Accendo Reliability

Your Reliability Engineering Professional Development Site

  • Home
  • About
    • Contributors
  • Reliability.fm
    • Speaking Of Reliability
    • Rooted in Reliability: The Plant Performance Podcast
    • Quality during Design
    • Critical Talks
    • Dare to Know
    • Maintenance Disrupted
    • Metal Conversations
    • The Leadership Connection
    • Practical Reliability Podcast
    • Reliability Matters
    • Reliability it Matters
    • Maintenance Mavericks Podcast
    • Women in Maintenance
    • Accendo Reliability Webinar Series
    • Asset Reliability @ Work
  • Articles
    • CRE Preparation Notes
    • on Leadership & Career
      • Advanced Engineering Culture
      • Engineering Leadership
      • Managing in the 2000s
      • Product Development and Process Improvement
    • on Maintenance Reliability
      • Aasan Asset Management
      • CMMS and Reliability
      • Conscious Asset
      • EAM & CMMS
      • Everyday RCM
      • History of Maintenance Management
      • Life Cycle Asset Management
      • Maintenance and Reliability
      • Maintenance Management
      • Plant Maintenance
      • Process Plant Reliability Engineering
      • ReliabilityXperience
      • RCM Blitz®
      • Rob’s Reliability Project
      • The Intelligent Transformer Blog
    • on Product Reliability
      • Accelerated Reliability
      • Achieving the Benefits of Reliability
      • Apex Ridge
      • Metals Engineering and Product Reliability
      • Musings on Reliability and Maintenance Topics
      • Product Validation
      • Reliability Engineering Insights
      • Reliability in Emerging Technology
    • on Risk & Safety
      • CERM® Risk Insights
      • Equipment Risk and Reliability in Downhole Applications
      • Operational Risk Process Safety
    • on Systems Thinking
      • Communicating with FINESSE
      • The RCA
    • on Tools & Techniques
      • Big Data & Analytics
      • Experimental Design for NPD
      • Innovative Thinking in Reliability and Durability
      • Inside and Beyond HALT
      • Inside FMEA
      • Integral Concepts
      • Learning from Failures
      • Progress in Field Reliability?
      • Reliability Engineering Using Python
      • Reliability Reflections
      • Testing 1 2 3
      • The Manufacturing Academy
  • eBooks
    • Reliability Engineering Management DRAFT
  • Resources
    • Accendo Authors
    • FMEA Resources
    • Feed Forward Publications
    • Openings
    • Books
    • Webinars
    • Journals
    • Higher Education
    • Podcasts
  • Courses
    • 14 Ways to Acquire Reliability Engineering Knowledge
    • Reliability Analysis Methods online course
    • Measurement System Assessment
    • SPC-Process Capability Course
    • Design of Experiments
    • Foundations of RCM online course
    • Quality during Design Journey
    • Reliability Engineering Statistics
    • An Introduction to Reliability Engineering
    • An Introduction to Quality Engineering
    • Process Capability Analysis course
    • Root Cause Analysis and the 8D Corrective Action Process course
    • Return on Investment online course
    • CRE Preparation Online Course
    • Quondam Courses
  • Webinars
    • Upcoming Live Events
  • Calendar
    • Call for Papers Listing
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Calendar
  • Login
    • Member Home

Inside FMEA

With the Inside FMEA series of articles, my intention is to bring to life the subject of FMEA, and provide value to readers from all levels of experience. Whether you are new to FMEA, or an FMEA expert, it is my sincere desire that each and every person who reads Inside FMEA articles will discover new insights about FMEA, and experience improved success in FMEA applications. The first article, called “Welcome to Inside FMEA”, will introduce the series, and provide a glimpse of what is to come. Readers are encouraged to contact me with any questions about FMEA, or feedback on Inside FMEA articles. Questions, feedback, and ideas for future articles can be sent to carl.carlson@effectivefmeas.com. I will personally respond to all questions and feedback. I’m excited to bring this new series to Accendo, and hope you enjoy reading the articles, as much as I enjoy writing them. As I say to readers of my book, "best wishes for effective FMEAs." Carl S. Carlson

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

FMEA Detection Risk: Insights and Advices

I am often asked about the application of detection in FMEAs. When and how to assess for the risk of detection can be confusing. Here are some pointers for when and how to use detection in an FMEA.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: FMEA Detection

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

The Future of Reliability Engineering

As we celebrate the new year, I am republishing an article I wrote last year, titled “The Future of Reliability Engineering,” as part of the Inside FMEA series. This article applies equally well to FMEA, as you will see.

Sometime in 2023, I will write an article titled “The Future of FMEA.” But, first, I want to hear from readers. Please write me with your ideas on what should be included in the future of FMEA. You can reach me at Carl.Carlson@EffectiveFMEAs.com

Wishing everyone on Accendo Reliability a happy and healthy new year, and best wishes for high reliability and effective FMEAs!

The Future of Reliability Engineering

by Carl S. Carlson

“Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.” – William Jennings Bryan

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: Future of Reliability

by Carl Carlson 5 Comments

Reviewing AIAG / VDA FMEA Handbook

Reviewing AIAG / VDA FMEA Handbook

I am often asked for my opinion about the FMEA Handbook that was jointly published by AIAG and VDA in 2019. Here is a summary of my candid views on this handbook, excerpted from a presentation I gave at the 2019 Guangbin Yang Reliability Symposium.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: FMEA Standard

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Evaluating Facilitator Skills

How to Evaluate the Skills of a Facilitator?

Leading is about learning to be a facilitator – Ashif Shaikh

Ask yourself, when teams work very well together, what are the positive characteristics of the team leader? When teams are dysfunctional, and have poor outcomes, what skills of the leader need to be improved?

Let’s talk about facilitators

Giving proper feedback is a great way to help a colleague improve FMEA facilitation skills. Carefully listening to feedback from a colleague is an important way to improve one’s own FMEA facilitation skills. Both are aided by understanding and using facilitation quality objectives. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: FMEA Facilitation

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Getting to Consensus

Getting to Consensus

Getting to Consensus with the FMEA Team

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
Martin Luther King

One of the challenges for any team leader is bringing the team together and agreeing on decisions and actions going forward.

Consensus building is the best practice for all of the FMEA team decisions. This means the FMEA team takes the time to understand all sides of an issue and finds a solution or determines a course of action that is supported by all team members. Facilitating is a consensual activity.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: FMEA Facilitation

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Pugh Analysis and FMEA

Pugh Analysis and FMEA

“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

There are times when an FMEA facilitator has difficulty arriving at consensus with the FMEA team. This sometimes happens when there are two or more competing ideas or solutions and members of the team feel strongly about their personal idea or solution. One tool that can be used to solve this problem is called Pugh Analysis, a type of decision matrix.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: Decision Matrix, Pugh Analysis

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

To Scribe or Not to Scribe

To Scribe or Not to Scribe

Mediocrity can talk, but it is for genius to observe. – Benjamin Disraeli

The Inside FMEA series has completed the primary facilitation skills. The next few articles will cover special facilitation topics.

This article talks about the pros and cons of using a “scribe” to help with facilitation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: FMEA Facilitation

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Managing Time

Managing Time

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent, and not enough time on what is important.” – Steven Covey

FMEAs take time and cost money. If time is wasted, FMEAs will be unsupported and ineffective.

In this article, I’ll lay out some tips to keep FMEA in-meeting time as short as possible, without reducing the quality of results. Many of these tips are based on lessons learned from doing FMEAs the wrong way. This is not a complete list. I’m sure you have other lessons learned to save time, and would love to hear from you.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Unique Challenges When Facilitating FMEAs

Unique Challenges When Facilitating FMEAs

“Interdependent people combine their own efforts with the efforts of others to achieve their greatest success.” Stephen Covey

If you’ve been reading the FMEA facilitation series, by now you understand the primary facilitation skills. Studying and applying these skills will help you achieve excellent results in FMEA applications. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: FMEA Facilitation

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Creativity and FMEA

Creativity and FMEA

“Creativity is an ability to respond adaptively to the needs for new approaches and new products.” Frank Barron

Creativity is an essential ingredient to achieving excellence in FMEAs. Excerpts from the book Effective FMEAs will be used throughout the article.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA Tagged With: Creativity

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Facilitation Skill # 8 – Brainstorming

Facilitation Skill # 8 – Brainstorming

The mere formulation of a problem is far more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skills. To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advances in science. – Albert Einstein

In this article, we will discuss how to use brainstorming to enhance FMEA effectiveness, and when (and when not) to use brainstorming.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Facilitation Skill # 7 – Managing Conflict

Facilitation Skill # 7 – Managing Conflict

“Honest disagreement is often a good sign of progress” – Gandhi

The Oxford English Dictionary defines “conflict” as, “an incompatibility between two or more opinions, principles, or interests.”

What is the value of conflict in an FMEA?

Conflicts are bound to arise from time to time. They can be positive and beneficial. An absence of any expressions of disagreement or conflict may indicate a problem in adequacy or quality of facilitation. Facilitators should not be afraid of conflict, but should learn the value of disagreements and how to manage them. Understanding the difference between healthy debates and dysfunctional arguments is critical to good facilitation. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA, on Tools & Techniques Tagged With: Brainstorm, FMEA Facilitation

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Facilitation Skill # 6 – Making Decisions

Facilitation Skill # 6 – Making Decisions

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”   –  Martin Luther King

According to Merriam-Webster, a “decision” is “a choice that you make about something after thinking about it: the result of deciding.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA, on Tools & Techniques

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Facilitation Skill # 5 – Active Listening

Facilitation Skill # 5 – Active Listening

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen Covey

A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the end the listener may disagree sharply. However, before voicing disagreement, the active listener wants to know exactly what the other person is saying and why. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA, on Tools & Techniques

by Carl Carlson Leave a Comment

Facilitation Skill # 5 – Active Listening

Facilitation Skill # 5 – Active Listening

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” – Stephen Covey

A good listener tries to understand thoroughly what the other person is saying. In the end the listener may disagree sharply. However, before voicing disagreement, the active listener wants to know exactly what the other person is saying and why. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Inside FMEA, on Tools & Techniques

Next Page »
Articles by Carl Carlson
in the Inside FMEA series

Information about FMEA Icon

Inside FMEA can be visually represented by a large tree, with roots, a solid trunk, branches, and leaves.

– The roots of the tree represent the philosophy and guiding principles for effective FMEAs.
– The solid trunk of the tree represents the fundamentals for all FMEAs.
– The branches represent the various FMEA applications.
– The leaves represent the valuable outcomes of FMEAs.
– This is intended to convey that each of the various FMEA applications have the same fundamentals and philosophical roots.

 

For example, the roots of the tree can represent following philosophy and guiding principles for effective FMEAs, such as:

1. Correct procedure         2. Lessons learned
3. Trained team                 4. Focus on prevention
5. Integrated with DFR    6. Skilled facilitation
7. Management support

The tree trunk represents the fundamentals of FMEA. All types of FMEA share common fundamentals, and these are essential to successful FMEA applications.

The tree branches can include the different types of FMEAs, including:

1. System FMEA         2. Design FMEA
3. Process FMEA        4. DRBFM
5. Hazard Analysis     6. RCM or Maintenance FMEA
7. Software FMEA      8. Other types of FMEA

The leaves of the tree branches represent individual FMEA projects, with a wide variety of FMEA scopes and results.

Join Accendo

Receive information and updates about articles and many other resources offered by Accendo Reliability by becoming a member.

It’s free and only takes a minute.

Join Today

Recent Posts

  • How Reliability Engineers Can Improve Their Communication in Information Sessions
  • FMEA Detection Risk: Insights and Advices
  • How to Structure Your ERM System
  • Rate of Occurrence of Failure
  • What is Six Sigma and How is it Used in Quality Engineering?

© 2023 FMS Reliability · Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Cookies Policy

This site uses cookies to give you a better experience, analyze site traffic, and gain insight to products or offers that may interest you. By continuing, you consent to the use of cookies. Learn how we use cookies, how they work, and how to set your browser preferences by reading our Cookies Policy.