A non-conformance is a reported fault, defect, or damage to a building, installation, or facility. It is something that is not functioning or is not as it should be. This can range from a squeaky door, a leak, or a faulty light source, to more serious issues related to HSE and fire safety.
The term is used somewhat differently across the industry. In condition analysis, a non-conformance often means that something is below a defined standard. In daily operations, it is usually synonymous with all reports submitted by building users, such as tenants, operations personnel, and suppliers. In Propely, non-conformance is one of two standard task types. The other is Routine task. Reported non-conformances or deviations are collected under the category Reported in the task overview.
In addition to the standard Non-conformance type, Propely administrators can create custom task types for needs specific to their own business, for example:
Custom task types can be displayed alongside other reported tasks, or on a separate page in the sidebar if you wish to keep them distinct. This makes it possible, for example, to keep HSE non-conformances separate from the general non-conformance overview.
Without a structured system, incident reports easily end up on sticky notes, in text messages, or in phone calls that no one else hears about. The result is that things are forgotten, responsibilities become unclear, and minor issues develop into costly repairs.
Effective incident management provides:
In Propely, all incident reporting, follow-up, and documentation are gathered in one place, giving the operations team full oversight and control throughout the building's operational phase.
Operations staff and tenants can report incidents wherever they are. This can be done in the app, via the tenant portal, from the dashboard ("Report incident"), or via a QR code form without needing to log in. With the Forms add-on module, you can also set up custom forms that are sent via email or shared as a QR code, so that submitted responses are automatically created as incidents in the correct category. This lowers the threshold for reporting and ensures that more errors and defects are actually captured, not just the most serious ones.
As soon as an incident is reported, it is automatically created as a task, and the correct person responsible is notified immediately. No messages get lost on a note or in a text message, and everything is recorded directly in the system.
The Tasks page gives you a consolidated overview of all incidents and other tasks—unresolved, completed, and archived. A property manager can thus see all tasks across their properties and delegate them further. You can filter by property, tenant unit, supplier, person responsible, tags, and priority, among other things, and save custom views that can be shared with the rest of the company. This makes it possible, for example, to set up a view only for HSE incidents or for incidents at a specific property. A separate category shows tasks that lack delegation—that is, cases without a responsible person or executor assigned—so that nothing is left without follow-up. The task list can also be easily exported to Excel with custom columns.
From the moment an incident is reported until it is repaired and documented, all delegation, follow-up, and communication take place on the same platform. You can assign a responsible person, an executor, and any relevant supplier, set a deadline and priority, add a description, attachments, and a checklist, and control who can see the incident. Visibility can be set to internal only, or to landlords and tenants at the property or a specific unit.
Incidents can be linked to other tasks, service agreements, or documentation collections, so you always have a clear thread in the system. The task then also becomes visible in the overview on the page it is linked to. If an incident comes in via a service report processed by Propely AI, the report can be linked directly to the task, so that the incident and the documentation are connected.
Suppliers and other external partners can be involved in task work without getting full access to Propely. Via an external task link, they can follow comments, updates, and progress directly on the task. All communication is gathered in one place, instead of in loose email threads. The first time the recipient opens the link, they briefly register their name, email, phone number, and role, so that everyone involved, both internal and external, can follow the case. Suppliers can also send service reports directly to a dedicated email address, where Propely AI reads the documents and automatically creates incidents and follow-up tasks.
All deviations are collected with timestamps, history, and status, forming the basis for reports and KPIs such as response time, resolution time, and costs. This provides you with the insight to benchmark suppliers and operations, and to prioritize preventive over reactive maintenance.
Reactive deviation management means handling problems after they have occurred. Someone reports an issue, and you fix it. Preventive work is about reducing the number of deviations before they even occur, through established routines, checklists, and planned maintenance.
Most operations organizations operate with a mix of both. However, when deviation history is collected digitally over time, it becomes possible to identify patterns, such as which buildings, facilities, or building components repeatedly generate deviations. In such cases, it is often more cost-effective to implement preventive measures or a service agreement rather than waiting for the next error report.
Deviation management is closely linked to other aspects of O&M work:
A well-functioning system for deviation management should have a low threshold for reporting, regardless of who discovers the problem:
Ultimately, good deviation management is about taking care of both the building and those who use it. When everything is gathered on one platform, it becomes easier to catch errors early, keep track of responsibilities and progress, and build the documentation required throughout the operational phase.