How to Avoid the Common Pitfalls of a Nadcap Audit

Any supplier that undertakes a Nadcap Program Audit dreads receiving a Non Conformance Report (NCR). It inevitably involves many extra man-hours and a dedicated effort to resolve the issues that have been identified during the audit. Unfortunately, for some companies seeking Nadcap Program Accreditation, preparation is not necessarily given the priority it requires, and that leads to an increased likelihood of NCRs and of course, potential failure. Indeed, from 2018 to 2021, four NCRs were made on average (across all commodities), per initial Nadcap audit, one of which was a major NCR that potentially impacts product.

Value of the Nadcap Audit

I want to emphasize that the audit process is an opportunity to enhance your quality processes — it shouldn’t be seen as a burden. I recently ran into a small supplier at an aerospace conference and they were excited to tell me about the new work coming into their shop following Nadcap accreditation. Previously, they had received a significant number of NCRs at accreditation and reaccreditation stages, for Chemical Processing and Aerospace Quality System. However, they had managed to turn things around and said that with the right resources and time investment, they saw the difference. More widely, in a recent survey we conducted with Nadcap suppliers, 94% of respondents said they thought that the Nadcap Program added value; 90% said that their quality had improved; and 57% reported a reduction in their defect rates. You can see, therefore, what positive and tangible impacts the audit process can make. 

Conduct a thorough self-audit

The most common reason for NCRs is not being fully prepared for the audit. The Nadcap audit is unlike any other as it is an in-depth technical review of a critical process, and it requires your attention. You can take simple steps to prepare for it, starting with a self-audit.

Performing a thorough, objective self-audit against each question in the audit criteria is the critical first step. You should become familiar with the procedures and the audit criteria, both of which are available from our eAuditNet platform (www.eauditnet.com). The self-audit is effectively an ‘open book’ test — you can conduct it months in advance (the earlier, the better ) — using the eAuditNet material as a supporting resource.

Address non-conformances

By identifying and addressing any non-conformances during the self-audit, you can correct them before the Nadcap Auditor comes on site. Addressing the non-conformances at this stage can significantly reduce the number of NCRs issued by the auditor, and the time required to achieve accreditation. Documents are available in eAuditNet detailing the most common NCRs. We have also found that some commodities attract a greater number of NCRs. Last year, the commodities attracting the most NCRs per audit were Coatings, and Materials Testing Laboratories, both with an average of 10 NCRs per initial audit.

Consider flow down issues

Another common pitfall area is flow down. In addition to reviewing the critical processes, you should also consider the overall planning and development process, as the initial planning phase determines its tone and structure. This should include the process of purchase order review and ensuring the facility is meeting customer requirements. When performing a job audit, the auditor will review the purchase order to ensure the customer requirements are being adhered to. Sometimes suppliers have not properly understood or adhered to these requirements — this has been a common theme for many years within the Nadcap Program, leading to major NCRs. Keep in mind, this also applies to follow-up orders, so ensuring proper review of revisions to the requirements, and changing the process following the review is also very important.

Use free Nadcap resources

There are numerous sources located in eAuditNet to assist new and current suppliers to help with Nadcap audits. The best piece of advice when preparing for an audit is to ensure you are using the tools that are included for each commodity in eAuditNet.

Each task group has developed handbooks to coincide with the audit criteria to give guidance on the audit criteria and clarification on the requirements. Another extremely useful tool is Most Common NCRs, developed by each Nadcap task group and published to help suppliers be aware of common pitfalls, and to give clarification on audit criteria requirements. This report is updated yearly to stay up-to-date with trends that have been identified.

For new suppliers, the Supplier Support Committee (SSC) has developed tools to help prepare for initial audits, including the Nadcap Supplier Handbook, SSC Tutorials on the audit process, and the SSC Sponsored Mentoring Program (available on the PRI website — www.p-r-i.org). Additionally, there are face-to-face and online courses available from PRI Training, covering Nadcap Audit Preparation and Root Cause Corrective Action.

Talk to us

Staff from the Performance Review Institute are available to answer any questions you may have. Contact a staff engineer to assist with technical support or clarification if you are unsure on any matter. Beyond those individual conversations, it is hugely beneficial to attend the Nadcap Meetings which are held worldwide three times a year. Schedules for the Nadcap Meetings can be found at www.p-r-i.org, under Nadcap Meetings. If you can’t make one of those meetings, you may like to attend a Symposia event — these are communicated in advance by email and on LinkedIn.

Final thought

The Nadcap audit can be a daunting undertaking, especially if you are approaching this for the first time, but preparing thoroughly in advance will help to make the audit process as smooth and successful as possible. For any questions on the Nadcap Program process, please contact us: nadcap@p-r-i.org.