Abstract

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) comes in multiple flavors, including system FMEA, process FMEA (PFMEA) and others. Design FMEA (DFMEA) is used early in the development process to catch possible failure and correct errors in manufacturing before they happen. Those elucidated possible failures also can be used later in PFMEA as additional or starting places to keep watch for failures in manufacturing. DFMEA also should be used when a product undergoes a redesign, and ideally, many different types of DFMEA are appropriate at each stage, not only because DFMEA in its varying forms works well to bring desired products to market, but because at the design phase, organizations save the most by avoiding recalls and refunds. A DFMEA plan of any kind already in place can additionally be either referenced or partially applied to other products and processes in the same business, as well. Consider any DFMEA document as a living list of lessons learned, to which additional lessons can always be added and due to which a pitfall learned need not entrap anyone in the future.