Defects per Opportunity (DPO)

Defects per Opportunity is the probability of units produced with zero defects by the process. One part or unit may have as low as one opportunity for a defect or it may have infinite opportunities for defects.

A complex stamping for an airplane fuselage may have hundreds of characteristics that can each be defective. A simpler product such as nail will have fewer opportunities. Measurable opportunities are considered.

Given:

D: # of defects

O: # of opportunities for a defect

U: # of units

TOP: Total number of opportunities = U * O

Formula:

Examine the table shown below:

D = 19 defects

O = 5 opportunities

U = 10 nails

TOP = 50 total opportunities

DPU = 1.9 defects per unit

DPO = 0.38 defects per opportunity.

Each opportunity (length, diameter, plating, hardness, material) has an average of 0.38 defects in each nail.

Additional Note:

Notice below that only 2 nails of the 10 total nails were completely defect-free and 8 of the nails were defective....meaning that each of the 8 nails had at least one type of defect. That means the PPM is 8/10 or 800,000. 

DPMO and PPM can be different values. Click here to learn more.

Templates, Tables, and Calculators

Return to the MEASURE Phase

Project Acceleration Techniques

Return to the Six-Sigma-Material Home Page