How is the launch readiness score calculated?

Multiply severity by 0.40, occurrence by 0.35 and detection difficulty by 0.25, then add the three contributions. At the defaults, 0.40 × 8 plus 0.35 × 5 plus 0.25 × 4 gives 5.95.

Is the score a probability?

No. It is an ordinal ranking, so 6.0 is not a 60 percent chance of a launch problem. Use it to order risks and to measure the gap to your stated threshold.

What action threshold should a gate use?

There is no universal number. Many teams start near 6 of 10 and calibrate from their own gate history. What matters is stating the threshold in advance and holding it steady as products are compared.

Why is severity weighted the highest?

Severity is the consequence if the issue reaches a customer, and the other two ratings cannot retire it. A safety or regulatory failure stays serious even when occurrence is low and detection is easy.

Consumer Goods & Durable Products Manufacturing calculator

Product Launch Readiness Calculator

Rate a launch failure mode from 1 to 10 on severity, occurrence and detection difficulty, then weight the ratings into a single readiness score. Enter your action threshold and the page reports the signed gap.

What this calculator does

Score launch risk on the 0.40, 0.35 and 0.25 severity, occurrence and detection weights, and measure it against your action threshold.

Formula used

Launch readiness risk score = 0.40 × severity + 0.35 × occurrence + 0.25 × detection
Severity contribution = 0.40 × severity; occurrence contribution = 0.35 × occurrence
Detection contribution = 0.25 × detection; the three contributions sum to the risk score
Gap to action threshold = action threshold minus risk score; positive is under the line

Inputs explained

Launch Failure Severity: Consequence if the issue ships, from 1 cosmetic to 10 safety.
Launch Issue Occurrence: How often the launch issue is expected, anchored to trial builds.
Pre-Launch Detection Difficulty: How hard the issue is to catch before launch, higher is worse.
Action Threshold Score: Your gate line: scores at or above it trigger action.

How to use the result

Best suited to triaging launch risks before a gate review, ranking feature or packaging changes by risk, deciding where readiness testing is needed.
The score is ordinal, not a probability, so 6.0 is not twice the risk of 3.0. A severe failure can hide behind low occurrence and easy detection ratings. FMEA practice has moved to action priority tables; this page computes the weighted convention.

Common questions

How is the launch readiness score calculated? Multiply severity by 0.40, occurrence by 0.35 and detection difficulty by 0.25, then add the three contributions. At the defaults, 0.40 × 8 plus 0.35 × 5 plus 0.25 × 4 gives 5.95.
Is the score a probability? No. It is an ordinal ranking, so 6.0 is not a 60 percent chance of a launch problem. Use it to order risks and to measure the gap to your stated threshold.
What action threshold should a gate use? There is no universal number. Many teams start near 6 of 10 and calibrate from their own gate history. What matters is stating the threshold in advance and holding it steady as products are compared.
Why is severity weighted the highest? Severity is the consequence if the issue reaches a customer, and the other two ratings cannot retire it. A safety or regulatory failure stays serious even when occurrence is low and detection is easy.

Last reviewed 2026-10-01.