Attention LOG 211 Supportability Analysis course graduates, product support engineers, life cycle logisticians and/or anyone engaged in the DoD product support analysis/supportability analysis process: If you were not already aware, our College of Contract Management (CCM) colleagues here at DAU have put together a suite of three Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) Job Support Tools in support of their CMQ 260 FMEA course. Although specifically designed to assist Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) Contract Management (Quality) experts working with their contractors in trying to understand how they developed their FMEA and how to better read and understand the results, these tools may prove to be useful to the broader systems engineering and life cycle logistics defense acquisition workforce communities.

The three FMEA tools are:

·         Job Support Tool 1: FMECA Probability of Occurrence. Job Support Tool 1 was developed to help you better understand what the Probably of Occurrence codes mean. Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) probability of occurrence is determined using analysis, calculations, comparison to similar products/processes, and past documented failure modes. When part failure rate data is not available, the probability of occurrence of each failure is grouped into discrete levels that establish the qualitative failure probability level for each entry.

·         Job Support Tool 2: Severity Rating Criteria.  This Job Support Tool is designed to help you understand what each severity level means.  Severity Rating Criteria are not defined in MIL-STD-1629A. However, criteria are defined in IEC 60812, automotive industry specifications and by NASA. This criteria uses a scale of 1-10 to rate how severe a failure is. If questions arise regarding the severity of a given failure effect, it may be helpful to refer to the product FMEA/CIL (critical items list) for further insight or an estimate of the severity rating. These tables can be used as a reference to the severity rating criteria

·         Job Support Tool 3: Risk Mitigation Techniques Advantages and Disadvantages. This Job Support Tool lists the risk mitigation techniques that can be used when trying to decide what to do with a certain risk. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to each technique’s use. It is important that suppliers take into consideration what is the best way to address each risk. This chart provides a side by side view of the risk mitigation technique advantages and disadvantages.