# Cost of Poor Quality Calculator

> Total the failure costs of work that was not right first time.

Page: https://freecalculator.tech/tools/copq-calculator
Last reviewed: 2026-09-16

## Formula

COPQ = Internal failure + External failure + Other identified failure costs

- COPQ = Internal failure + External failure + Other identified failure costs.
- Inputs used: Currency, Internal failure costs (optional), External failure costs (optional), Other failure costs you have identified (optional), Revenue for the same period (optional), Good units produced in the period (optional).
- Edge handling: Internal failure costs (optional) is required.; Internal failure costs (optional) cannot be negative.; Internal failure costs (optional) must be no more than 1000000000000.; External failure costs (optional) is required.; External failure costs (optional) cannot be negative..

## Inputs

- Currency
- Internal failure costs (optional)
- External failure costs (optional)
- Other failure costs you have identified (optional)
- Revenue for the same period (optional)
- Good units produced in the period (optional)

## Worked example: Internal and external failure costs for one quarter

Failure costs only — prevention and appraisal are excluded.
1. Start with Currency: USD, Internal failure costs (optional): 115000, External failure costs (optional): 84000, Other failure costs you have identified (optional): 0, Revenue for the same period (optional): 6200000, Good units produced in the period (optional): 48000.
2. Apply the method: COPQ = Internal failure + External failure + Other identified failure costs.
3. Failure costs only — prevention and appraisal are excluded.

## Common questions

### Where does this formula come from?

ASQ cost of quality: the cost of poor quality comprises internal and external failure costs, excluding prevention and appraisal. See the source link on this page.

### What kind of calculation is this?

The failure half of the cost-of-quality model: costs that would disappear if nothing failed. Prevention and appraisal are excluded.

### What are its limits?

Unmeasured failure costs — lost sales, reputation, management time — are not included, and no estimate is invented for them. The total covers the period whose costs were entered. A measured cost of poor quality, an industry benchmark and an organisation's target are three different things.

### How do I use the Cost of Poor Quality Calculator?

Enter the required values for Currency, Internal failure costs (optional), External failure costs (optional), Other failure costs you have identified (optional), Revenue for the same period (optional), and the other fields shown. The calculator applies the formula on this page and shows the main result with any supporting breakdown so you can check the arithmetic.

### What formula does the Cost of Poor Quality Calculator use?

COPQ = Internal failure + External failure + Other identified failure costs The visible formula section above lists the calculation path and the edge cases the page handles, so the result can be checked without relying on the form alone. Check the formula, example, and limitations on this page before using the result for a real professional & industry decision.

### Can the Cost of Poor Quality Calculator be used for exact decisions?

Use it as a calculation aid, not as a substitute for checking the underlying rule, contract, policy, or professional advice that applies to your situation. When a result depends on local rules, personal details, prices, or dates, enter those values yourself and confirm them before acting.

## Limitations and assumptions

- Inputs outside the supported range are rejected rather than forced into a result.
- The result depends on the values you enter for this cost of poor quality calculator; it does not supply missing rates, rules, prices, dates, or assumptions for you.

## Sources

- American Society for Quality — https://asq.org/quality-resources/cost-of-quality

## Cite this page

- APA: Free Calculator. (2026, September 16). Cost of Poor Quality Calculator. https://freecalculator.tech/tools/copq-calculator
- MLA: "Cost of Poor Quality Calculator." Free Calculator, 16 Sept. 2026, https://freecalculator.tech/tools/copq-calculator.
- Link: Cost of Poor Quality Calculator — Free Calculator, https://freecalculator.tech/tools/copq-calculator