What Is Material Review Board (MRB)?
Also known as: MRB, MRB disposition, material review
Definition
A material review board (MRB) is a cross-functional group, usually quality, engineering and purchasing or manufacturing, that reviews nonconforming material and decides its disposition: use as is, rework, repair, scrap or return to supplier.
Material Review Board (MRB) Explained
The MRB exists because nonconforming material cannot be dispositioned by whoever found it. Quality and engineering together judge whether a deviation affects form, fit, function, safety or reliability. Supply chain brings the cost and schedule view, including supplier recourse. In government and aerospace work, the customer or a delegated representative may need to sit on the board or approve certain dispositions.
Authority is tiered. Many companies let quality engineering approve rework to print without a full board, require engineering signature for use as is, and need customer approval for repair or any change to a design controlled characteristic. DoD contracts and aerospace primes often define which dispositions need customer concurrence, and a simple use as is for a customer designed item is rarely something a supplier can sign off alone.
Two categories show up in practice. Minor and major nonconformances are distinguished by whether they affect interchangeability, safety or contract requirements. Standing MRBs meet on a schedule, for example twice weekly, while others convene per NCR for urgent line stoppages. The decision is recorded on the NCR with rationale, approvers, quantity, and cost, and the ERP stock status is updated to reflect the disposition.
In the ERP the MRB step is typically a workflow on the NCR or quality hold: material sits in an MRB quarantine location until disposition. Rework generates a rework work order, scrap posts an inventory adjustment with a reason code, and return to vendor generates a return to supplier transaction and debit memo. Without ERP integration, MRB decisions are made on paper and stock status lags the decision.
Why It Matters
- It prevents unilateral accept decisions that could ship nonconforming product against contract requirements.
- A single, documented disposition path lets auditors trace who accepted a deviation and why.
- Fast MRB turnaround frees WIP and stops lines waiting on quarantined parts.
- MRB cost data, including scrap and concessions, quantifies supplier and process problems.
In Practice
A forging lot of 100 shows hardness at 2 HRC below the lower limit on 8 pieces. The MRB meets the next morning: engineering assesses stress margins and says the 8 low-hardness parts cannot be accepted, but 92 conforming pieces release. Materials are scrapped for the 8 with supplier debit, and a CAPA request is issued to the forging house. The ERP shows the 92 released within hours of the board decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sits on a material review board?
Typically quality and engineering, plus manufacturing or supply chain. In defense and aerospace work, a customer or government representative may be required for certain dispositions.
What dispositions can an MRB choose?
Use as is, rework to print, repair to an approved alternate state, scrap, or return to vendor. Some also allow sort or regrade.
Does every NCR need an MRB?
No. Many companies set rules so routine rework to print is dispositioned by quality, and only deviations affecting design, safety or contract requirements go to the full board.
How does the ERP support MRB?
By holding nonconforming lots in a quarantine location and executing the disposition as a transaction: rework order, scrap adjustment, return to vendor or release to stock.
Related Terms
Non-Conformance Report (NCR)
A non-conformance report (NCR) is the formal record that a part, material, process or document failed a specified requirement. It captures what failed, how many, where, and the disposition decision (use as is, rework, repair, scrap or return to supplier).
CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action)
CAPA is a closed-loop quality process: investigate a problem, find its root cause, implement corrective action to remove it and preventive action to stop similar problems, then verify the actions were effective. Required by ISO 13485 and FDA rules, expected under AS9100.
Rework
Rework is action taken on nonconforming product to bring it into full conformance with the original specification. It differs from repair, which makes product acceptable for use without meeting the original requirement.
Scrap Rate
Scrap rate is the percentage of production output discarded as unusable because it cannot be economically reworked to specification, calculated as scrapped units divided by total units produced over a defined period.
AS9100
AS9100 is the quality management system standard for the aviation, space, and defense industry, published by SAE and the International Aerospace Quality Group, which incorporates all of ISO 9001 and adds sector-specific requirements for safety, configuration, and risk.
Go Deeper
Scrap Rate Cost Calculator
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SyteLine Quality Hold Management Guide
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SyteLine Supplier Quality Management
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