the NCR.

What to include in an NCR

• The NCR number, date, who raised it, and the job or project
• The product or process affected, and the quantity
• A clear description of the non-conformance
• The classification, such as material, workmanship or supplier
• The disposition: rework, reject, use as is, or return to supplier
• The root cause, corrective actions with owners and due dates, and approval

Common gaps in a non-conformance report

Before you close an NCR, check it doesn't have these gaps. Your customer or certification body may look for more:

• The description doesn't say what the requirement was, so it's unclear how far out it is.

• The quantity affected is missing, or only counts what was found, not what was made.

• The disposition isn't recorded, or nobody approved it.

• The root cause is "operator error" with no system cause behind it.

• It's closed without checking the corrective action worked.

Filled-in non-conformance report example

Example only, not for use as your own report. This is the base template filled in for a fictional issue: 36 laser-cut brackets with holes 3 mm out of position, because an old drawing revision was used. Click the page to enlarge it.

Your own NCR must describe the actual issue. A "use as is" decision may need your customer's or designer's approval, so check your contract.

How to fill one in

1. Quarantine and tag the affected product so it can't be used or shipped.
2. Fill in the NCR number, date, job, product and quantity affected.
3. Describe the issue, and tick the classification.
4. Decide the disposition, find the root cause, and list corrective actions with owners and due dates.
5. Get it approved, then follow up to check the actions worked before closing it.

Get your NCR into the app

This form is in the Shadow Forms app. Your team can fill it in on site, add photos and sign it, then send it straight to the office.

The PDF and Word versions are copies only. If you have your own branded version, or want this one adjusted to your business, we can add it to the app. Upload a form, or get in touch.

Need to dig deeper into the cause? Get the free root cause analysis template.

Have contractors on site? Get the free contractor induction template.