In NCR/CAR processing, lead time is defined as the total time from NCR initiation to closure.

• A. The total time from NCR initiation to closure.
• B. The time from NCR initiation to detection of the root cause.
• C. The time from customer complaint to NCR closure.
• D. The time from supplier shipment to NCR closure.

Answer: (A)

Lead time in NCR/CAR processing is the total duration from when the NCR is initiated to when it is closed. This end-to-end measure captures the entire lifecycle of addressing a non-conformance, including investigation, containment, root cause analysis, corrective actions, verification, and final closure. The option that describes the total time from initiation to closure matches this comprehensive timeline, which is why it is the best definition. Other options describe partial segments or external triggers (like time to detect the root cause or times from a customer complaint or supplier shipment) and do not reflect the full processing duration.