Visual Failure Mode Effects Analysis (VFMEA)

Visual Mode Effects Analysis (VFMEA's) might just be the ultimate tool in the Lean Six Sigma arsenal. It is a problem-solving powerhouse tool. It is light years beyond the traditional Failure Mode Effects Analysis. It has been tested in the proving grounds of corporations like SC Johnson, and beyond.

It shines, where the FMEA's fail. Traditional FMEA's can be hundreds of lines long. It can at times be overwhelming and unmanageable. So much so, that it is typical that any Failure Mode under a Risk Priority Number (RPN) score of 130 gets ignored. In problem solving, this can be the fatal error in many companies, causing upwards of 100+ lines all scoring sub-130 on the RPN. Subsequently, all get ignored, causing the company to have 100's of problems that they are going to do nothing about. The next 100 problems come up that score sub-130 on the RPN, now your FMEA is 200 lines long.

The FMEA's, PFMEA's and the like, do not give you the holistic view. The VFMEA gives you everything that those other tools do, plus the holistic view that also accounts for failure modes with more than one root cause. It also incorporates other tried and true methods to help prioritize what you and your company should go after, and in what order.

Those who stick with the traditional FMEA's and PFMEA's, are ultimately likely to suffer from the "Death by 1,000 Paper Cuts". You and your company are likely to endure a prolonged period of sustained, excessive workload, and financial impact.

The VFMEA, provides critical insights at a moment's notice, when you need it most. It is a living document in that as you or your team discovers new failure modes or new root causes, you simply add it to the VFMEA and run the tool. As you zero other's out on the RPN, the tool will automatically de-prioritize those lines.

The clarity that this tool provides, will give you, your team, and your company, a sincere advantage over your competitors. Used correctly, it will help eliminate the necessity for all those "War Rooms" that you have packed with wall-to-wall white boards, daily printouts, and equipment to tackle your top 5 or 6 issues. You can use this tool to get beyond the myopic attention to the 2 or 3 critical issues and start focusing on the top 100 issues at your company. It will all be displayed to you electronically, and it can easily be ported to a report for the executives.

.

One might think that this tool can only be effective if it is used in a manufacturing environment. This is simply not factual.

Just some of the possible uses:

• Supply Chain

• Manufacturing

• Logistics

• Engineering

• Management

• Human Resources

• Accounting

• Finance

• Accounts Receivable

• Accounts Payable

• Your Personal Life

• And more...

This proven copyrighted tool is available. In our Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course, we go over this tool in depth. What it is, how to use it effectively, and how to effectively utilize the tool in a report. In the right hands, it is the "Game Changer".

Rick

Rick@NextLevelLSS.com