DO - Defect opportunity
Typically used in six
sigma, a kind of possible defect of a unit
or throughput (input/output) that is important to the customer
requirements or specification, at any place in a process,
procedure, or service where a defect could occur. This could also be
called part steps.
Example, a form with 10 questions would
have at least 10 opportunities for a defect. If one of the 10 questions is
a multiple choice, like A, B, C, and D, then the DO calculation could be
13. 10 - 1(for the one multiple choice) + 4 (one for each choice
of the multiple choice question)
Any place or anytime a defect could occur.
This number may have to be lowered for practical reasons in order to be
used properly. For example, if the probability
is extremely small that the defect could occur, then it should not be used
unless process improvements have
eliminated all other types of defect opportunities.
Also see our free
software to help in various calculations used with defect
opportunities as well as DPMO,
(Defects per Million Opportunities), and DPO,
(Defects per Opportunity).
