# AIAG-VDA FMEA Action Priority Reference > Source: https://netray.co/tools/aiag-vda-fmea-action-priority-reference > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A quick lookup of the AIAG-VDA FMEA steps, action priority meaning and how it replaces RPN. ## Category quality ## Audience - Quality engineer - Supplier quality - Reliability engineer ## Tool **Kind:** worksheet **Mode:** reference **Columns:** #### Topic **Key:** topic **Type:** text #### Group **Key:** group **Type:** text #### What it means **Key:** meaning **Type:** text #### Practical note **Key:** practice **Type:** text **Rows:** #### Step 1 Planning and preparation **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Define FMEA scope, team, timing, tools and the 5Ts: intent, timing, team, tasks, tools **Practice:** Agree scope and boundaries with the customer before rating anything #### Step 2 Structure analysis **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Break the system into structure elements and show how they connect **Practice:** Use a structure tree or block diagram, or the process flow for a PFMEA #### Step 3 Function analysis **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Describe the functions of each element and their requirements **Practice:** Write each function as verb plus requirement #### Step 4 Failure analysis **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Build the failure chain: failure effect, failure mode and failure cause **Practice:** Keep effect, mode and cause in separate, linked columns #### Step 5 Risk analysis **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Rate severity, occurrence and detection, then assign action priority **Practice:** Rate against agreed criteria tables, not gut feel #### Step 6 Optimization **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Plan actions, assign responsibility, track completion and re-evaluate risk **Practice:** Re-rate only after actions are implemented and effective #### Step 7 Results documentation **Group:** 7 steps **Meaning:** Communicate the results and conclusions of the FMEA **Practice:** Summarise open actions and special characteristics for the control plan #### Action priority H (High) **Group:** Action priority **Meaning:** Highest priority for action **Practice:** Team must identify an appropriate action to improve controls or justify why current controls are adequate #### Action priority M (Medium) **Group:** Action priority **Meaning:** Medium priority for action **Practice:** Team should identify actions, or may justify why current controls are adequate #### Action priority L (Low) **Group:** Action priority **Meaning:** Low priority for action **Practice:** Team could identify actions to improve prevention or detection, but is not required to #### Severity 1 **Group:** Action priority **Meaning:** No discernible effect **Practice:** In the AP table a severity of 1 is rated Low #### Severity 9 and 10 **Group:** Action priority **Meaning:** Potential effect on safety or regulatory compliance **Practice:** Treat as high attention even when O and D are moderate, and check the handbook table #### AP replaces RPN **Group:** AP vs RPN **Meaning:** AP is looked up from a table of S, O and D combinations, not multiplied **Practice:** Do not convert AP to a number or set an RPN threshold on top of it #### Why RPN was dropped **Group:** AP vs RPN **Meaning:** Multiplication gives equal weight to S, O and D and hides severity **Practice:** AP weights severity first, then occurrence, then detection #### Rating criteria tables **Group:** Ratings **Meaning:** Severity, occurrence and detection criteria are defined per FMEA type (DFMEA, PFMEA, FMEA-MSR) **Practice:** Adopt the handbook tables or document your own company tables #### FMEA-MSR **Group:** Ratings **Meaning:** Supplemental FMEA for Monitoring and System Response, covering diagnostics in operation **Practice:** Used for systems that monitor faults and respond while running #### Special characteristics **Group:** Outputs **Meaning:** Characteristics needing special control, identified from FMEA results **Practice:** Carry them into the control plan and drawings #### Link to control plan **Group:** Outputs **Meaning:** PFMEA prevention and detection controls feed the control plan columns **Practice:** Keep both documents revised together #### Foundation and family FMEA **Group:** Reuse **Meaning:** Reusable base FMEAs for common elements or product families **Practice:** Reduces rework but each project must check applicability #### Actions and effectiveness **Group:** Outputs **Meaning:** Each action has an owner, target date, status and evidence of effectiveness **Practice:** Close only with proof, such as test data or process capability **Notes:** This is a study aid that summarises the structure of the method. The exact action priority tables of S, O and D combinations are published in the AIAG and VDA FMEA Handbook (2019). Use the official tables for customer submissions. ## Content **Intro:** The AIAG-VDA FMEA handbook, published in 2019, harmonised the US and German approaches into one seven step method and introduced action priority in place of RPN. This reference lists the steps, what H, M and L mean, and how the method connects to the control plan. **Sections:** #### How to use this reference **Body:** Search for a step, term or topic using the search box, or scroll the groups. Use it as a briefing sheet before an FMEA workshop, or paste the rows into your FMEA procedure to train new team members. It describes the structure of the method in plain words and points you to the official handbook for exact table values. Export it to Excel if you want to add your own company notes. #### The seven steps in practice **Body:** The first three steps set the stage: planning, structure analysis and function analysis. Step 4 builds the failure chain, the heart of the document, where effects, modes and causes are linked. Step 5 rates risk and assigns action priority. Step 6 drives optimization actions and re-evaluation, and step 7 documents and communicates results. Teams that skip steps 1 to 3 usually produce FMEAs that are long but disconnected from the real design or process. #### Action priority versus RPN **Body:** RPN multiplies three ratings, so a severity 10 with low occurrence can score lower than a trivial but frequent issue. Action priority uses a lookup of each S, O and D combination and returns High, Medium or Low, weighting severity first. The result tells the team how strongly an action is expected, not a number to compare across projects. If a customer still asks for RPN, show both, but base decisions on AP. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Do not copy an AP table from the internet without checking it against the handbook, as copies often contain errors. Avoid treating Low as ignore: it means optional action, and any severity 9 or 10 deserves explicit review. Keep rating criteria consistent across the whole FMEA and record which criteria set you used. In your quality system, version the FMEA with the part or process revision so audits can trace decisions. **Cta:** If you want FMEA, control plans and ERP routings kept in sync, Netray can discuss how that could work in your stack. The reference above is free with no sign-up. **Faq:** #### Do I have to use action priority? **Answer:** If a customer requires the AIAG-VDA method, yes, as it replaced RPN-based thresholds. Other customers may still accept RPN. Check the customer specific requirements in your contract or quality manual. #### Where do I find the official AP table? **Answer:** In the AIAG and VDA FMEA Handbook, first edition 2019, available from AIAG and VDA QMC. This page does not reproduce it, to avoid errors and respect the publisher. #### Is severity 1 always Low priority? **Answer:** Yes, in the handbook action priority tables a severity of 1 is rated Low regardless of occurrence and detection, because there is no discernible effect. #### What is FMEA-MSR? **Answer:** Monitoring and System Response FMEA is a supplement that analyses diagnostic monitoring and the system reaction to detected faults while the product is operating, used mainly for electronic and safety related systems. ## Search terms aiag vda fmea action priority, action priority table, aiag vda fmea 7 steps, fmea ap vs rpn, aiag vda fmea handbook, fmea action priority high medium low, pfmea action priority, fmea 2019 handbook --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json