What a quality escape really costs
A quality escape is a defect that slips past the point where it should have been caught, most often one that reaches the customer. Its cost is rarely the part: it is the rework, containment, line disruption, warranty, chargebacks and engineering time that follow.
The 1-10-100 rule
Every step later costs more
Quality teams use the 1-10-100 rule, often with a fourth step at the customer. It is a rule of thumb, not a measured law.
One US OEM told us that a 20-dollar part turned into a 1.2 to 1.5 million dollar escape, with 200 to 400 vehicles in rework or on hold.
At the station
The operator corrects it in seconds.
At the next station
Disassembly and rework.
At final inspection
Rework, sorting, line disruption.
After shipment
Warranty, field repair, containment.
Cost components
Six costs that follow one escape
Rework
Take the unit apart, fix it, rebuild it, often by a third party at the supplier's expense.
Sorting and containment
Every unit that might carry the defect is suspect, in stock, in transit and at the customer.
Line disruption
Holds and re-sequencing stop or slow lines. A stopped customer line is usually the most expensive hour in the chain.
Warranty and field repair
Claims, field repairs and, at worst, recalls, often months later.
Chargebacks and standing
Customers pass costs back, and escapes count against supplier scorecards. A US Tier-1 supplier put it simply: a bad part to the customer could be millions.
8D and engineering time
Every complaint triggers structured problem solving that ties up engineers for days or weeks.
The source
Why manual stations cause many escapes
Automated steps can be monitored by the machine that performs them. Manual steps depend on a person getting everything right, every cycle.
- Not every step can be fixtured. One supplier told us a fixture at around 80,000 euros simply does not get signed off.
- Inspection after the fact catches only part of it. A US OEM described manual visual inspection as about 85 % effective, with 30 check points in under a minute.
- Variants and turnover add risk. More variants mean more ways to pick the wrong part; new operators make more errors while they learn.
How to cut it
Find the error at the station
- Pick the steps that escape, using complaint history, PFMEA and rework records.
- Verify those steps while they are performed: presence, position and sequence against the work instruction.
- Tell the operator immediately, so the step is fixed before the unit moves on.
- Keep a record per unit. It shortens the next containment.
Size it for your plant with the quality escape cost calculator.
FAQ
Questions
What is a quality escape?
A defect that passes the point in the process where it should have been caught. Most often the term means a defect that leaves the plant and reaches the customer.
What is the 1-10-100 rule in quality?
A rule of thumb: an error that costs 1 to fix where it happens costs about 10 at the next step and about 100 at final inspection. Many teams add 1,000 or more once it reaches the customer.
What does a quality escape cost?
It depends on how many units are affected and what the customer requires. Rework, containment, line disruption, warranty, chargebacks and 8D time add up, so one escape of a cheap part can cost far more than the part.
How do you reduce the cost of quality escapes?
Move detection to the station: verify each critical step while it is performed and alert the operator immediately, so it is fixed in seconds instead of found later.
Related
Pilot
Start with one station
Bring one manual assembly station. In 30 minutes we tell you which checks Trenon can verify there and what a three-week pilot looks like.
Book a 30-minute callWith Nadir Harouak, CEO. Or write to hello@trenon.ai.