Non-Conformance Grading
Your IPC assessor is not tasked with finding non-conformities, conversely their task is to verify conformity ,however, where a non-conformance is identified it is their duty to formally notify you so the issue can be corrected. This aides continual improvement and should not be feared!
During an assessment an assessor may identify an area of your organization that does not meet the requirements of the elected standard. In this event the assessor will ‘raise a finding’ and formally record it in an NCR. The finding will be graded as one of the following:
Major Non-ConformanceMinor Non-ConformanceOpportunity for Improvement
Major Non-Conformance
The absence of, or the failure to implement and maintain one or more management system elements or, a situation which would, on the basis of the available objective evidence, raise significant doubt of the management to achieve:
The policy, objectives or public commitments of the organization
Compliance with the applicable regulatory requirements
Conformance to applicable customer requirements
Conformance with the audit criteria deliverables.
Minor Non-Conformance
A finding indicative of a weakness in the implemented and maintained system, which has not significantly impacted on the capability of the management system or put at risk the system deliverables but needs to be addressed to assure the future capability of the system.
Opportunity for Improvement
Isolated issues identified during the assessment, which have not resulted in a nonconformity being raised which may be beneficial to address to prevent future non-conformance’s.
