KPIs for Quality Assurance Examples

Introduction

Delivering high‑quality products and services is no longer a nice‑to‑have – it’s a market‑requirement. Quality Assurance (QA) teams rely on clear, measurable metrics to prove they are meeting that demand. This guide walks you through the most effective quality assurance KPIs, shows how they can be used in different industries, and gives you ready‑to‑use templates to start tracking today.

What is Quality Assurance?

Quality Assurance is the systematic process of preventing defects, ensuring that every product or service meets the standards your customers expect. It covers everything from raw material inspections to final‑stage testing, and it works best when supported by concrete performance indicators.

Why Use KPIs in QA?

• Visibility: See exactly where processes succeed or falter.
• Continuous improvement: Spot trends, address root causes, and refine workflows.
• Accountability: Align teams around shared goals and measurable outcomes.
• Customer confidence: Demonstrate a data‑driven commitment to quality.

Core QA KPI Examples

Below are the fundamental KPIs that most QA programs track. Each KPI includes a short description and a practical way to measure it.

1. Daily Fixed Issues

Number of defects resolved each day. A high daily‑fix rate indicates an agile response to problems.

• Data source: issue‑tracking system (Jira, Trello, etc.)
• Formula: Closed Issues (today) ÷ Total Open Issues
• Target: ≥ 80% of new issues closed within 24 hours

2. Customer Complaints

Volume and type of complaints received from end‑users.

• Data source: support tickets, survey results
• Formula: Total complaints per month ÷ Total orders
• Target: < 1% complaint rate

3. Escaped Defects

Defects that reach the customer despite testing.

• Data source: post‑release incident logs
• Formula: Escaped Defects ÷ Total Defects Detected in Testing
• Target: ≤ 5% escape rate

4. Severity of Defects

Weighting defects by impact (Critical, High, Medium, Low).

• Data source: defect management tool
• Metric: Weighted Severity Score = Σ (Count × Severity Rating)
• Target: Decrease weighted score by 10% each quarter

5. Daily Issues (Process Inefficiencies)

Total number of process‑related issues logged each day.

• Data source: internal audit reports
• Formula: Daily Issues ÷ Total Process Steps
• Target: < 2 issues per 100 steps

Industry‑Specific QA KPI Examples

While the core KPIs apply to most sectors, each industry benefits from a few tailored metrics.

Software Development

• Mean Time to Detect (MTTD): Average time from defect introduction to detection.
• Mean Time to Resolve (MTTR): Average time to close a defect after detection.
• Release Defect Rate: Defects per 1,000 lines of code shipped.

Manufacturing

• First Pass Yield (FPY): Percentage of products that pass quality checks the first time.
• Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ): Financial impact of scrap, rework, and warranty claims.
• Supplier Defect Rate: Defects per 1,000 units received from vendors.

Service Industries

• Service Level Agreement (SLA) Compliance: % of requests resolved within agreed time.
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score: Survey‑based rating after service delivery.
• First Contact Resolution (FCR): % of issues solved on first interaction.

How to Track QA KPIs in Excel

Excel remains the most accessible tool for small‑to‑mid‑size teams. Use a dynamic dashboard to visualize trends, set thresholds, and automate alerts.

Get a ready‑made Excel dashboard template that lets you:

• Import data from CSV or directly from your issue‑tracking tool.
• See real‑time KPI cards for each metric.
• Generate monthly trend charts with conditional formatting.

Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map Toolkit provides a proven framework to align these QA KPIs with your overall business objectives.

For a quick‑start reporting sheet, try the One‑Page Executive Excel Report Template. It’s built for senior leaders who need a concise snapshot of quality performance.

QA KPI Tracking Checklist

Step	Action	Owner	Due Date
1	Define KPI list and target thresholds	QA Manager	First week of month
2	Connect data sources (Jira, Support, ERP)	Data Analyst	Mid‑month
3	Populate Excel dashboard with latest data	Team Lead	Weekly (every Monday)
4	Review KPI trends and identify out‑liers	Quality Steering Committee	End of month
5	Implement corrective actions & update SOPs	Process Owner	Next month

Step‑by‑Step Recipe to Build a QA KPI Dashboard

1. Collect raw data: Export daily issue logs, complaint tickets, and defect lists from your tools.
2. Standardize columns: Ensure each file has Date, KPI Name, Count, Severity, Owner.
3. Import into Excel: Use Power Query to combine files into a single table.
4. Calculate metrics: Add calculated columns for rates (e.g., Escaped Defects / Total Tested).
5. Build visual cards: Insert PivotTables and PivotCharts for each KPI; apply conditional formatting for red/yellow/green thresholds.
6. Automate refresh: Set the workbook to refresh on open so managers always see the latest numbers.
7. Share & review: Publish the Excel file to SharePoint or Teams; schedule a monthly QA KPI review meeting.

Next Steps

Start tracking the KPIs that matter most to your organization today. Use the Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map Toolkit to align these metrics with strategic goals, and the One‑Page Executive Excel Report Template to communicate results to leadership in minutes.

Implement the checklist above, watch your quality trends improve, and turn data into decisive action.