FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) is a super-tool for a team, especially when developing concepts and requirements. Done early, iteratively, and treated as a "living" analysis helps teams throughout development and beyond.

Some people seem to either love it or hate it. I don't have a strong reaction like that, but I do think it can be a valuable option for teamwork and design - so much so that I've dedicated a few episodes to it (including this one). We touch on some of the objections to it, too.

FMEAs can have different focuses and can be built to suit the goals of the team. There are two FMEAs, in particular, that can be done in the early concept stages of development: “use” UFMEA and “systems design” DFMEA.

• What is the difference between these two FMEAs?
• How do they relate to one another?
• Should we do both of them?
• What do we do with the information?

Visit the blog post for a VENN Diagram and additional info.

Visit these other blogs to explore these topics further:

Getting Started with FMEA: It All Begins with a Plan

Choosing a Confidence Level for Test using FMEA

Remaking Risk-Based Decisions: Allowing Ourselves to Change our Minds.

Prevention Controls vs. Detection Controls

The Designer's Risk Analysis affects Business, Projects, and Suppliers

A big failure and too many causes? Try this analysis. (FTA)

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ABOUT DIANNA
 Dianna Deeney is a product development process strategist with over 25 years of experience in regulated industries. She is president of Deeney Enterprises, LLC, where she helps product development teams make better decisions upstream — before costly design mistakes get built in.