Rework, repair, and cost-of-quality reduction

Learning objectives

• Categorize prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure costs.
• Convert defect and rework minutes into validated financial impact.
• Prioritize interventions by financial leverage, not defect count alone.

Problem and CTQ

Internal failures consume labour, material and capacity while hiding true performance. COPQ is the currency of the improvement portfolio.

DMAIC path

• Define prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure costs.
• Map repair loops; capture defect, origin, detection, minutes, material and disposition.
• Validate the finance conversion with the plant controller.

Improvement choices

• Source prevention and feedback.
• Standard settings/method and poka-yoke.
• Risk-based appraisal and controlled repair authorization.

Control plan

• COPQ, repair minutes/garment, rework %, scrap, repeat repair, capacity recovered and external claims.

Garment-factory example

A trouser line spends 42 repair minutes per 100 garments at USD 0.09/min = USD 3.78 per 100 garments. Fixing hem-close needle marks at source cuts repair to 18 minutes and releases 24 minutes/100 pieces to productive capacity.

Common mistakes

• Counting released minutes as cash without redeployment.
• Double-counting the same saving in quality and productivity ledgers.