DPMO, an acronym for Defects Per Million Opportunities, is an important metric utilized mainly in Six Sigma practices and quality management. It measures the number of defects found in a process or product, adjusted to reflect a million chances for a defect to happen. This measurement provides a consistent method for assessing performance and quality across various types of operations, regardless of their scale.

Calculating DPMO involves identifying the number of defects, the number of units produced, and the number of defect opportunities per unit. For instance, in a process aiming for Six Sigma quality, the target DPMO is 3.4. This indicates an exceptionally high level of quality and process control, meaning only 3.4 defects are expected for every million chances for an error. It's a powerful tool for benchmarking and driving continuous improvement.