COPQ — Cost of Poor Quality

In plain English

COPQ represents the costs associated with defects, rework, scrap, and failures caused by poor quality.

COPQ is what bad quality actually costs.

Not in theory — in money.

Scrap, rework, delays, complaints, warranty, firefighting.
All of it adds up.

What they actually mean

COPQ is often much higher than reported.

Many costs are hidden:

overtime

extra inspections

lost trust

stressed teams

If quality problems feel expensive, COPQ is probably already eating margins.

Example

Does it actually matter?

✅ Yes — financially.
COPQ turns quality from a “nice to have” into a business decision.