Resource Centers
Traditional (RPN) FMEAs
We use the phrase “Traditional (RPN) FMEAs” to refer to the way FMEAs have been conducted for over 70 years. A key distinction of these types of FMEAs is that the failure analysis process results in a Risk Priority Number or RPN that is used to prioritize failure modes for improvement and risk reduction efforts. Learn more about the differences in Traditional vs AIAG-VDA FMEAs.
In 2019, the automotive industry revamped the FMEA process used in their global supply chain. These types of FMEAs and known as AIAG-VDA FMEAs. AIAG and VDA are the American and German Automotive Industry Associations that spearheaded the task force that developed the new approach to FMEAs. A key change with the updated methodology is the elimination of the RPN. In its place are Action Priority Tables. Initially, this type of FMEA is only used in the automotive industry although we expect other industries will adopt the new process in the coming years.
We have training on traditional and AIAG-VDA FMEAs!
| AIAG-VDA 7-Step PFMEA Process | FMEA Analysis Worksheet |
