- Six Sigma Tutorial
- Six Sigma DMAIC process
- Six Sigma Acceptance Sampling
- Sampling Plan Variation vs Lot Size Variation in Acceptance Sampling
- AQL Based Sampling Plans
- Decision Tree for Selecting Type of Variables in Sampling Plan
- FMEA – Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
- Types Of FMEA: Design FMEA (DFMEA), Process FMEA (PFMEA)
- The FMEA Quality Lever – Where To Put The Effort
- FMEA Quiz
- Six Sigma Confidence Intervals
- Confidence Limits
- Confidence Interval Formulas
- Z Confidence Interval for Means – Example
- t Confidence Interval for a Variance – Example
- Six Sigma Defect Metrics – DPO, DPMO, PPM, DPU Conversion table
- Fishbone Diagram – Fishbone Analysis
- Cost of Quality Defects and Hidden Factory in Six Sigma
- Pareto Analysis using Pareto Chart
- Six Sigma Calculators – DPMO, DPM, Sample Size
- How to select a Six Sigma project? Download selection grid template.
- How to create Six Sigma Histogram? Download Excel template
- Scatter Plots – Free Six Sigma Scatter Plot template
- How to create, use Six Sigma SIPOC tool? Download SIPOC Template
- Quality Function Deployment (QFD) – Download free templates
- What is Decision Matrix or Decision Making Matrix ?
- The nature of Process Variation
- What is RACI or RASCI Matrix/Chart/Diagram? Download free templates
FMEA – Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Definition of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis
Failure Mode
The manner in which the product/part or service does not meet the customer’s expectations
Effects Analysis
A study of the effects of failure on the function or purpose of the product/part or service The customer could be external to the company, or internal (within the company). It is considered a reliability planning tool, but it has also become a method for prioritizing alternative actions (that do not deal with failure modes), e.g., in the Six Sigma process.
FMEA is a systematized group of activities intended to:
- Recognize and evaluate the potential failure modes and causes associated with the designing and manufacturing of a product
- Identify actions which could eliminate or reduce the chance of the potential failure occurring
- Document the above process.
It increases the likelihood that potential failures, and their effects and causes, will be considered prior to the final design and/or release to production. The key to the actions in this Reliability Analysis method is to plan preventive actions. A completed FMEA, which should be applied in an iterative process, contains a great deal of information about the product or process. It can be used as the starting point for later control plans, trouble-shooting guides, preventive maintenance plans, etc.
Key Things To Keep In Mind
“One of the most important factors for the successful implementation of an FMEA program is timeliness… Up front time spent properly completing an FMEA well, when product/process changes can be most easily and inexpensively implemented, will minimize late change crises.” AIAG FMEA Instruction Manual (3rd Edition)When going through the FMEA process, it is also important to remember to base your decisions on data, not on hunches! It should occur very early in the planning cycle. FMEA teams will find themselves spending more time than usual early on, which will lead to leveraged savings later on. The use of data to verify the relationships between root causes and effects, to establish accurate rating criteria, and to determine effective preventive actions is one of the critical-to-success factors in the FMEA process.
Costs vs. Benefits
Lots of Tedious Work → Increased success of implementation, & knowledge well captured by the cross-functional team.
Do not expect the up-front investigation and analysis to be quick or easy, but the extra initial work will typically provide an excellent payback.