FRACAS and CMMS

Abstract

Chris and Fred discuss what Failure Reporting and Corrective Action Systems (FRACAS) and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CSSM) are … and what they are not … and how they relate.

Key Points

Join Chris and Fred as they discuss both the Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) and Computerized Maintenance Management System (CSSM). What are they? What makes them different?

Topics include:

• FRACAS is for ‘unacceptable’ failures. As in a failure that we need to somehow get rid of and try and make never happen again. This goes beyond simply repairing or fixing the failure (of course you need to do that). But it then includes Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to then try and work out what changes you need to make to your design, manufacturing, maintenance or operation to make sure that failure never happens again. FRACAS are often used in the design phase to record test results or issues identified that need to be subject of next design iteration. FRACAS can also be used during sustainment/operations/use as well.
• CMMS is for ‘acceptable’ failures. It sounds wrong to say that we have ‘acceptable’ failures. But here we mean failures that we are simply going to repair, and not try and address the root causes of.
• So what makes a failure ‘unacceptable.’ Good question. What makes a technician going to enter a failure into the CMMS and then the FRACAS? This is where a lot of FRACAS fall down, especially when it comes to dealing with failures that occur at an unacceptably high frequency. The frequency of failure can be invisible to a single technician. So what is yours?
• But a FRACAS is not a journal. A lot of so called FRACAS are little more than a spreadsheet that journals failures, or expensive software that allows people to record failures that they think are unacceptable. This is not a FRACAS. A FRACAS includes a team whos job is to routinely go through said journal, conduct RCA, identify Corrective Actions, and then be responsible for resourcing and implementing them. Does your FRACAS have this team? Unless you have this team (and instead rely on people to resolve these issues of their own volition), you don’t have a FRACAS.

Enjoy an episode of Speaking of Reliability. Where you can join friends as they discuss reliability topics. Join us as we discuss topics ranging from design for reliability techniques to field data analysis approaches.

SOR 971 FRACAS and CMMSChristopher Jackson

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