Effectively Handling Supplier Nonconformances

Hours: 16 / Access Length: 180 Days / Delivery: Online, Self-Paced
Retail Price: $400.00

Course Overview:

In this course the learner will acquire how to identify and handle supplier nonconformances and to understand key components for building a supplier partnership program.  Participants will gain insight into the differences between short-term (interim/remedial) action and long-term (corrective/preventive) action. Participants will learn how to implement key supplier metrics for monitoring and improvement.  Participants will learn how to develop, implement and maintain  effective supplier nonconformance and supplier partnership programs in their organization.

Course Outline:

How to Identify Supplier Problems (Module 1):

Upon completion of this section you should be able:

  • To discuss typical supplier problems that occur in various industries (software, services,
  • healthcare, manufacturing)
  • To understand what criteria is used to determine if a supplier problem exists
  • To understand what methods are used to determine the severity of supplier problems
How to Separate the Vital Few from the Trivial Many (Module 2)
  • To discuss the definition of a Nonconformance Report (NCR) and its use as a short-term action (i.e. remedial or interim action)
  • To discuss the definition of a Supplier Corrective Action Request (SCAR) and its use as a longterm action (i.e. corrective)
  • To understand when a NCR is used vs. a SCAR depending on the severity of the supplier problem
  • To understand what to do with trivial issues
  • To understand what to do with important issues (cost, production, risk)
Understanding & Implementing a NCR Process (Module 3)
  • To understand the sections of a NCR form
  • To understand when & who decides if a NCR is elevated to a SCAR
  • To understand the resources involved in NCRs (i.e. MRB members)
  • To understand who communicates the nonconformance to the supplier
  • To understand who communicates to appropriate personnel in the organization the supplier problem and how quickly (in the event of quarantine, stop shipments, recall, etc.)
  • To understand how critical timing and communication are when dealing with a potentially large and expensive supplier nonconformance problem
Understanding and Implementing a SCAR Process (Module 4)
  • To understand the sections of a SCAR form
  • To understand how to conduct root-cause analysis
  • To understand how to identify effective corrective actions based on the root-cause
  • To understand the resources involved in SCARs (i.e. functional personnel)
  • To understand who gives the supplier the SCAR & in what timeframe
  • To understand where SCARs are kept (electronically vs. manually) and who monitors them for response, action implementation, and follow-up
Establishing, Measuring & Reporting Supplier Metrics (Module 5)
  • To understand the typical time that is allotted for SCAR responses
  • To understand who reviews the supplier’s responses on the SCAR and determines if they are acceptable
  • To understand what actions are taken if the supplier actions are unacceptable
  • To understand why follow-up is a critical step in an effective supplier nonconformance process
  • To understand key supplier nonconformance metrics and how they are measured
  • To understand who is responsible for maintaining the supplier nonconformance log & communicating supplier metrics to management
Implementing an Effective Supplier Partnership Program (Module 6)
  • To understand the key components of an effective supplier partnership program
  • To understand key personnel involved in an effective supplier partnership program
  • To understand how an effective partnership program is essential for an effective supplier management program
  • To understand the key tips & traps for supplier partnership programs

All necessary course materials are included.


System Requirements:

Internet Connectivity Requirements:

  • Cable, Fiber, DSL, or LEO Satellite (i.e. Starlink) internet with speeds of at least 10mb/sec download and 5mb/sec upload are recommended for the best experience.

NOTE: While cellular hotspots may allow access to our courses, users may experience connectivity issues by trying to access our learning management system.  This is due to the potential high download and upload latency of cellular connections.   Therefore, it is not recommended that students use a cellular hotspot as their primary way of accessing their courses.

Hardware Requirements:

  • CPU: 1 GHz or higher
  • RAM: 4 GB or higher
  • Resolution: 1280 x 720 or higher.  1920x1080 resolution is recommended for the best experience.
  • Speakers / Headphones
  • Microphone for Webinar or Live Online sessions.

Operating System Requirements:

  • Windows 7 or higher.
  • Mac OSX 10 or higher.
  • Latest Chrome OS
  • Latest Linux Distributions

NOTE: While we understand that our courses can be viewed on Android and iPhone devices, we do not recommend the use of these devices for our courses. The size of these devices do not provide a good learning environment for students taking online or live online based courses.

Web Browser Requirements:

  • Latest Google Chrome is recommended for the best experience.
  • Latest Mozilla FireFox
  • Latest Microsoft Edge
  • Latest Apple Safari

Basic Software Requirements (These are recommendations of software to use):

  • Office suite software (Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice)
  • PDF reader program (Adobe Reader, FoxIt)
  • Courses may require other software that is described in the above course outline.


** The course outlines displayed on this website are subject to change at any time without prior notice. **