OPPORTUNITIES OF DEFECT: Case Study 1

 

There is nonconformance to standard when a characteristic does not perform or conform, and/or an action does not comply to standard. A defect results when a characteristic doesn’t conform to standard. It is classified as either “active” or “passive.” An active defect is one that was identified to be looked for and, therefore, is found and counted. A passive defect is one that has not been found yet, an escaping defect, or may never be found because it is not being looked for.

 An opportunity exists if the following four factors are present:  scale, standard, characteristic, and density. In other words, characteristics that are critical to the quality, cost, or delivery of a product or service are opportunities for defect when they are being measured according to a standard as reported. There are opportunities at any level of a hierarchy, which generally consists of the following levels:  complex, system, subsystem, component, and element.

 At each level, opportunities that are being measured according to a standard are considered to be active. On the other hand, opportunities that are not being measured are passive.

 The opportunity counting strategy consists of the following:  firstly, to assess process capability, only active opportunities are counted. Secondly, opportunities must be counted for each level of the hierarchy in the organization in order to get true process metrics. Finally, as the organization evolves in Six Sigma, it may be necessary to distinguish between different classes of active opportunities for nonconformance (faults, defects, and errors).

 Complexity is closely associated with the number of product and process characteristics. With each product or process characteristic, an individual opportunity for defect exists at every level of the hierarchy.