Alternate Procedure for FMEA

QuADRAT 

Alternate Procedure for Failure Mode and Effect Analysis FMEA:

Quality Analysis, Detection, Rating and Activity Tool

Initial situation:
An advanced quality planning and risk analysis with FMEA-method is done on the surface and not enough praxis oriented often due to lack of product and process knowledge or limited resources of qualified people. Furthermore the process-FMEA method of a final assembly process does not necessarily consider the quality risk of single components from different suppliers appropriate. Finally it can result in customer claims and high cost of poor quality.

Analysis, rating and action plan with QuADRAT as alternate procedure:
QuADRAT fulfils the requirements of an advanced quality planning in combination with early failure detection along the process chain starting with suppliers and working through to the customers. Using this procedure does not require extensive knowledge e.g. as for FMEA’s.

QuADRAT analysis and rates quality impacts of:

• Functional relevance of single components
• Complexity of single components
• Failures of components and supplier quality performance
• Location of failure and potential place of detection along the process chain

With the praxis oriented and qualified algorithm the actual quality risk is shown as value, GYR-status and in a graph with:

• Prediction of the potential risk that the failure occurs at the final customer
• Rating the risk of late detection i.e. high cost of poor quality
• Rating the risk of occurrence along the entire process chain, i.e. process stability in terms of quality

In opposite to the traditional RPN-calculation in a FMEA, the QuADRAT algorithm considers the occurrence and location of detection along the process and the quality performance for the components and all suppliers. This delivers an advanced and reliable prediction of quality risks.

After the quality analysis and rating is completed, an action plan is established either with tasks, targets dates and responsibilities or in a traditional q-matrix method.

In some cases short term actions must be implemented to increase the level of early detection. After that permanent actions will be defined and introduced to eliminate the potential risk.

Workshop:
A workshop of one or two days is appropriate for analysis and to establish a solid action plan for products with around 80 single components. As a part of the preparation process all relevant quality data of the components and the suppliers should be available before the workshop starts.
Ideally the participants of the workshop representing functions like product development, supplier quality, process quality and industrial engineering.

Area of application and expected results:
QuADRAT is used in automotive, airspace and white goods industry, medical engineering and other areas with focus on assembly processes and production. The procedure is designed for complex production and process chains with different suppliers and complex single components in terms of function and machining process.
Users of QuADRAT are appreciating the reliable risk prediction and the easy method to eliminate quality risks. A defined action plan improves and stabilizes the quality level in advance before failures are delivered to final customers.
Based on experience the quality level shows significant and sustainable improvements 10 to 12 weeks after implemented actions based on the analysis.

Conclusion:
QuADRAT does not replace complex methods of advanced quality planning e.g. system-FMEA or APQP. But without big efforts and resources the QuADRAT algorithm delivers a reliable prediction of the quality risk based on various effects, point of detection etc. which are not considered in a traditional FMEA-method.
QuADRAT provides information for the top management and for users where a potential quality risk may exist. After implementing appropriate actions the quality situation stabilizes within a few weeks only.


QuADRAT is trademark of Wolters Managementberatung GmbH & Co.KG

www.wolters-consulting.com