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FMEA Analytics

Visualize risk patterns and track improvements over time.

Risk Heatmap​

The Risk Heatmap shows the distribution of failure modes across Severity and Occurrence ratings.

How to Read the Heatmap​

Grid Layout: 10×10 matrix

  • X-axis: Occurrence (1-10, left to right)
  • Y-axis: Severity (1-10, bottom to top)

Color Zones:

  • 🟢 Green: Low risk (RPN < 30)
  • 🟡 Yellow: Medium risk (RPN 30-49)
  • 🟠 Orange: High risk (RPN 50-79)
  • 🔴 Red: Critical risk (RPN ≥ 80)

Cell Information:

  • Number: Count of failure modes
  • D:X.X: Average Detection rating

Example​

        Occurrence →
      1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10
S 10 [_][_][2][3][5][4][_][_][_][_]  ← High Severity
e  9 [_][1][3][2][_][_][_][_][_][_]
v  8 [1][2][4][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
e  7 [2][3][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
r  6 [3][1][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
i  5 [1][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
t  4 [_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
y  3 [_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
   2 [_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]
   1 [_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_][_]

Insights:

  • Most failures clustered at S=10, O=5 → Focus here first
  • High Detection ratings (D:8.5) → Hard to detect
  • No failures in low severity zones → Good initial design

Using the Heatmap​

Click any cell to see:

  • List of failure modes in that zone
  • Detailed S/O/D/AP breakdown
  • Jump to failure mode details

Export: Download as PNG for presentations/reports

Track how Risk Priority Numbers change over time as you implement actions.

View Options​

By Failure Mode: Individual trend lines

  • See which modes are improving
  • Identify worsening trends (need more action)
  • Track from initial analysis to current state

By Analysis: Overall FMEA health

  • Average RPN over time
  • Count of High Priority items
  • Completion rate of actions

Example Timeline​

Initial Analysis (Jan 2024):
  Battery Overcharge: RPN 240 (S:10, O:8, D:3) → High Priority

After Action #1 (Mar 2024):
  Added temperature monitoring
  Battery Overcharge: RPN 120 (S:10, O:4, D:3) → High Priority
  Change: -120 (50% reduction)

After Action #2 (May 2024):
  Installed redundant sensors
  Battery Overcharge: RPN 60 (S:10, O:2, D:3) → High Priority
  Change: -60 (50% reduction from March)

Current (Oct 2024):
  Verified in testing
  Battery Overcharge: RPN 30 (S:10, O:1, D:3) → Medium Priority
  Change: -30 (87.5% total reduction)

Trend Indicators:

  • 📉 Improving (green): RPN decreasing
  • 📊 Stable (gray): No change
  • 📈 Worsening (red): RPN increasing (investigate!)

Good Trends:

  • ✅ RPN decreasing after actions implemented
  • ✅ High Priority → Medium Priority → Low Priority
  • ✅ Occurrence ratings dropping (prevention working)

Warning Signs:

  • ⚠️ RPN increasing over time (new issues discovered)
  • ⚠️ Actions completed but RPN unchanged (ineffective)
  • ⚠️ Detection worsening (controls failing)

Summary Statistics​

Quick overview of your FMEA health:

Key Metrics​

Total Failure Modes: 47

  • High Priority: 8 (17%)
  • Medium Priority: 23 (49%)
  • Low Priority: 16 (34%)

Average RPN: 85

  • Max RPN: 300 (Thermal runaway)
  • Min RPN: 6 (Cosmetic defect)

Action Items:

  • Open: 12
  • In Progress: 8
  • Completed: 15
  • Completion Rate: 43%

Trend (vs. last month):

  • Average RPN: ↓ 15 (15% improvement)
  • High Priority items: ↓ 3 (from 11 to 8)

Exporting Analytics​

Excel Export: Full FMEA data with charts

  • Includes heatmap visualization
  • RPN trend graphs
  • Action item status table
  • AIAG-compliant format

PDF Report: Executive summary

  • Key statistics
  • Top 10 high-risk items
  • Improvement trends
  • Action completion status

Dashboard Widgets​

Add FMEA analytics to your Project Dashboard:

  1. Go to Dashboard tab
  2. Click "Add Widget"
  3. Select:
    • "FMEA Risk Summary" - Current high-priority count
    • "RPN Trend Chart" - 30-day trend graph
    • "Action Completion" - Progress bar

Using Analytics for Decisions​

Prioritize Resources​

Heatmap shows where most failures cluster → Allocate engineering time there

Track ROI of Actions​

RPN trending shows which actions were most effective → Repeat successful strategies

Report to Management​

Statistics show measurable improvement → Justify FMEA investment

Prepare for Audits​

Export reports demonstrate:

  • Systematic risk analysis
  • Continuous improvement
  • Action effectiveness verification

Common Questions​

Q: Why isn't my RPN improving even after actions? A: Check if you updated the failure mode ratings. RPN recalculates automatically, but you must edit O/D ratings to reflect improvements.

Q: Can I compare multiple FMEAs? A: Yes! Use the "All Analyses" view in heatmap/trending to see project-wide patterns.

Q: What's a "good" average RPN? A: No universal answer - depends on industry. Track your trend over time, not absolute numbers.

Q: How often should I review analytics? A:

  • Weekly: For active development
  • Monthly: For stable products
  • Before audits: Always

Best Practices​

Regular Reviews​

Set recurring calendar reminders to review analytics and update failure modes

Action Verification​

When marking actions complete, update O/D ratings based on test results

Document Changes​

Use "Change Reason" field when updating ratings for audit trail

Team Visibility​

Share heatmap/trending in sprint reviews or management meetings

Next Steps​