Data Driven Decisions

Chapter 26Failure Mode and Effect Analysis

Let us consider the failure modes and effect analysis for all three of our use cases on the industrial side. The failure mode and effect analysis is used to evaluate risk factors that are associated with a system. It is all about failure. The FMEA diagram is all about identifying ways in which a system can fail or will fail based on a set of dependencies. It gives the systems engineer a chance to look at the inverse of the problem that it is trying to solve, which is usually along the happy path or the operational path of a system. What happens when the system does not work? How can you determine the ways in which it might fail? That is what the FMEA focuses on.

Consider the FMEA for a technology company: this can be as simple as a platform losing power. Obviously, all digital solutions need some sort of power. The failure could also be as complex as two different interfaces not being able to talk to each other with sufficient efficiency to meet organizational goals. Failure mode and effect analysis for this situation should always include ratings of frequency and severity (Figure 26.1). A machine losing power should be low in frequency and very high in severity, whereas the machine not being able to integrate with different APIs would be a more frequent failure but lower in severity and able to be resolved very quickly (Figure 26.2).

Figure 26.1

Figure 26.2

Common failure methods for a logistics business might include the ...