Six Sigma and Beyond: Design for Six Sigma, Volume VI

If any answer to the following questions is positive, then you need an FMEA:

• Are customers becoming more quality conscious?

• Are reliability problems becoming a big concern?

• Are regulatory requirements harder to meet?

• Are you doing too much problem solving?

• Are you addicted to problem solving?

"Addiction" to problem solving is a very important consideration in the application of an active FMEA program. When the thrill and excitement of solving problems become dominant, your organization is addicted to problem solving rather than preventing the problem to begin with. A proper FMEA will help break your addiction by:

• Reducing the percentage of time devoted to problem solving

• Increasing the percentage of time in problem prevention

• Increasing the efficiency of resource allocation