Categories are a mandatory field on a Non Conformance card.
From the "Quality Setup" ribbon, click into the "Non-Conformance Categories" option to open the page. Add in a 20 character Code as well as a Description for what category you want to store. Regardless of your Non Conformance type, you will be able to select any of the categories you record here.
The Category Code is not only used for reporting but is also used in conjunction with the "Sub Category Codes" to define the "Task Templates" that are defined in Business Central as default when used on a "Non Conformance" Card so careful consideration regarding what to use here is key. For more information on "task templates" and how they are used, see the Task Templates Menu headings.
In addition to the above, it is also possible to specify a Default User ID to a Category, to identify (if set) the person to whom this Category of Non Conformance is normally assigned to. It is not mandatory to set the User at this level, as it can also be assigned at the Sub Category level, if more relevant.
Once the Category Codes have been created, you need to assign "Sub Categories" which you can access from the ribbon. This will open up a page that looks like the image below. Here you can define a Code and Description for the Sub-Category.
In my example above, I have 'Damages' as my Category Code whereas I can break these down into smaller groups by specifying 'Internal Damages' as well as 'Vendor' related damages in the Sub-categories. These are just examples of how to use these but remember, they are crucial when reporting on the reason for the Non Conformances so ensuring you use Codes that are clear will help you long term.
Per Sub-category Code you can specify either the G/L Account No or the Item Charge Code to assign to the Non Conformance when creating corrective documents (such as Credit Memos) from "Non Conformance Cards". This is dependant on the setup you have specified on the "Quality Setup" page within the Non-Conformance FastTab. For more information on this, refer to the FastTab menu heading. You can assign the Default User ID here, selecting the User from the dropdown per Code as to which User will be responsible for the Non-Conformance when this Sub-Category is used on a "Non-Conformance card".
When an entry for the "Non-Conformance Sub-categories" has been created, the Task Templates can be edited. See the Task Templates menu heading for more information.