Quality worked example

Sigma Level with defects of 45 defects: a worked example

This scenario runs the sigma level calculation on the strong side: defects of 45 defects, with every other input held at its documented default. Use for quick Six Sigma-style quality comparisons across products or processes.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Defects: 45 defects (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 18)
  • Units inspected: 12,000 units (unchanged)
  • Opportunities per unit: 4 opportunities (unchanged)
  • Sigma shift: 1.5 sigma (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (DPMO = defects ÷ (units × opportunities) × 1,000,000) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4.61 sigma for sigma level, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 938 DPMO for dpmo.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 99.91 % for quality rate.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 48,000 opportunities for opportunities.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where defects sits at 18 defects and the headline result is 4.87 sigma, this scenario comes in 5.36% below the baseline at 4.61 sigma.
  • Use it to baseline a process, benchmark across lines or sites, and quantify improvement after a Six Sigma project. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Sigma level: 4.61 sigma (headline result)
  • DPMO: 938 DPMO
  • Quality rate: 99.91 %
  • Opportunities: 48,000 opportunities

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Sigma Level calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.