A disposition path is the defined workflow used to decide and record what happens to material, product, or work in process when it cannot continue through the normal route without review.
In manufacturing quality systems, the term commonly appears in nonconformance, deviation, inspection, and material review workflows. The path routes the item through required review steps, disposition authority, instructions, approvals, and closure actions. Possible outcomes may include rework, repair, use-as-is, scrap, return to supplier, or additional evaluation.
A disposition path is not the same as the normal production routing. Production routing describes how conforming work is planned and executed. A disposition path describes how an exception is evaluated, controlled, and documented so the resulting decision can be traced.