Failure Effects

About Failure Effects

After all the Failure Modes have been defined, one or more Failure Effects can be defined for each Failure Mode. A Failure Effect documents the consequence of a failure occurring. Most FMEA methodologies use Failure Effects to capture the safety, environmental, and economic (or production) impacts associated with a failure.

The SAE Standard JA1012, "Evaluation Criteria for Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Processes," defines the following requirements for Failure Effects:

  • Failure Effects shall describe what would happen if no specific task is done to anticipate, prevent, or detect the failure.
  • Failure Effects shall include all the information needed to support the evaluation of the consequences of the failure, including the following data:
    • The evidence (if any) that the failure has occurred (in the case of hidden functions, what would happen if a multiple failure occurred).
    • What the failure does (if anything) to kill or injure someone, or to have an adverse effect on the environment.
    • What the failure does (if anything) to have an adverse effect on production or operations.
    • What physical damage (if any) is caused by the failure.
    • What (if anything) must be done to restore the function of the system after the failure.

Access a Failure Effect

Procedure

  1. Access the failure mode for which you want to access a failure effect.
  2. In the pane, select the failure effect that you want to access.

    The datasheet for the selected failure effect appears in the workspace. The workspace also contains the following tabs:

    • Risk: Contains the risk associated with the selected failure effect.
    • Decision Logic: Contains a series of questions that will provide you a recommended action based on your responses.

Create a Failure Effect

Before You Begin

This topic assumes that you have a pre-established RCM analysis with failure modes.

Procedure

  1. Access the analysis for which you want to create a Failure Effect.
  2. In the pane, select the function that contains the functional failure for which you want to create a failure effect.
    The list of functional failures for the selected function appears.
  3. Select the functional failure for which you want to create a failure effect.
    The list of failure modes for the selected functional failure appears.
  4. Select the failure mode for which you want to create a failure effect.
    The list of failure effects for the selected failure mode appears.
  5. In the pane, select , and then select Add Failure Effect.

  6. As needed, enter values in the available fields.
  7. Select .
    The failure effect is saved.

Use the Decision Logic Builder in RCM Failure Effects

Before You Begin

  • The Decision Logic Builder guides you step-by-step through answering questions that will result in suggestions for mitigating a given failure effect. After you use the Decision Logic Builder to determine which actions should be taken to mitigate the effects of the failure, you can create Recommended Actions.
  • The Decision Logic Builder will pose a series of Yes or No questions. When you complete all steps in the Decision Logic Builder, you will be presented with a recommended action that is based on your responses. You can then view a summary of your responses on the Decision Logic tab of the failure effect.
  • The Decision Logic Builder is based upon the concepts and decision diagrams in SAE Standard JA1012, "A Guide to the Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) Standard." The process and terminology used in the Decision Logic Builder are described in more detail in this standards document. To use the Decision Logic Builder effectively, you will need to be familiar with this standard.
  • This topic assumes that you have a pre-established RCM analysis with failure modes.

Procedure

  1. Access the Failure Effect for which you want to use Decision Logic.
  2. Select the Decision Logic tab.
  3. Select Yes or No to respond to the question.
    The next question is displayed immediately after you select the Yes or No button.

  4. Continue selecting Yes or No in response to each question that appears. The number of questions that are presented will depend upon your responses.
    When you have responded to all the questions, a suggested action will appear.
    Note: Before the Decision Logic is saved, you can modify any of your previous answers by selecting the numbered button belonging to the answer that you want to change.
  5. Select Save.
    Note: If you want to modify your responses, select on the Decision Logic tab, and then select the numbered button that belongs to the question to which you would like to modify the answer. Select Save to save the new Decision Logic recommendation. To abandon all modifications and retain previous values, you simply navigate anywhere away from the Decision Logic section.

Modify a Failure Effect

Before You Begin

This topic assumes that you have a pre-established RCM analysis with failure modes.

Procedure

  1. Access the failure mode for which you want to modify a failure effect.
  2. In the pane, select the failure effect that you want to access.
    The datasheet for the selected failure effect appears in the workspace. The workspace also contains the following tabs:
    • Risk: Contains the risk associated with the selected failure effect.
    • Decision Logic: Contains a series of questions that will provide you a recommended action based on your responses.

  3. As needed, modify the values in the available fields.
  4. Select .
    The modifications to the failure effect are saved.

Delete a Failure Effect

Before You Begin

This topic assumes that you have a pre-established RCM analysis with failure modes.

Procedure

  1. Access the RCM Overview page, and then select the Analyses tab.
    The list of analyses appears.
  2. Select the analysis containing the Function whose Failure Effect you want to delete.
    In a new tab, the Analysis Details workspace for the selected analysis appears, displaying the Analysis Identification section.
  3. In the pane, select the function that contains the Functional Failure whose Failure Effect you want to delete.
    In the left pane, the Functional Failures for the selected function appears.

  4. In the left pane, select the Functional Failure whose Failure Effect you want to delete.
    In the pane, the Failure Modes for the selected Functional Failure appear.
  5. In the pane, select the Failure Mode whose Failure Effect you want to delete.
    The workspace for the selected Failure Mode appears.
  6. In the pane, select the Failure Effect that you want to delete.
    The workspace for the selected Failure Effect appears.
  7. Select .
    A message appears, asking you to confirm that you want to delete your failure effect.
  8. Select Yes.
    Your Failure Effect is deleted.