Quality cost: 0.9% of sales. No action needed.
Built from scrap tags alone. You'll find the sorting hours, overtime, outside rework, hot-shot freight, returns and credits that sit in other departments' records, and price every line.
Lean Six Sigma path · also on Quality Leadership · self-paced
The scrap report is the smallest number in the room.Find the rest, and price it so finance signs.
"Quality costs us under 1% of sales."Find out what that report leaves out.
AI is changing your job.Be the one who makes it deliver.
Find every cost a defect creates beyond the scrap tag, sort it with the prevention, appraisal and failure model, price it the way your controller will accept, rank it by dollars, prove the savings, and report it every month so it stays honest.
- About 6 hours of lessons
- Six modules and labs
- Coach Q included
- Human-scored final case study
- Final exam and certificate
AI assistant draft: "Calculate our COPQ for September"
Scrap: 180 bodies x $340 selling price.
Sorting: 64 h x $72 loaded rate. Overtime: 120 h at full pay.
Total, including the lost order: about twice the real number.
COACH Q
Is $340 the right price for a scrapped body?
Was it ever assembled or sold? What did the plant actually put into it by the time it failed?
Sound familiar?
The report says quality is cheap. The money says otherwise.
Scrap: 180 parts at $340.
Those parts were never sold. You'll price scrap at cost to the point of failure, labor at the rate that actually goes away, and overtime at the premium only, so your controller signs the number.
Let's cut inspection. Quality cost is low.
Cutting appraisal makes the report look better and the bill get bigger. You'll estimate what a check catches before anyone cuts it.
The project saves $475,000 a year.
That's the whole problem, booked as if it vanished. You'll compute savings from rates at planning volume, net of what the fix costs to run, and let finance validate them.
31%
"Only 31% of respondents feel that they fully understand the impact of quality costs on the financial performance of their organizations."ASQ, citing the 2025 ASQE Insights on Excellence Cost of Quality Report
This course shows you how to put your own number on it, from your own records, in terms your controller will accept.
What you'll learn
Six modules. One scrap report turned into a number people act on.
You follow Ridgeline Valve Company, a fictional 140-person valve maker whose report says quality costs under 1% of sales while the general manager plans to cut inspection. Each lab adds one record, and you build your own alongside.
Module 1 · Find it
Look past the scrap report
Ask one question of every cost: would it disappear if the defect had never happened? Follow one defect through the plant and find the record behind every line.
- The defect test
- Where COPQ hides: production, logistics, customer service, finance
- Catching an AI that lists only what it was given
Module 2 · Sort it
Prevention, appraisal and failure
The four cost of quality categories, where to draw the COPQ line with finance, and why where a defect is found decides what it costs.
- One cost, one line: no double counting
- Internal vs external by who found it
- Pricing the trade-off before anyone cuts inspection
Module 3 · Price it
Price it the way finance will accept
Cost to the point of failure minus salvage, the rate that goes away with the defect, overtime premiums, actual invoices and credits, and lost sales on their own line.
- Never selling price
- The bottleneck and the lost order
- A costing worksheet a controller signs
Module 4 · Rank it
By dollars, with the customer in view
Pareto by dollars beside count, months compared as a share of sales, and returns traced back to the internal defect that caused them.
- Why the huddle board ranks the wrong thing
- Rate, not total
- Project or just-do-it
Module 5 · Prove it
Savings finance will sign
Hard savings from rate changes at planning volume, net of running cost, with payback, and validated by finance after 90 days.
- Gross COPQ is the prize, not the savings
- Hard, expected and not savings
- One good month starts the clock
Module 6 · Report it
Keep it honest, with AI in its lane
A one-page monthly report, the signs a number is drifting, and AI used to read and sort records with a sample check, never to set the rules.
- Zero usually means the record stopped
- Cost that moved to the customer
- Rules for AI on COPQ work
The expert in your pocket
A coach that asks where the number came from.
Coach Q sits on every screen, set up for this subject. It works on your case, points at the gap and asks one question. It won't do your arithmetic, invent a rate or call savings validated.
Default 40 messages per rolling 24 hours. During the final case study and exam it gives navigation help only, so the judgment stays yours.
"Overtime was 120 hours at $42. So $5,040 of COPQ?"
COACH Q
"Those hours made good parts to replace the scrap. Which part of the $42 would you have paid anyway, and which part exists only because of the defect? What does your costing rule say?"
Illustrative practice exchange. AI suggestions can be wrong; check them against your records.
What you walk out with
Six records you can put in front of your controller.
Build them in the labs on a fictional plant, then reuse the blank records and the workbook in your Course hub at your own organization.
COPQ inventory
Every cost line, the record that proves it, who owns that record, and what you left out and why.
Definition and classification sheet
Prevention, appraisal, internal and external failure, the COPQ line your finance lead agreed, and the inspection trade-offs.
Costing worksheet
Every line priced by your costing rule, with internal, external, total and share of sales. Lost sales kept apart.
Pareto and project pick
Dollars and count side by side, the customer link, the project and the just-do-its.
Savings case
Rates before and after, net savings, payback, and what finance will validate and when.
Monthly COPQ report
One page, normalized, by bucket, with honesty checks and rules for using AI on it.
Who built it
Built by a third-party registrar auditor.
Will Trikha
Third-party registrar auditor · 20+ years in aerospace and quality
Will is a third-party registrar auditor with more than 20 years in aerospace and quality. He's COO of PTX Defense, an AS9100D-certified aerospace manufacturer, so he sees what scrap, rework and returns cost from the shop floor up. He founded QMS Leader, which implements quality management systems for manufacturers.
He built this course around the questions a controller asks before a quality number goes to the owner, and the ways those numbers go wrong: one record counted, the wrong price used, savings booked before anyone checked.
What finance checks first
Every line has a record. A COPQ number a controller can trace: scrap tags, time sheets, payroll codes, tagged freight invoices, the returns log and credit memos.
Cost, not price. Scrap at what it cost to the point of failure, minus salvage. Time at the rate that goes away. Overtime at the premium. Never selling price.
Rates, not totals. Months compared as a share of sales or per unit, and savings from rate changes at planning volume, so volume can't fake the trend.
Validated by someone else. Savings count when finance has checked them against records after the agreed period, not when the project lead announces them.
Not another definitions course
Four boxes on a slide won't change a budget.
The usual way
This course
The case
xDefinitions and a sample chart
✓One plant's full set of records, carried from a scrap report to a monthly page the GM uses
The math
xA formula to memorize
✓Costing rules you apply line by line, the traps finance looks for, and a workbook that does the arithmetic with you
AI
xIgnored, or trusted
✓An AI draft with a mistake to catch in every lab (a wrong price, a double count, a count-based ranking, a gross savings claim) and rules for your team
How you prove it
xA multiple-choice quiz
✓An unseen case with its own records, scored by a person, then a 30-question exam
Inside the course
Six modules · about 6 hours of lessons
- 01
Module 1 · Find it
Look past the scrap report
Guided lesson with practice blocks, then a lab that builds your COPQ inventory, and a coached reflection.
- 02
Module 2 · Sort it
Prevention, appraisal and failure
Guided lesson with practice blocks, then a lab that builds your definition and classification sheet, and a coached reflection.
- 03
Module 3 · Price it
Price it the way finance will accept
Guided lesson with practice blocks, then a lab that builds your costing worksheet, and a coached reflection.
- 04
Module 4 · Rank it
By dollars, with the customer in view
Guided lesson with practice blocks, then a lab that builds your Pareto and project pick, and a coached reflection.
- 05
Module 5 · Prove it
Savings finance will sign
Guided lesson with practice blocks, then a lab that builds your savings case, and a coached reflection.
- 06
Module 6 · Report it
Keep it honest, with AI in its lane
Guided lesson with practice blocks, then a lab that builds your monthly COPQ report, and a coached reflection.
Then an unseen final case study in one of three fictional organizations (a plastics molder, a sheet metal fabricator, a parts distributor), six decisions, and a 30-question exam.
Inside the course
The course, step by step.
About 5.5 hours, self-paced, in short sessions that fit your week.
Find it: look past the scrap report
COPQ inventory: every cost line and the record behind it. 2 lessons.
Sort it: prevention, appraisal and failure
COPQ definition and classification sheet finance has agreed. 2 lessons.
Price it the way finance will accept
COPQ costing worksheet finance has checked. 2 lessons.
Rank it: by dollars, with the customer in view
Pareto by dollars and a project pick. 2 lessons.
Prove it: savings finance will sign
Net savings case finance can validate. 2 lessons.
Report it: keep it honest, with AI in its lane
Monthly COPQ report template and rules for AI. 2 lessons.
Everything you get
Everything included, before the price.
Comparable items priced elsewhere, each named with its source and the date we checked.
Your complete course packageAdding up: $447
The six-module course and practical labs
$197A fictional valve maker's full set of records: scrap tags, rework logs, time sheets, payroll, freight invoices, returns, credit memos, a costing rule, a pilot and AI drafts that get the math wrong. Guided lessons with practice blocks, labs, branching conversations, number work and seven visual walkthroughs.
COMPARABLE The Art of Service, Mastering Cost of Poor Quality Management and Mitigation Strategies (self-paced, listed at $197), checked October 21, 2026.
A final case study scored by a person
$250An unseen organization with its own records and costing rule: a plastics molder, a sheet metal shop or a parts distributor. A QMS Learning reviewer scores it against a six-part rubric and sends written feedback within 5 business days.
COMPARABLE MoreSteam, E-Learning Support, one hour of expert time (coaching, not a scored assessment), checked October 21, 2026.
Six records and the COPQ workbook
IncludedCOPQ inventory, definition and classification sheet, costing worksheet, Pareto and project pick, savings case, and a monthly COPQ report with AI rules. Plus an Excel workbook that prices lines from your costing rule and works out savings and payback.
Coach Q in every lesson
IncludedAsks which record a number came from and points at the gap. Default 40 messages per rolling 24 hours. It never does the math for you or invents a figure.
Final exam and a certificate anyone can verify
Included30 questions, three versions, 24 of 30 to pass, three attempts. Your certificate carries a code anyone can check at academy.qmslearning.com/verify.
Course hub: study plan, Focus 25, journal, Apply at work log
IncludedA study plan that re-plans when your week slips, a focus timer, your saved answers and a log of how you used the method at work. Lessons for life.
Priced elsewhere, piece by piece$447
Your price$149
One person, one time. $298 less than buying the comparable pieces. Lessons for life. Coach Q comes with the course, no subscription and no renewal fee.
People
Enroll for $149
5 or more people get 10% off every seat. Secure checkout by Stripe. 3-day refund.
Third-party names and prices are shown for comparison only. Different formats and content; not a claim that they are equivalent.
The honest comparison
Three ways to learn this.
QMS Learning
ASQ, Cost of Quality: Finance for Continuous Improvement
ChatGPT
What you pay
$149 once
$1,499 list ($1,269 member)
Free or a monthly plan
Format
Self-paced online, about 6 hours of lessons
Face-to-face, 13 hours
Chat
Practice on a full set of records
Yes: cost card, logs, payroll, freight, returns, credits, pilot data
Not listed on its course page
Only what you paste in
Scored by a person
Unseen final case study, 5 business days
Not listed on its course page
No
Graded final exam
30 questions, 3 versions, 80% to pass
Not listed on its course page
No
Catches AI mistakes in COPQ work
Practiced in every lab
Not listed on its course page
Can make those mistakes
ChatGPT will total whatever you give it, at whatever price you give it. It won't grade you, and it won't vouch for you.
ASQ figures from its course page (face-to-face, 13 hours, list $1,499, member $1,269), checked October 21, 2026.
Try it before you pay
Try it first. Change your mind after.
Lesson 1 is free
The real first lesson.
The exercises and Coach Q, on a scrap report that says quality is cheap. Judge it yourself.
Start lesson 1 free3 days to change your mind
Request a refund within 3 days.
For an individual Academy purchase, under the Academy refund policy. A refund ends access and invalidates any certificate for the course.
Send it to your manager
A request you can edit.
Nothing here is saved or sent.
Straight answers
What to know before you commit.
What is cost of poor quality?
The cost of providing poor quality products or services. In this course it means the failure costs: defects found before shipping (internal) and defects customers find (external). Some organizations also include appraisal. The course teaches you to agree a definition with finance and keep it.
Do I need an accounting background?
No. The arithmetic is multiplication and division. The judgment is what to count and at what price, and the course practices it on real-looking records. A workbook in your Course hub does the math with you.
Is there an industry benchmark for COPQ?
Published percentages vary widely and are often repeated without a source, so the course gives none. Your number comes from your own records, priced by your own rules.
Does ISO 9001 require a cost of quality report?
No. Many organizations use one to decide where improvement time and money go, and to show management what quality problems cost.
How does this fit with the Green Belt?
This course finds and prices the problem and proves the savings. The Green Belt runs the improvement project in between, from charter to control. They work well together, and each stands alone.
Can I use AI for this work?
Yes, to read and sort records with a sample check. Every lab includes an AI draft with a mistake to catch, such as a wrong price, a double count, a count-based ranking or a gross savings claim, and Module 6 ends with rules for your team.
Do I need my company's data?
No. Every record in the course is fictional. At work, use only information your company allows, in tools it has approved.
Can Coach Q do my final case study?
No. During the final case study and the exam, Coach Q gives navigation help only.
How do I earn the certificate?
Finish the six labs and the coached reflections, score at least 19 of 24 on the final case study and 10 of 12 on the decisions with no unresolved critical error, and pass the 30-question exam at 24 of 30.
Is the certificate an accredited qualification?
No. It records assessed course completion from QMS Learning, with a code anyone can verify. It doesn't make you an approver of costs or savings at your organization.
How long does it take?
About 6 hours of lessons, self-paced, plus about 2 to 3 hours for the final case study, decisions and exam. That's a planning estimate, not a measured time.
How long do I keep access?
Lessons for life with a one-time purchase. Coach Q comes with the course, with no subscription and no renewal fee.
What if it isn't for me?
Try lesson 1 free first. For an individual Academy purchase you can request a refund within 3 days; a refund ends access and invalidates any certificate for the course.
Training a team?
Choose 1 to 50 named learners at checkout. Five or more seats get 10% off every seat. For more than 50, or a PO, email will@qmslearning.com.
Ready when you are
Find it. Price it. Prove it.
- ✓The six-module course and practical labs$197
- ✓A final case study scored by a person$250
- ✓Six records and the COPQ workbookIncluded
- ✓Coach Q in every lessonIncluded
- ✓Final exam and a certificate anyone can verifyIncluded
- ✓Course hub: study plan, Focus 25, journal, Apply at work logIncluded
$149
Priced elsewhere $447 · per person, one time · lessons for life
About 6 hours of lessons. Coach Q included. A final case study a person scores, and a final exam.
Enroll for $149