What is the PPM for a 5 sigma level?

At a 5 sigma level, the performance of a process indicates a very low probability of defect. The term "sigma" refers to a standard deviation in statistics, and in the context of Six Sigma, it represents the number of standard deviations a process mean is from the specification limits.

The correct answer calculates the Defects Per Million Opportunities (DPMO), which is a common metric used to express the capability of a process. For a 5 sigma capability, the number of defects is 0.00057%, which translates to approximately 233 parts per million (ppm).

This means that for every million opportunities, the process can be expected to yield only about 233 defective units. The significance of achieving a 5 sigma level reflects a robust process with very high quality, indicating that the process is capable of producing at a very low defect rate. This low ppm value emphasizes the effectiveness of process improvements in a Six Sigma environment.

Other options present different sigma levels or interpretations of defect rates, which do not align with the correct calculation for a 5 sigma process.