What a nonconformance disposition actually decides
It decides what happens to product that failed a requirement: use as is, rework, repair, scrap or return to the supplier. The decision is only half the record; the other half is who was allowed to make it and on what evidence.
ISO's quality vocabulary defines a concession as permission to use or release product that does not meet specified requirements, generally within specified limits. ISO 9001 auditing guidance has auditors check that release under concession was approved by a relevant authority and, where applicable, by the customer. So a well-kept disposition file carries a built-in label: a named authority approved a specific action against a specific deviation. That label is exactly what a migration that keeps only the final status field throws away.
For medical device makers, FDA's Quality Management System Regulation took effect on February 2, 2026 and incorporates ISO 13485:2016 by reference, which can be the reason a device company is moving or restructuring its QMS; the QMSR transition consultant guide covers that trigger. This page is general information, not regulatory advice.
Sort every record class into one of three bins (Illustrative)
Cutover forces a decision for every record class: migrate it, leave it read-only in the legacy system, or retire it. Writing those decisions down is the inventory. Here is a fictional example for a 350-person contract manufacturer of machined and coated housings.
| Record class | Legacy system | Years covered | Administered by | Cutover decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonconformance reports | Legacy QMS | 2013 to now | Quality engineering | Open NCRs migrate; closed stay read-only |
| Inspection reports and measurements | Inspection software and MES | 2015 to now | Quality inspection lead | Stay read-only |
| MRB minutes and engineering reviews | Legacy QMS attachments | 2013 to now | Quality director | Stay read-only |
| Deviation and concession requests | Legacy QMS and email | 2016 to now | Quality director and customer quality contacts | Email part not in scope |
| Rework travelers | MES | 2017 to now | Manufacturing engineering | Not decided |
| Linked CAPAs | Legacy QMS | 2014 to now | Quality director | Open CAPAs migrate; closed retired after 5 years |
A row marked "not decided" or "not in scope" is the first question to raise. A row marked "read-only" needs the date that access ends, taken from the contract.
Metadata worksheet for the quality director
Use this as a metadata-only worksheet:
- Record classes: NCRs, inspection reports, MRB minutes, deviation and concession requests, rework travelers, re-inspection results, linked CAPAs.
- Time coverage: the year the current QMS went live, and whether earlier NCRs exist in spreadsheets, paper or an older system.
- Volume: roughly how many NCRs a year, and roughly what share went to MRB rather than a standing disposition.
- Migration scope: which record classes the new platform will import, which stay in the legacy system and which are archived.
- Access deadline: the date the legacy license, hosting or read-only access ends, taken from the contract, not from memory.
- Customer restrictions: whether quality agreements limit reuse of records that cite a customer's drawing or specification.
Root-cause work often sits beside dispositions; root cause analysis records explains why those linked records matter.
Loose ends: concessions in email and customer-owned material
Concessions are often negotiated by email with the customer's quality contact, and only the outcome is typed into the QMS. If the company is changing email platforms at the same time, the same discipline applies to mailbox history; see an email platform migration. Records that cite customer drawings may be restricted by the customer's terms; the customer drawings ownership explainer covers the usual position for contract manufacturers.
Do not recommend keeping data longer than the company's own procedures and authority allow, and do not collect exports, screenshots or logins. Preservation is a decision for the quality director, IT and counsel.
Who to ask, and does the company qualify?
The quality director knows coverage: which systems, which years, what migrates. Authority to discuss licensing usually sits with the CEO, COO or general counsel; finding the right decision-maker helps map that.
The introduced company needs 50+ full-time employees at peak (contractors excluded), a documented operating history, rights to license the records, and an authorized contact. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the EU qualify, as do companies in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, South Africa, Latin America, the UAE and Saudi Arabia when at least 90% of the data is in English. What stays unknown until SourceX reviews it: buyer interest in disposition histories, the rights review result for customer-cited material, the de-identification needed, and whether an offer follows. Partners sign the Channel Partner Agreement before submitting introductions. Other sectors are on the industries hub.
Go deeper on nonconformance disposition
- Nonconformance disposition referral brief template: a fill-in brief for plant size, systems, years and owners, with one completed Illustrative example.
- Nonconformance disposition exception examples: one lot that passed one specification and failed another, worked through decision by decision.
- Nonconformance records across systems: a system map of the QMS, MES and inspection tools, and the identifiers that join one disposition.
- Who can license nonconformance disposition records: a decision tree for company, customer and supplier records, and who can authorize a licensing discussion.
Next step
Refer a company. Earn up to $100,000. Default reward: 25% of Actual Supplier Payout, capped at $100,000 cumulatively per referred company. Eligibility and payment conditions apply, and a signed Schedule A or addendum can differ. A lead, meeting or signature alone does not trigger payment.
If a client is about to migrate its QMS and years of disposition decisions sit behind the cutover, register as a partner, check the company against who qualifies, and read the program terms before you send the brief.