Establish a defensible system for identifying, documenting, and controlling nonconforming work so it never reaches the customer. This module shows steel fabricators and structural steel erectors how to build a nonconformance reporting process that meets AISC certification requirements, satisfies AISC auditors, and aligns with the AISC quality certification program. Buyers checking the AISC certification list or the list of AISC certified fabricators expect to see proof that problems are contained, documented, and resolved, not hidden.
Every certified steel company will have nonconformances. What separates a shop that keeps its certification from one that fails is how those issues are handled. AISC auditors use the AISC audit checklist to confirm that you have a formal process for documenting nonconforming work, assigning responsibility, and tracking results. Buyers searching what is AISC certification, how to become AISC certified, or how to get AISC certified look for reassurance that any problems found in your shop or in the field will be addressed quickly and effectively.
Nonconformances may be discovered during routine inspections, welding or bolting operations, incoming material checks, or during the AISC internal audit guide process. Each must be documented in a Nonconformance Report (NCR) that describes the problem, the affected pieces, and the decision taken. AISC auditors will expect to see a stack of recent NCRs and how they were resolved.
Nonconforming work must be clearly identified and, when necessary, segregated so it does not mix with conforming product. This could mean tagging pieces, holding them in a marked area, or issuing clear shop-floor instructions. Buyers comparing structural steel erection companies expect to see discipline in how nonconforming steel is controlled before it leaves the shop.
The Quality Control Manager is responsible for reviewing and evaluating each NCR. They hold the authority to determine the treatment of the nonconformance, including rework, repair, or scrapping the affected part. Their qualifications should be documented and available for review. AISC auditors will ask who has this authority, and buyers reviewing the aisc certified erector list want to know that issues are handled by qualified personnel, not left to chance.
Once a disposition is chosen (rework, repair, or scrap), the fix must be communicated to the production team. After treatment, re-inspection by QC must confirm the problem is resolved. Records must tie the disposition to the original NCR so auditors can trace the issue from discovery through resolution. This is where AISC certification consultants often find gaps in weak systems and why many companies struggle to regain AISC certification after losing it.
For the AISC documentation audit and the on-site audit, companies must stage:
AISC auditors will follow the trail: discovery → documentation → segregation → disposition → re-inspection → closure. If any link in this chain is missing, they will flag it on the AISC audit checklist. Companies that pass with ease can demonstrate this flow for welding, bolting, coating, material traceability, and field erection.
Buyers searching AISC certification consultants, AISC certification cost, AISC certification training, or AISC certified fabricator requirements want reassurance that suppliers can control problems and keep defective work out of the field. A documented NCR system shows them you are disciplined, accountable, and truly a certified steel company. For procurement teams using the AISC certification list to evaluate suppliers, this is a deciding factor.
These mistakes stand out immediately to AISC auditors and undermine credibility with buyers comparing steel fabricators and structural steel erection companies.