The document proposes a system for tracking nonconformities as required by quality standards. It would use the existing EDMS system and a specific nonconformance report document type. The process involves an inspector reporting an issue, a production manager analyzing it and proposing a solution, a project engineer approving or rejecting that solution, and the production manager implementing corrections with status updates at each step. It is intended to provide visibility of issues across the LHC project.

1. LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000

2. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Objectives
To provide an on-line system to report,
analyze,and correct non conformities as
required by ISO 9001 and the LHC Quality
Assurance Plan:
 To enable the reporting of non conformities, on-site
and off-site, detected in production, assembly and
installation.
 To provide a comprehensive view of the state of
non conformities at part level, equipment level, and
project level.
 To provide for searching, reporting and statistical
analysis.

3. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Method
 Use the EDMS and its web interface.
 Use a document, the nonconformance
report.
 Use a specific document type, QN.
The nonconformance report (NCR) is used to
document the history from detection to
implementation of the solution.
The document status is used to display the main
steps in the nonconformance evolution

4. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Initiates NC process
Completes first part of NCR
Stores NCR in EDMS
Production
Manager
Makes analysis
Proposes solution, including
corrective action
Inspector
Verifies and
Approves solution
Project Engineer
Project Management
Implements solution
Production
Manager
Implementation complete
Stops NC process
Production Manager
Project Engineer
OPEN (IN WORK)
ACCEPTED (RELEASED)
CLOSED (OBSOLETE)
NC Status
UNDER APPROVAL
There is a problem
Waiting for a solution
There is a problem
Solution found
Waiting for approval
There is a problem
Solution approved
Correction in-progress
There was a problem
It has been corrected

5. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
NC process step by step
 Inspector (on production site)
 Discovers a non-conformity.
 Completes the IDENTIFICATION part of the NCR.
 Stores the NCR in EDMS (status OPEN).
 Production Manager (on production site)
 Makes analyses and proposes a solution.
 Updates NCR, point 13, possibly point 16.
 Changes NCR status to UNDER APPROVAL.
 Project Engineer/Project Management (at CERN)
 Verifies and approves or rejects the proposed solution.
 Decides whether management approval is required.
 Finally changes status to ACCEPTED or REJECTED.
 Production Manager (and PE if necessary)
 Implements the solution.
 Changes status to CLOSED when complete.

6. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Confidentiality
 Inspector and Production Manager
 May only see NC’s related to their contract
 Project Engineer
 May see NC’s related to all his contracts and to all
related equipment
 Project Management
 May see all NC’s related to the project

7. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Web interface
 Specific form to store and search for
NC’s:
 To clearly segregate NC’s, as processes, from
documents.
 To display NC status and hide the NCR document
status.
 To automatically assign the doc type.
 Pre-defined search as for ECR’s
 Search by status, like ECRs.

8. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Production sites without Internet (1)
 Inspector:
 Fills points 1 to 12 of the form and sends it to
Production Manager
 Production Manager:
 Fills point 13 of the form and faxes to PE at CERN
 PE (or secretary)
 Completes point 14 or 15 of the form and faxes it to
Production Manager
 Creates an empty (no file attached) NC Report
 Changes the status of NC to IN-PROGRESS
When Implementation is completed:
 Scans the completed form and stores it in EDMS
 Change status to CLOSED

9. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
Production sites without Internet (2)
In cases where it has been demonstrated that
communication via the web is not possible:
 Use the nonconformance report as a paper
document.
 Communicate via telephone, fax and mail.
 Scan and store the nonconformance report
when the nonconformance has been
resolved, with the status OBSOLETE.

10. Nonconformance Tracking
LHC Quality Assurance Working Group - M. Mottier September 2000
LHC-PM-QA-509.00