The quality level of a product is the foundation of any well-functioning business—and the same applies to the industrial and logistics sectors. For QHSE engineers, ensuring that all industrial processes and working environments meet high standards of quality (ISO certifications) and safety is not just a matter of compliance. But what if the right management tools could help you go beyond these challenges while drastically reducing your non-conformity rates? Let’s find out in this article.
What is a Non-Conformity?
In the industrial sector, a non-conformity refers to any deviation from an established standard, whether relating to:
- Quality;
- Safety;
- Process compliance.
This can include, for instance, goods incorrectly stored in a logistics warehouse or emergency exits not meeting safety requirements. Non-conformities are often identified during routine inspections carried out by QHSE engineers.
The challenge of these inspections is twofold:
- correcting deviations to comply with technical specifications or safety standards;
- adopting a proactive quality policy to anticipate issues and act swiftly to prevent negative impacts on production, employee safety, or customer satisfaction.
By implementing action plans to detect non-conformities, companies ensure that they maintain high levels of quality and safety—while optimising operations and minimising the risk of delays or disruptions.
4 Steps to Maximise the Management of Non-Conformities in Industrial Buildings
1. Identify Non-Conformities Early
In industry, effective management of non-conformities starts well before problems occur. QHSE engineers are tasked with preventing risks before they materialise. This requires proactive monitoring, made easier by advanced technological tools such as:
- non-conformity management software;
- geographic information systems (GIS) for accurate warehouse tracking;
- sensors to monitor equipment conditions and site safety.
Scheduling regular internal or external QHSE audits not only helps to identify deviations from current standards but also ensures that all safety measures are strictly observed.
These audits can be tailored to critical areas, such as storage zones (to check the correct placement of goods) or vital infrastructure (like fire doors).
Good to know: By adopting a proactive approach, QHSE engineers can avoid downtime, reduce last-minute correction costs, and maintain high levels of safety and quality.
2. Assess Non-Conformities Against Regulations
Proactive monitoring, supported by advanced technology and regular audits, allows QHSE engineers to detect non-conformities at an early stage. Once identified, they can be categorised according to different criteria to aid decision-making and prioritisation of corrective actions.
Classification can be based on urgency and the potential impact of the non-conformity on safety, quality, and operational continuity.
This approach makes it possible to prioritise corrections by focusing first on deviations with the most severe consequences—such as those directly affecting employee safety or causing costly production stoppages.
3. Develop and Implement a Corrective Action Plan
Once non-conformities have been classified, the next step is to develop a corrective action plan—and implement it.
This plan should detail specific corrective measures for each type of non-conformity, specify the necessary resources, and clearly assign responsibilities within the team.
Each corrective action should be assigned to a team member with a realistic deadline. Once the plan is in place, execution becomes the priority. At this stage, the QHSE engineer must closely monitor progress to ensure that corrective actions are not only implemented according to plan but also achieve the goal of resolving the identified non-conformities.
4. Monitor the Changes Implemented
Regular monitoring and checks are essential to quickly identify any deviations from the initial plan and make necessary adjustments. These evaluations must confirm that non-conformities have been resolved and that genuine improvements have been achieved.
To do this, you can:
- Use non-conformity management software to carry out external audits, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track corrective actions in real time—without connecting to transitional CMMS infrastructures. These audits can also serve as proof during regulatory inspections that regular checks are carried out.
- Create customised dashboards to visualise corrective action progress, upcoming deadlines, and delays.
- Keep a history of changes for better traceability.
- Hold regular team meetings to review the status of corrective actions.
- Use specific KPIs to measure the effectiveness of corrective actions and their impact on non-conformities.
Quality Management Software: The Future of Non-Conformity Management in Industry?
Why Use Non-Conformity Management Software?
Smartphones have become standard in every sector—who hasn’t ordered a meal on Uber Eats? Yet, the industrial world still relies heavily on paper-based processes. The problem? Paper reports risk not being delivered on time—or worse, being lost altogether.
The consequence: an increase in defects, incidents, and delayed interventions. The financial stakes are far too high to risk losing critical information. That’s why traceability and follow-up are essential in non-conformity management.
To manage quality, safety, and environmental processes effectively—and ultimately optimise non-conformity management—QSE managers would greatly benefit from digital solutions that allow them to:
- create customisable audit forms;
- record preconfigured templates for standardised processes and quality checks;
- add annotations or photos during an audit;
- export analysis reports in PDF format for easy sharing with the client or teams.
How to Handle Non-Conformities Effectively Using Quality Management Software
When you detect a non-conformity—whether in stored products or site safety—you can simply use your smartphone app to manage the quality process:
- create a non-conformity notification;
- add a detailed comment;
- take a photo to document the issue;
- assign the corrective task to a team.
An inspection report is automatically sent to the relevant party. Each stakeholder knows exactly where and how to act to resolve the issue. For example, a maintenance technician will be directly informed of the fault to be corrected and will be able to validate and document its resolution via the app.
What About Site Supervision Apps in Non-Conformity Management?
Mobile apps are now essential to digitise non-conformity management. In construction, poor communication can quickly lead to major issues impacting build quality.
For a new-build project manager, a dedicated mobile app is indispensable. It enables them to:
- monitor non-conformity status in real time (resolved, validated, pending, or dropped);
- ensure construction compliance without needing to be physically present on site.
The app also synchronises all non-conformity data and updates between team members (including control offices during inspections), reducing the risk of errors. No more relying on SMS—every stakeholder involved in the defect resolution has the same level of information.
In short, this system makes it easier to manage anomalies proactively, contributing to the overall quality and compliance of the building or warehouse. It ensures that all parties are promptly informed when a non-conformity is reported.
Non-Conformity Management: Why Choose Site Supervision?
The QSE manager’s role is to monitor industrial operations and ensure non-conformities are resolved. With Site Supervision, they can track non-conformity statuses (resolved, validated, pending, or dropped) without being constantly on site.
The app synchronises non-conformity data and updates across all team members, reducing the risk of errors. It can also be shared with control offices for inspections, making it easier to:
- carry out in-depth inspections;
- simplify transparent reporting;
- strengthen confidence in quality and safety monitoring.
With Site Supervision, QHSE engineers can significantly improve the efficiency of non-conformity management. No more risk of lost information. And what about data security? Your data is stored and protected in our secure data centre. Even if you lose your device, your information is safely backed up in the cloud (hosted in the UK).
A survey of 1,000 Site Supervision users found that 92% chose the app to save time on non-conformity documentation management. How much time exactly? Among respondents, 27% reported saving 30 minutes, while 47% saved an hour or more. The more projects you manage, the greater the time savings.
Non-Conformity Management: Everything You Need to Know
How Can You Ensure Effective Follow-Up of Corrective Actions in an Industrial Environment?
To ensure effective follow-up of corrective actions in industry, it’s vital to adopt a digital quality management system. It should provide full visibility on the status of non-conformities and corrective measures. Clear allocation of responsibilities to specific team members and defined deadlines for each action are also essential.
What Role Do Data Play in the Continuous Improvement of Non-Conformity Management?
In industry, data is at the heart of continuous improvement in non-conformity management. Data makes it possible to:
- analyse trends to anticipate and prevent future incidents;
- identify root causes of recurring issues;
- evaluate the impact and effectiveness of corrective actions.
By systematically collecting and analysing data via digital solutions, QHSE engineers can make informed decisions based on hard facts.
