Assembling an FMEA Team

FMEAs should always be conducted by teams.

The best size for an FMEA team is 4 to 6 people, carefully selected, based on the contribution they can make to the specific FMEA.

An FMEA team should represent a cross-section of the company in terms of functional responsibility and level in the organization. Team members typically come from:

• Manufacturing
• Engineering
• Materials/Purchasing
• R & D
• Maintenance
• Quality
• Tech Service
• Customers
• Suppliers

FMEA team members do not necessarily need to have extensive knowledge of the design or process being targeted. In fact, sometimes it helps to get an outsider's fresh perspective.

The FMEA team needs a leader to help set up and facilitate meetings, to ensure the team has the necessary resources, and to make sure the team is progressing toward completion of the FMEA.