What is a FMEA? The acronym stands for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis. This is quite a mouthful, but it takes a systematic engineering approach and looks for how “it” can “fail” instead of how “it” can succeed.
Let’s define the words “it” and ”fail” in the prior paragraph. “It” means any activity (rocket, project, process, product, change implementation, staffing, crowd control, storm, etc.) “Fail” means to have a less than ideal result. In essence, FMEA helps find risk.
For example, do you need prioritized actions to reduce the likelihood of a new product launch failing, or to make sure a rocket launches, or to implement a process change and not slide back to the old ways, or… you get the idea.
In FMEA, you identify many ways something may not succeed and connect them with the multiple effects of those failures. This ‘negative brainstorming’ lets you find many ways something may fail then be a hero and prevent those failures. It works because of human nature. No one wants to think about their hard work ending as a failure, so they just don’t think. When failures occur, people say, “that’s just the way it is.” No, it is not just the way it is. FMEA is a better way.
You see, things look different on the seamy underbelly. On top we see a nice shiny project or product and everyone is hoping for the best. What we omit are the likely ways it can fail. It takes a real negative thinker to consider how something may fail. Who wants such a person on their team? The US military did in the 1940s. So did NASA in the 1960s. Reaching the Moon seemed quite impossible, and there were many examples of rocket failures to support that idea. To make spacecraft that worked reliably NASA needed to consider the ‘dark side’ and then engineer fixes before the rockets failed. After a rocket fails, all you can do is pick up the pieces.
This is quite easy once you get over the natural reluctance to talk about failures; the rest is very simple math.
DOING FMEA
To do FMEA there are about ten steps. 1) Review the process by mapping. Focus on process steps with the most potential benefit. 2) Brainstorm potential failure modes; find ways it may fail for each process step. If you have brainstormed well, there will probably be too many failure modes to deal with effectively all in one go. You may group the failure modes by logical categories.
3) For each failure mode, there may be many effects. Ask If this failure occurs, then what are the consequences? 4) Assign a severity ranking for each effect: How serious would the effects be if a given failure did occur? 5) Assign an occurrence ranking for each failure mode. If possible, use actual data from the process. Occurrence is the frequency of the event. Finally, assign a detection ranking for each failure mode and /or effect: how likely are we to detect a failure, or the effect of a failure?
These three numbers are simply multiplied together. Called the RPN, there is one for each effect. For example, severity (a 1-10 scale) X occurrence (a 1-10 scale) X detection (a 1-10 scale) = 1-1000 scale. Next, prioritize the failure modes for action (make a descending sort by the RPN).
Now you take action to eliminate or reduce the high-risk failure modes. Using an organized problem-solving process, find actions and implement them to eliminate or reduce the high-risk failures. Of course, you then recalculate the resulting RPN as you reduce the failure modes.
This organized negative brainstorming process efficiently finds the biggest issues and allows you to focus on the riskiest areas of your project/ process/ product/ whatever. Turn your mind around and look at the ‘dark side’. Then expand your idea to any kind of risky failure. Next, identify the many effects of the failures or risks. Then, assign key priorities according to three categories: how bad is it (severity), how likely is it (occurrence) and how easy is it to see (detectability) is. Simple multiplication, sorting, and voila! You have a list of things to build a better plan around. If you are seeking risk control under this year’s ISO 9001, there is no better tool.
Bio:
Douglas C. Wood is President of DC Wood consulting LLC; he holds the ASQ CQE, CMQ/OE, and SSBB certifications, and is a member of the ASQ Quality Management Division. His firm has worked with clients in manufacturing, healthcare, and transactional businesses. He has more 30 years of experience in industrial engineering and quality.
He authored “The Executive Guide to Understanding and Implementing Quality Cost Programs”, (ASQ Press 2007); edited “Principles of Quality Cost: Financial Measures for Strategic Implementation of Quality Management” 4th ed. (ASQ Press 2013); contributed to “The Certified Manager of Quality/ Organizational Excellence Handbook” 4th Ed. (ASQ Press 2014). His company’s website is www.dcwoodconsulting.com.
Register for a free introductory webinar on Failure Modes and Effects Analysis.
Date/ Time of course: 9/17/15 Time: 11:00 AM CT
Link to register: https://dcwoodconsulting.ilinc.com/register/tyfzkzc