Failure Modes and Effects Analysis Online Training

Every product or process is subject to different types or modes of failure and the potential failures all have consequences or effects.

• Identify the potential failures and the associated relative risks designed into a product or process
• Prioritize action plans to reduce those potential failures with the highest relative risk
• Track and evaluate the results of the action plans

The Steps to Complete an FMEA:

Review and label the Process Steps (using your process map) and the intended function or functions of those steps.

Consider the Potential Failure Modes for each component and its corresponding function.

• A potential failure mode represents any manner in which the component or process step could fail to perform its intended function or functions.

Determine the Potential Failure Effects associated with each failure mode. The effect is related directly to the ability of that specific component to perform its intended function.

• The effect should be stated in terms meaningful to product or system performance.
• If the effects are defined in general terms, it will be difficult to identify (and reduce) true potential risks.

For each failure mode, determine all the Potential Root Causes. Use tools classified as root cause analysis tool, as well as the best knowledge and experience of the team.

For each cause, identify Current Process Controls. These are tests, procedures or mechanisms that you now have in place to keep failures from reaching the customer.

Assign a Severity ranking to each effect that has been identified.

• The severity ranking is an estimate of how serious an effect would be should it occur.
• To determine the severity, consider the impact the effect would have on the customer, on downstream operations, or on the employees operating the process.

The severity ranking is based on a relative scale ranging from 1 to 10.

• A “10” means the effect has a dangerously high severity leading to a hazard without warning.

To learn more, register for our Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Online Training.