Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a structured, proactive risk management technique used to identify potential failure modes in a system, process, or product design, evaluate their consequences, and prioritize corrective actions before failures occur. Originally developed for the U.S. military in 1949 and later adopted by NASA, automotive, and manufacturing industries, FMEA is now a cornerstone quality-engineering tool embedded in standards such as AIAG-VDA and ISO 9001-aligned processes.