Non-conformance report (NCR) template
A ready-to-use NCR form covering the whole lifecycle — identification, the requirement breached, objective evidence, containment, disposition and approval, verification, CAPA link and close-out. Download it in Excel or PDF, put your own document number on it, and start raising evidenced non-conformances today.
No email required · Free for commercial use · 1 page
What’s on the form
Eight numbered blocks, in the order an NCR is actually worked. Each block below shows the fields in the downloadable file and how to complete them.
Identification
- NCR number
- Date raised
- Raised by
- Discipline / area
- Project / contract
- Purchase order no.
- Supplier / vendor
- Location of item
- Item / tag / heat no.
- Quantity affected
Number NCRs in a single controlled register so nothing can be quietly withdrawn. The item identifier must be specific enough to find the physical part again — a tag, heat or serial number, not just a line description.
Requirement not met
- Specified requirement (drawing, spec, code, clause, purchase order)
Cite the exact clause, dimension or acceptance criterion that was breached. If you cannot cite one, you have an observation, not a non-conformance.
Description of non-conformance
- Objective evidence of what was found
- Detected at stage
- Inspection / test reference
Record measured values, photo references and report numbers. Describe the condition found — never the person who caused it.
Containment
- Item quarantined / tagged
- Hold point applied
- Containment action and extent of check
Stop the item moving downstream, then decide how far the problem might reach. If one weld failed, state whether the rest of the batch was verified.
Disposition
- Rework
- Repair
- Use-as-is / concession
- Regrade
- Reject / scrap
- Disposition justification and instructions
- Design authority approval
- Client approval (if required)
Only the design authority — or the client, where the contract says so — can approve repair or use-as-is against a design requirement. Capture that signature on the form itself.
Verification of disposition
- Re-inspection / re-test result and evidence
- Verified by
- Date
An NCR is not closed because the disposition was agreed. It closes when someone independent confirms the instruction was carried out and the item now conforms.
Cause and CAPA link
- Repeat non-conformance
- CAPA / CAR number raised
- Cause noted
The NCR closes the item; a corrective action closes the cause. Flag repeats here so the same failure triggers a CAPA instead of another NCR.
Close-out
- Closed by
- Close-out date
- Records filed in
- Turnover dossier reference
State where the record lives. ISO 9001:2015 §8.7.2 expects the non-conformity, the action taken, any concession and the authorising person to be retained as documented information.
Three things to change first
- Document control. Add your own document number, revision and issue date, and register the form so the version in use is the version approved.
- Numbering rule. Decide the NCR numbering convention up front (project–discipline–sequence works well) and keep one register per project.
- Approval matrix. Name who may approve each disposition. Repair and use-as-is against a design requirement need the design authority, and often the client.
New to the process? Our pillar guide, what is a non-conformance report, walks through the lifecycle, the five disposition options and where the NCR stops and CAPA begins.
Questions about the NCR template
Is this NCR template free to use commercially?
Yes. Download it, rebrand it with your own document number, revision and logo, and use it on your projects. It is a starting point, not a controlled document — bring it under your own document control before issuing it.
What format is the non-conformance report template in?
An Excel (.xlsx) version you can edit and extend into a register, and a print-ready PDF for field use where a paper form is still the fastest way to raise an NCR at the point of inspection.
What must an NCR form contain?
At minimum: the requirement that was not met, objective evidence of what was found, how the item was contained, the disposition and who authorised it, verification that the disposition was carried out, and the close-out record.
What is the difference between an NCR and a CAPA?
The NCR deals with the affected item — contain it, disposition it, verify it, close it. A CAPA deals with the cause so the same non-conformance does not recur. Repeated NCRs of the same type should raise a CAPA.
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