Can You Ship Parts With an Open NCR in an AS9100 Environment?

Usually not, because an open NCR means nobody has formally decided what happens to those parts yet.

They should only ship once a disposition has been decided, approved by the right people and agreed by the customer where the contract requires it.

What does an "open NCR" mean on the shop floor?

An NCR is open when the problem has been recorded but not closed out. In most businesses that means the disposition (rework, repair, scrap, return to supplier or use-as-is) has not been decided, or it has been decided but not yet approved or completed.

An open NCR does not always stop the whole order, because one against a different batch or against segregated parts can sit separately. The problem starts when it covers parts in the shipment and nobody has confirmed the outcome.

How do parts end up released with an open NCR?

It usually comes down to timing and pressure rather than anyone deliberately breaking the rules. The works order shows as complete because the final operation was booked off and Despatch sees a finished job with nothing to say otherwise.

Sometimes the NCR is raised after the parts have already moved to stores or been packed. By then the people handling the shipment have no idea the NCR exists.

What does VAELO commonly see when consulting?

We often see NCRs raised on paper, in a spreadsheet or in the ERP. The NCR is not always linked to the works order or traveller either, so Despatch and Goods Out cannot see it.

Disposition is another common gap. Engineering agrees "use as is" in a conversation, but nobody asks the customer for approval, and sometimes a concession request goes out and the parts ship before the reply arrives because the answer is "probably fine".

Partial batches cause trouble too, where only some parts are affected but the whole batch is released because the quantities were never separated.

Open NCRs also age for weeks because nobody owns them, with Quality assuming Engineering is chasing the customer and Engineering assuming Quality is.

What are the consequences of shipping with an open NCR?

The best case is that the customer finds it at goods-in and raises a corrective action request. The worst case is that it surfaces later in their assembly or in service, and your business has to prove what shipped and when.

Internally, teams have to trace which batches and serial numbers shipped, which only works if traceability is good. Sales takes the difficult call, Production reworks at short notice and Finance deals with returns and credits - and the total cost is usually far higher than holding the shipment for a day.

How do you stop parts leaving with an open NCR?

Put a hard stop at the release point. Before final release or despatch, someone checks for open NCRs against the works order, part number and batch, and the shipment does not move until each one is closed or has an approved disposition on record.

A practical control usually includes:

→ Every NCR linked to the works order, part number, batch and quantity affected

→ Affected parts physically tagged and segregated with the NCR number

→ The final operation booked off only after final inspection is complete

→ One live NCR log visible to Production, Quality and Despatch

→ A named authority for each type of disposition, and a clear rule on when the customer must approve

→ A release check signed off by Quality after the NCR status has been confirmed

→ A weekly review of open NCRs by age and owner

None of this needs new software. A simple check on the despatch paperwork, backed by a visible NCR list, works if people use it every time.

What should you do when the delivery date is at risk?

Tell the customer early. A conversation about a short delay or a concession request is much easier than explaining why you shipped parts you knew had an open nonconformance.

Sales and Quality should agree the message first so the customer gets facts and a plan. If the customer approves a concession, record the reference on the NCR and the shipping documents, and ship only the quantity the approval covers.

If you are not sure your despatch team would catch an open NCR, test it. Pick three recent shipments and check whether any NCR was open against them on the day they left.

How can VAELO Aerospace help?

VAELO Aerospace works with precision engineering, manufacturing, and aerospace and defence businesses to tighten how nonconformances are raised, tracked, approved and linked to release.

We can review your NCR process, your despatch controls and your concession routes, then help you put practical checks in place that fit how your teams already work.

Get in touch to talk through your own release controls - https://www.vaeloaerospace.com/contact-us