defectsperopportunity

Defects per opportunity (DPO) is a quality metric that measures the rate of defects relative to the number of defect opportunities in a process, product, or service. It expresses how often a defect occurs given the places or aspects where defects could potentially occur.

DPO is calculated as defects divided by the total number of opportunities for a defect, typically expressed as defects per unit multiplied by opportunities per unit. It is commonly converted to defects per million opportunities (DPMO) by multiplying by 1,000,000. Formula: DPO = defects / (units × opportunities per unit); DPMO = DPO × 1,000,000.

In practice, DPO is used in quality management and Six Sigma to gauge process capability, track improvements, and compare processes. Because the count of opportunities depends on how opportunities are defined, careful scoping and consistent definitions are essential to make comparisons meaningful.

Example: If 100 units are produced, each with 5 defect opportunities, and 8 defects are observed, DPO = 8 / (100 × 5) = 0.016, and DPMO = 16,000.

DPO complements other metrics such as defects per unit and defects per opportunity. A lower DPO indicates fewer defects per opportunity, but the metric does not capture defect severity or criticality. Limitations include the subjective or inconsistent definition of opportunities and potential distortions when opportunities are not uniformly counted across units or batches.