Discover how failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and control plan (CP) can enable your company to embark on a continuous path of eliminating defects in products or shortcomings in processes to help you optimize your production and business processes.
Key Concept
A risk priority number (RPN) calculates the likelihood, the possibility to detect, and the severity of potential product or process failures. It quantifies the overall risk of failure on a scale of 1 to 1,000. I describe a step-by-step approach to create FMEA and its elements. These elements are:
- FMEA
- Function list
- Function
- Prerequisite
- Characteristic
- Defect
- Cause
- Preventive action
- Detection action
- Effect
Note You need to ensure that two components are installed in your SAP ERP system to enable you to implement FMEA:
- Enhancement package 3.0 or higher
- Adobe Document Server (ADS)
I now explain how to create FMEA and all its associated elements.
Create FMEA
To access FMEA, execute transaction code QM_FMEA or follow menu path Logistics > Quality Management > Quality Planning > Failure Mode and Effects Analysis > Cockpit (Figure 1).
Figure 1 divides the FMEA cockpit into three sections. The right side of the screen is blank unless you are already working on a specific FMEA. The lower left section of the screen shows the FMEAs or other objects that the process owner has worked on in the recent past and that are available in the FMEA cockpit’s history.
Figure 1
The FMEA cockpit
Figure 2
The Basic Data tab of FMEA
Note
In my example, I show how loose screws in the gearbox of a car could lead to a fatal car crash. The tools that that are used during gearbox assembly must undergo regular maintenance to ensure that there will be no loosened screws in the gearbox.
In the FMEA Type field select either System FMEA Product or System FMEA Process. In my example I selected 82 System FMEA Product (82 is the code for this option). In the FMEA Object section, enter Material in the field under the Object column, a material number (e.g., 100-110 for Gearbox material) in the field under the Value column, and a description in the field under the Text column (e.g., Gear Box). In the Dates/Times section enter the planned start and end dates of FMEA. When you have actually started and completed all steps of FMEA, you can update the actual start and end dates of FMEA.
Click the Texts tab in Figure 2. In this tab you incorporate more details about FMEA, including adding some notes (Figure 3). You can upload (and download) the content from some other data source, such as another drive in your laptop, and incorporate it either in the description or the note areas of FMEA. This is possible when you click the relevant upload or download icons.
Figure 3
The Text tab of FMEA to enter general details and notes
Click the Participant(s) tab in Figure 3. In the Participant(s) tab you can enter the roles and names of the persons who are part of the FMEA team (Figure 4). This step enables you to assign responsibility to the relevant persons. Then in all subsequent status updates or reporting, information on participants helps in finding whose tasks are pending or overdue or even which resource or participant is assigned to what tasks.
Figure 4
The Participant(s) tab of FMEA
Click the Result tab in Figure 4. Figure 5 shows that while you are creating a new FMEA, the system has not calculated the FMEA results (i.e., the RPN). Therefore, the fields in the FMEA Result area are blank.
Figure 5
The Result tab of FMEA
In the Valuation Specifications section in the lower half of the screen, the system enables you to select the procedure that you want to use as the valuation specification for FMEA. In my example, I use the valuation procedure to calculate the RPN. You can also define the minimum result that the system must achieve for FMEA. In other words, it acts as a benchmark to compare the actual RPN of FMEA with minimum results.
I now save the FMEA by clicking the save icon or pressing Ctrl+S. After I save the FMEA data, the system displays a warning message (Figure 6). The warning message has been in the system as indicated by the message icon in the upper right corner of Figure 5. These messages prompt you to update the system, and if you attempt to save the FMEA data without updating the system in response to one of these messages, an alert appears at the bottom of the screen.
Figure 6
Functions within FMEA
Create a Function List (Functions)
In FMEA, a function list, also known as functions, consists of a list of elements that are further broken down into individual components. The function list consists of characteristics, their associated defects, and the reasons for their occurrence. After you click the Functions options from the list of options in Figure 6, the FMEA Cockpit appears (Figure 7). In Figure 7 I enter FUNCTION LIST in the Functions field and enter a short description. I also enter relevant text in the Definition section. All this entered text is eventually visible either in FMEA or in its print preview. As soon as I enter these texts, the system automatically updates this information on the left side of Figure 7.
Figure 7
The Basic Data tab of the Function List
Figure 8
The Valuation Specifications tab of the Function List
Note
You can use transaction code QS41 to add or amend any codes or code groups to meet your business needs.
Create a Function
The next step after you create a function list is to create a function. In the FMEA Cockpit (refer back to Figure 7), I place my cursor on the FUNCTION LIST button on the left side of the screen and then right-click my mouse. The system brings up the option to create a function. From the menu I choose Create and then click Function (Figure 9).
Figure 9
The option to create a function
Figure 10
The Basic Data tab of the function
Figure 11
The Valuation Specifications tab of the function
Create a Prerequisite
A prerequisite is a precondition that the process owner must ensure before the start of FMEA. For example, awareness or a kick-off meeting must be in place to announce the formal start of an FMEA initiative, or the process owners must first be trained and educated on the need to use FMEA to bring about process improvements.
To create a prerequisite, I go to the FMEA Cockpit (Figure 12). I place my cursor on FUNCTION-GEARBOX (on the left side of the screen) and right-click it. From the menu of options, I select Create and click Prerequisite. In Figure 12, I enter the name of the prerequisite in the Prerequisite field, description in the Description field, and similar details in the text box in the Definition section. The next step is to create a characteristic.
Figure 12
The option to create a prerequisite
Create a Characteristic
A characteristic is the individual business process that you want to monitor for improvement within FMEA. It can be a physical or a chemical property within a product or a process step within the series of business process steps.
To create a characteristic, I go to the FMEA Cockpit again (Figure 13). I place my cursor on FUNCTION-GEARBOX (on the left hand side of the screen) and right-click it. From the menu of options, I choose Create and click Characteristic.
Figure 13
The option to create a characteristic
Figure 14
The Basic Data tab of the characteristic
Create a Defect
A defect is a physical or business process flaw that requires prevention or correction to increase the reliability of a product or process. To create a defect, I return to the FMEA Cockpit (Figure 13) and place my cursor on FUNCTION-GEARBOX and right-click it. From the menu of options, I choose Create and click Defect. In Figure 15, I enter LOOSE SCREWS in the Defect and Description fields and enter a description in the text box in the Definition section.
Figure 15
The Basic Data (upper half) view of the defect
Figure 16
The Basic Data (lower half) view of the defect
Figure 17
The Valuation Specifications tab of the defect
Create a Cause
The next step is to define the cause that leads to the defect. To create a cause, I again go to the FMEA Cockpit (Figure 15). I put my cursor on LOOSE SCREWS and then right-click my mouse. From the menu of options, I choose Create and then click Cause (Figure 18). A cause can be a mechanical fault, an operator’s fault, or insufficient checks and balances in place to identify and correct a defect.
Figure 18
The option to create a cause
Figure 19
The Basic Data view of a cause
Figure 20
The Valuation Specifications tab of a cause
Create a Preventive Action
A preventive action defines the preventive measure that is put in place to ensure reduction or elimination of the cause of defect. To create a preventive action, I return to the FMEA Cockpit. I put my cursor on SCREW TIGHTENER MAINTENANCE and right-click my mouse. From the menu of options, I choose Create and then click Preventive Action (Figure 21).
Figure 21
The option to create a preventive action
Figure 22
The Basic Data tab of a preventive action
Figure 23
The Status tab of a preventive action
Create a Detection Action
A detection action stipulates the possibility of detecting a defect. It can range from easily detectible by putting the right tools in place to nearly impossible. Return to the FMEA Cockpit (Figure 21). This time I place my cursor on the cause (LOOSE SCREWS) and right-click my mouse. From the menu of options, I choose Create and click Detection Action. Figure 24 appears.
Figure 24
The Basic Data tab of a detection action
Create an Effect
An effect essentially reflects the damage or the loss that results from the defect in the product or the process. To create a new effect for a defect, I return to the FMEA Cockpit. I select LOOSE SCREWS and right-click my mouse. From the menu of options, I choose Create and then click Effect (Figure 25).
Figure 25
The option to create an effect
Figure 26
The Basic Data tab of an effect
In this screen I enter FATAL CRASH in the Effect field, a short description in the Description field (FATAL CAR CRASH), and a long description in the text box in the Definition section. In the Valuation section, I choose 10 Extemely Serious Error from the drop-down list of options in the Severity field. I also enter 10.0 in the Recorded No. Points field. I click the Valuation Specifications tab to enter the benchmark value of effect or severity of this defect on the product or process. This action leads me to the screen shown in Figure 27.
Figure 27
The Valuation Specifications tab of an effect
Figure 28
Print preview (form layout) of FMEA
Jawad Akhtar
Jawad Akhtar earned his chemical engineering degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He has 17 years of professional experience, of which nine years are in SAP. He has completed eight end-to-end SAP project implementation lifecycles in the areas of PP, QM, MM, PM, and DMS in the steel, automobile, chemical, fertilizer, FMCG, and building products industries. He also has worked as an SAP integration manager and an SAP project manager. He has been proactively involved in a business development and solution architect role for seven years. He is the author of Production Planning and Control with SAP ERP, it's filled with in-depth infomation on discrete, process, and repetitive manufacturing types. His profile on LinkedIn is at https://pk.linkedin.com/in/jawadakhtar. You may follow Jawad on Twitter @jawadahl. Currently, he is associated with AbacusConsulting as Head of SAP Delivery.
You may contact the author at jawad.akhtar@live.com.
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