SF 368 — Product Quality Deficiency Report (PQDR)

Standard Form 368, Product Quality Deficiency Report (PQDR), is the government-wide form for reporting a quality deficiency in material — as opposed to a shipping or quantity discrepancy — shipped from a GSA distribution center, a DoD depot or other government activity, or material GSA purchased and inspected on the requesting activity's behalf. It is maintained by the General Services Administration, and its reporting requirements are set out in the Federal Management Regulation at 41 CFR 101-26.803-2.

The reporting activity classifies the deficiency by category: a Category I deficiency — one affecting safety or mission-critical performance — must be reported by telephone or message within 72 hours of discovery, while a Category II deficiency has a 15-day reporting window. The form documents the manufacturer, the item, the nature of the deficiency, and the action requested or taken, and submissions feed a quality-history file that contracting and quality-assurance staff consult during future source selections and contractor-performance evaluations. The current edition is dated May 2011.