A Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a planning tool that helps the users anticipate and prevent possible product or service failures before they occur. It differs from Contingency or Disaster Planning in that these plans typically address events that are not completely within the control of the organization, and the organization acknowledges that, though rare, they may occur. Conversely, a FMEA Analysis is focused on prevention.

A FMEA Analysis involves thinking through each potential failure (referred to individually as Failure modes) in detail, focusing on three characteristics and an associated metrics:

• Potential Effects of the Failure and a Severity Rating
• Potential Causes of the Failure and an Occurrence (frequency) Rating
• Current Controls (monitor/alert capability) and a Detection Rating

As each Failure is examined for each of these characteristics and the individual ratings are identified, a composite Risk Priority Number (RPN) is calculated, and an effective preventative measure(s) is developed for the Failure Modes with higher RPNs (worst RPNs first).

FMEAs are usually developed by small interdisciplinary groups made up of individuals with varying familiarity with the product or service. Many teams find it helpful to have a facilitator that is both experienced with FMEA but also has no vested interest in the product or service.

FMEA can pro-actively improve the design of new products or services as well as provide insights on where to focus improvement efforts on existing products or services. If you would like help introducing FMEA into your organization, or would just like an external facilitator for a particular FMEA exercise, contact Schilling Consulting Services at your convenience.