Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a step-by-step approach for identifying all possible failures in a design, a manufacturing or assembly process, or a product or service. "Failure Modes" means the ways, or modes, in which something might fail. Failures are any errors or defects, especially ones that affect the user and can be potential or actual. "Effects Analysis" refers to studying the consequences of those failures. It is commonly applied to systems that cannot fail even when several critical components in the system have.

 

The FMEA discipline was originally developed in the United States military. Military Procedure MIL-P1629, Procedures for Performing a Failure Modes, Effects and Criticality Analysis, is dated November 9, 1949. It was used as a reliability valuation technique to determine the effect of system and equipment failures. Failures were classified according to their impact on mission success and personnel/equipment safety. It was later used in the aerospace industry to avoid errors in small sample sizes of costly rocket technology. The Apollo Space program is an example.

 

In the maritime sector, FMEA is conducted on a 5-yearly basis to determine the single-point-failure tolerance of the DP system of vessels. DP system works as an autopilot mechanism that the crew relies on to maintain the vessel's position whilst they can focus on other critical activities. These activities are usually done in crowded waters where losing position can lead to catastrophe. FMEA is integral to the reliability of the DP system and a critical component for charterer in evaluating the vessel's DP worthiness.