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FailureModeEffectsAnalysis(FMEA)ASQ

FailureModeEffectsAnalysis(FMEA)
asq.org/learnaboutquality/processanalysistools/overview/fmea.html

Alsocalled:potentialfailuremodesandeffectsanalysisfailuremodes,effectsandcriticalityanalysis(FMECA).
Failuremodesandeffectsanalysis(FMEA)isastepbystepapproachforidentifyingallpossiblefailuresina
design,amanufacturingorassemblyprocess,oraproductorservice.
Failuremodesmeanstheways,ormodes,inwhichsomethingmightfail.Failuresareanyerrorsordefects,
especiallyonesthataffectthecustomer,andcanbepotentialoractual.
Effectsanalysisreferstostudyingtheconsequencesofthosefailures.
Failuresareprioritizedaccordingtohowserioustheirconsequencesare,howfrequentlytheyoccurandhow
easilytheycanbedetected.ThepurposeoftheFMEAistotakeactionstoeliminateorreducefailures,starting
withthehighestpriorityones.
Failuremodesandeffectsanalysisalsodocumentscurrentknowledgeandactionsabouttherisksoffailures,for
useincontinuousimprovement.FMEAisusedduringdesigntopreventfailures.Lateritsusedforcontrol,
beforeandduringongoingoperationoftheprocess.Ideally,FMEAbeginsduringtheearliestconceptualstages
ofdesignandcontinuesthroughoutthelifeoftheproductorservice.
Beguninthe1940sbytheU.S.military,FMEAwasfurtherdevelopedbytheaerospaceandautomotive
industries.SeveralindustriesmaintainformalFMEAstandards.
Whatfollowsisanoverviewandreference.BeforeundertakinganFMEAprocess,learnmoreaboutstandards
andspecificmethodsinyourorganizationandindustrythroughotherreferencesandtraining.

WhentoUseFMEA
Whenaprocess,productorserviceisbeingdesignedorredesigned,afterqualityfunctiondeployment.
Whenanexistingprocess,productorserviceisbeingappliedinanewway.
Beforedevelopingcontrolplansforanewormodifiedprocess.
Whenimprovementgoalsareplannedforanexistingprocess,productorservice.
Whenanalyzingfailuresofanexistingprocess,productorservice.
Periodicallythroughoutthelifeoftheprocess,productorservice

FMEAProcedure
(Again,thisisageneralprocedure.Specificdetailsmayvarywithstandardsofyourorganizationorindustry.)
1.Assembleacrossfunctionalteamofpeoplewithdiverseknowledgeabouttheprocess,productorservice
andcustomerneeds.Functionsoftenincludedare:design,manufacturing,quality,testing,reliability,
maintenance,purchasing(andsuppliers),sales,marketing(andcustomers)andcustomerservice.
2.IdentifythescopeoftheFMEA.Isitforconcept,system,design,processorservice?Whatarethe
boundaries?Howdetailedshouldwebe?Useflowchartstoidentifythescopeandtomakesureevery
teammemberunderstandsitindetail.(Fromhereon,wellusethewordscopetomeanthesystem,
design,processorservicethatisthesubjectofyourFMEA.)
3.FillintheidentifyinginformationatthetopofyourFMEAform.Figure1showsatypicalformat.The
remainingstepsaskforinformationthatwillgointothecolumnsoftheform.

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FailureModeEffectsAnalysis(FMEA)ASQ

Figure1FMEAExample(clickimagetoenlarge)
4.Identifythefunctionsofyourscope.Ask,Whatisthepurposeofthissystem,design,processorservice?
Whatdoourcustomersexpectittodo?Nameitwithaverbfollowedbyanoun.Usuallyyouwillbreak
thescopeintoseparatesubsystems,items,parts,assembliesorprocessstepsandidentifythefunctionof
each.
5.Foreachfunction,identifyallthewaysfailurecouldhappen.Thesearepotentialfailuremodes.If
necessary,gobackandrewritethefunctionwithmoredetailtobesurethefailuremodesshowalossof
thatfunction.
6.Foreachfailuremode,identifyalltheconsequencesonthesystem,relatedsystems,process,related
processes,product,service,customerorregulations.Thesearepotentialeffectsoffailure.Ask,What
doesthecustomerexperiencebecauseofthisfailure?Whathappenswhenthisfailureoccurs?
7.Determinehowseriouseacheffectis.Thisistheseverityrating,orS.Severityisusuallyratedonascale
from1to10,where1isinsignificantand10iscatastrophic.Ifafailuremodehasmorethanoneeffect,
writeontheFMEAtableonlythehighestseverityratingforthatfailuremode.
8.Foreachfailuremode,determineallthepotentialrootcauses.Usetoolsclassifiedascauseanalysistool,
aswellasthebestknowledgeandexperienceoftheteam.Listallpossiblecausesforeachfailuremode
ontheFMEAform.
9.Foreachcause,determinetheoccurrencerating,orO.Thisratingestimatestheprobabilityoffailure
occurringforthatreasonduringthelifetimeofyourscope.Occurrenceisusuallyratedonascalefrom1
to10,where1isextremelyunlikelyand10isinevitable.OntheFMEAtable,listtheoccurrenceratingfor
eachcause.
10.Foreachcause,identifycurrentprocesscontrols.Thesearetests,proceduresormechanismsthatyou
nowhaveinplacetokeepfailuresfromreachingthecustomer.Thesecontrolsmightpreventthecause
fromhappening,reducethelikelihoodthatitwillhappenordetectfailureafterthecausehasalready
happenedbutbeforethecustomerisaffected.
11.Foreachcontrol,determinethedetectionrating,orD.Thisratingestimateshowwellthecontrolscan
detecteitherthecauseoritsfailuremodeaftertheyhavehappenedbutbeforethecustomerisaffected.
Detectionisusuallyratedonascalefrom1to10,where1meansthecontrolisabsolutelycertainto
detecttheproblemand10meansthecontroliscertainnottodetecttheproblem(ornocontrolexists).On
theFMEAtable,listthedetectionratingforeachcause.
12.(Optionalformostindustries)Isthisfailuremodeassociatedwithacriticalcharacteristic?(Critical
characteristicsaremeasurementsorindicatorsthatreflectsafetyorcompliancewithgovernment
regulationsandneedspecialcontrols.)Ifso,acolumnlabeledClassificationreceivesaYorNtoshow
whetherspecialcontrolsareneeded.Usually,criticalcharacteristicshaveaseverityof9or10and
occurrenceanddetectionratingsabove3.
13.Calculatetheriskprioritynumber,orRPN,whichequalsSOD.AlsocalculateCriticalitybymultiplying
severitybyoccurrence,SO.Thesenumbersprovideguidanceforrankingpotentialfailuresintheorder
theyshouldbeaddressed.

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14.Identifyrecommendedactions.Theseactionsmaybedesignorprocesschangestolowerseverityor
occurrence.Theymaybeadditionalcontrolstoimprovedetection.Alsonotewhoisresponsibleforthe
actionsandtargetcompletiondates.
15.Asactionsarecompleted,noteresultsandthedateontheFMEAform.Also,notenewS,OorDratings
andnewRPNs.

FMEAExample
AbankperformedaprocessFMEAontheirATMsystem.Figure1showspartofitthefunctiondispensecash
andafewofthefailuremodesforthatfunction.TheoptionalClassificationcolumnwasnotused.Onlythe
headingsareshownfortherightmost(action)columns.
NoticethatRPNandcriticalityprioritizecausesdifferently.AccordingtotheRPN,machinejamsandheavy
computernetworktrafficarethefirstandsecondhighestrisks.
Onehighvalueforseverityoroccurrencetimesadetectionratingof10generatesahighRPN.Criticalitydoes
notincludethedetectionrating,soitrateshighesttheonlycausewithmediumtohighvaluesforbothseverity
andoccurrence:outofcash.Theteamshouldusetheirexperienceandjudgmenttodetermineappropriate
prioritiesforaction.
ExcerptedfromNancyR.TaguesTheQualityToolbox,SecondEdition,ASQQualityPress,2004,pages236
240.

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