When a process or system is established, it is the intention for it to run per the plan/specification. However, every process, irrespective of whether it is performed by humans or machinery, will show a certain degree of variation in its results/output. As part of process design and validation, the allowable variation is usually pre-established as tolerances. Whilst it is acceptable for a process to deviate within its allowable tolerances if it exceeds these tolerances a non-conformity is said to have occurred. These tolerances could have been set in procedure, control plans, quality plans, design drawings or via other process/systems control tools. Sometimes a non-conformity does not neces

Organisations that will survive and thrive will only do so by being focused on meeting the needs and requirements of their customers. To meet the needs and requirements of customers, first those needs must be clearly understood. This could be specifications of some sort or the output of market research. The optimal organisation is designed and set up to meet the needs of the customer with limited wasted effort and resources. In the fields of management and entrepreneurship it has been well established that an organisation that loses focus on the customer expectations, current or future, has slowly started its dance of death. The effect of looking away from the customer is very easily seen in