Clean output and rework
Objective. Define clean output as work done right the first time and rework as work redone, and make clear why only clean output belongs in cost and productivity figures.
Clean output and rework split a single volume figure into the part that counted and the part that had to be done again. It is the discipline that stops busy teams from looking productive while quietly paying twice for the same work.
See it in the demo
Definition
Clean output is completed work that met the quality standard the first time, with no correction needed. Rework is work that had to be redone, corrected or reprocessed because it failed quality the first time. Raw output is the two added together, which is why raw volume can hide a quality problem.
How it is calculated
At app-logic level: clean output is the count (or complexity-weighted count) of units that passed quality first time; rework is the units that required correction or reprocessing. Included in clean: first-time-right completions. Excluded from clean and counted as rework: corrections, rejections and reprocessed items. What qualifies as a quality pass and how rework is detected are configurable and depend on the customer's quality definition, so confirm with product - do not assume the rule.
How to read it and the common misread
Read clean output as the real productive result and rework as waste and hidden cost. Cost and productivity should be measured per clean unit, not per raw unit, because spreading cost over raw output counts rework as if it were good work and understates true cost. The common misread is celebrating high raw output while ignoring a rework tail - high volume with high rework is low clean output at double cost. Always separate the two before quoting cost or productivity.
Where it appears
Clean output and rework appear in Work Output under quality, cost and value, and relate to rework findings in Work Understanding and to Quality and Call QA. Quality definitions and rework detection are SME-validation-pending; confirm with product.
Interpretation check
Clean output is first-time-right work; rework is work redone - cost and productivity belong on clean output per unit, because raw output counts rework as if it were good work.
In the field
Cost per clean claim - not cost per raw claim - is the figure that carries the KnackGlobal displacement argument, because it refuses to count reworked claims as good output.
Practical task
In cost and value, find one team's raw output, clean output and rework, compute cost per clean unit versus cost per raw unit, and write one line on how the gap changes the productivity story you would tell a customer.
Self-check
A team's raw output is high but so is its rework. What is the honest read?
Clean output is lower than the raw figure suggests, and the team is effectively paying twice for the reworked items. Raw volume hides this; cost per clean unit reveals it. The quality problem is the story, not the volume.
Why measure cost per clean unit rather than cost per raw unit?
Cost spread over raw output treats rework and defects as good work, understating true unit cost. Cost per clean unit reflects what good output actually costs and is the defensible figure.
What must you confirm with product about clean output and rework?
The quality definition - what counts as a first-time pass - and how rework is detected, since both are configurable and determine the split between clean output and rework.
Verified vs demo. Clean output, rework and cost per clean unit are shown in the Work Output demo; quality definitions and rework detection are configurable and SME-validation-pending - confirm with product.