A segregated area for nonconforming material can be a great way to get a handle on returns, keep track of defective items bought or produced by your company, and prevent defective products from shipping to your customers. A segregated area for nonconforming product is a requirement of some quality management standards, such as ISO9001:2000 and AS9100. And even if you don’t need ISO or AS9100, a segregated area can be a great management tool.
Nonconforming material, or product, is defined as material that does not conform to your requirements. Whether it be raw materials, product manufactured by your company, or materials purchased from vendors, any material or item that does not meet your requirements can be considered “nonconforming material”. Perhaps its the wrong color, wrong dimensions, maybe its scratched or dented or otherwise damaged. Whatever the item, and whatever the reason, if its something you don’t want to ship to your customer, you should segregate it from the rest of your stock.
The problem with segregated areas lies in the management of the space. It seems to be a fact of life that material placed in segregated areas is conveniently forgotten. And when finally ‘discovered’ is written off because of the time lag and lack of real will to revisit an old problem.
My advice would be to adequately identify the material, and locate where it will be seen.
Ed.