Table of Contents
CoQ Setup & Configuration
Enable cost tracking, select your currency, and configure baseline values to start linking 5S improvements to financial savings.
Open CoQ SetupWhat Is the CoQ Setup Page?
The CoQ Setup page is where you configure how cost tracking works for your 5S system. It controls which tiers are active, what currency to use, and what baseline values to compare against.
- Enable or disable Tier 2 (quick cost entry) and Tier 3 (detailed PAF line items)
- Select your primary currency from 14 supported options with optional USD dual-tracking
- Configure baseline values: hourly labor rate, monthly revenue, production volume, and pre-5S quality cost
- Set the baseline start date for savings tracking
Before You Start
To configure CoQ, you need:
- An active 5S system -- CoQ is configured per system
- System owner access -- only the system owner can enable and configure cost tracking
1 Open the CoQ Setup Page
From the CoQ dashboard, click the gear icon to open setup. You can also reach it from the system dashboard via Cost of Quality > Setup.
- Click the gear icon on the CoQ dashboard toolbar
- Or navigate from the system dashboard: Cost of Quality > Setup
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2 Enable Cost Tracking (Tier 2)
Click "Enable Cost Tracking" to activate Tier 2. This unlocks the monthly cost entry form and the financial sections of the CoQ dashboard.
- Hero money banner with total CoQ or monthly savings
- CoQ vs 5S Score correlation chart
- Savings tracker with cumulative and projected savings
Click to view screenshot
3 Select Your Currency
Choose your primary currency from the dropdown. All cost entries and dashboard displays will use this currency. Optionally enable "Track in USD" for cross-plant comparison.
- 14 supported currencies: USD, MXN, BRL, EUR, GBP, CAD, COP, ARS, CLP, PEN, JPY, CNY, INR, KRW
- Optional: enable "Track in USD" to store a parallel USD amount using a configured exchange rate
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4 Configure Baseline Values
Baseline values power the savings tracker and secondary dashboard metrics. Fill in as many as you have -- all fields are optional but improve the dashboard experience.
- Hourly labor rate: used to auto-calculate downtime cost from hours entered (hours x rate)
- Monthly revenue: used to calculate CoQ as a percentage of revenue
- Production volume and unit: used to calculate CoQ per production unit (e.g., cost per part)
- Baseline start date: the month from which savings are calculated
- Pre-5S monthly quality cost: your estimated monthly quality cost before implementing 5S
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5 Enable Detailed Categories (Tier 3)
Optionally upgrade to Tier 3 to break down costs into detailed PAF (Prevention/Appraisal/Failure) line items. Recommended for plants with ISO/IATF requirements or mature 5S programs.
- ISO/IATF compliance: when auditors require detailed cost breakdown evidence
- Detailed cost accounting: when you need line-item tracking for specific cost drivers
- Mature 5S programs: when Tier 2 categories are too broad for your analysis needs
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6 Save Configuration
Click Save to apply your configuration. Changes take effect immediately on the CoQ dashboard and cost entry form.
- A success message confirms the configuration was saved
- Navigate to the CoQ dashboard to verify the new settings are reflected
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Tips & Best Practices
- Start with Tier 2 -- you can always upgrade to Tier 3 later without losing any data.
- If you operate in a non-USD currency, enable "Track in USD" for cross-plant comparison.
- Set the baseline to your best estimate of pre-5S monthly quality costs -- even a rough number helps.
- The hourly labor rate is used to auto-calculate downtime costs -- just enter the hours in the cost entry form.
- You can change the currency at any time -- existing entries keep their original values.