FMEA Analysis

#snsinstitution #snsdesignthinkers #designthinking

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), developed by the U.S. military in the 1940s, is a systematic, step-by-step approach to identify and prioritize possible failures in a design, manufacturing or assembly process, product, or service. It is a common?risk analysis tool. The goal of this proactive tool is to mitigate or eliminate potential failures.

"Failure mode"?means the way, or mode, in which something might fail. Failures are any errors or defects, especially those that affect the customer, and can be potential or actual.

"Effects analysis"?refers to studying the consequences of those failures.

Failures are prioritized according to how serious their consequences are, how frequently they occur, and how easily they can be detected. The purpose of FMEA is to take actions to eliminate, reduce, and/or mitigate failures, starting with those deemed highest priority.

FMEA also documents current knowledge and actions about the risks of failures to use for continuous improvement efforts. FMEA can be used during design (design FMEA, or DFMEA) to prevent failures. Later, it can be used for process control (process FMEA, or PFMEA), as well as before and during ongoing operations. Ideally, FMEA begins during the earliest conceptual stages of design and continues throughout the life of the product or service. FMEA has bigger leverage and impact in the early stages of development when changes are less costly to implement.