Case Study 06
Restructuring a Failing NCR Program to Achieve Systematic Resolution and Prevent Recurrence
NCR BACKLOG VIA STRUCTURED ROOT CAUSE ANALYSIS
AVERAGE TIME TO CLOSE NCRS
RECURRENCE PREVENTION VIA VERIFIED CORRECTIVE ACTION
THE CHALLENGE
On a major LACMTA infrastructure program, the non-conformance process had stopped functioning as a quality tool. NCRs accumulated faster than they closed, aged items sat unresolved with no clear disposition path, and — most damaging — the same issues kept recurring because closure had become an administrative exercise rather than a corrective one.
THE APPROACH
A1MI restructured the program around a simple principle: an NCR isn't resolved until its cause is addressed. Each open item went through structured root cause analysis, with disposition paths defined and agreed rather than left to case-by-case negotiation. Corrective actions were tracked to verified completion — not just documented intent.
The backlog was worked systematically by category rather than chronologically, so resolving one root cause frequently closed multiple related NCRs at once.
THE OUTCOME
The NCR backlog was reduced through structured root cause analysis, and average time to close new NCRs decreased under the restructured process. Most importantly, verified corrective action broke the recurrence cycle — the program stopped generating the same non-conformances repeatedly, converting the NCR system from a paperwork burden back into a working quality instrument.