Abstract

Despite failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) being a simple concept, in practice, variations in process and competency exist. Six areas of FMEA that warrant further discussion in the quality community include: types of failure modes, cause or effect, risk assessment, types of control, process vs. design, and interaction between structures. Failure modes is one of the most important components, so taking the time to establish what those are will be beneficial in the long run.