# FMEA Review Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/fmea-review-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer Check a DFMEA or PFMEA for scope, failure logic, ratings consistency, actions and links to the control plan. ## Category quality ## Audience - Quality engineer - Supplier quality - Auditor ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Scope and team **Items:** **Text:** Scope, boundaries and part or process revision are stated **Critical:** true Team is cross-functional (design, process, quality, production, maintenance) **Text:** Customer requirements and special characteristics are listed as inputs **Critical:** true FMEA type and method are named (DFMEA, PFMEA, AIAG-VDA or earlier) Related documents are referenced: process flow, control plan, drawings Document has a revision history and approval #### Structure and function **Items:** **Text:** Every process step in the flow diagram appears in the FMEA **Critical:** true Functions are written with a verb and a measurable requirement Rework, repair, transport and storage steps are included Interfaces between steps or components are addressed Lessons learned and field issues from similar products are reviewed Outsourced steps and supplier processes are covered #### Failure chain **Items:** **Text:** Failure modes are stated as loss of function, not as causes **Critical:** true Effects are described for next operation and end customer Each failure mode has at least one cause at root level Causes are specific enough to be controlled (not just operator error) Safety and regulatory effects are identified No lines are marked not applicable without a reason #### Ratings **Items:** **Text:** Severity, occurrence and detection use a controlled, documented scale **Critical:** true **Text:** Severity relates to the effect and is not lowered by controls **Critical:** true Occurrence ratings are supported by data or history Detection ratings are based on controls that exist today Ratings are consistent between similar lines **Text:** Lines with severity 9 or 10 have actions or documented justification **Critical:** true Risk ranking (RPN or action priority) is calculated correctly #### Actions and follow-up **Items:** **Text:** Every high-priority line has an owner and target date **Critical:** true Actions prevent causes first, detection second Re-rating happens only after the action is implemented and verified Open actions are tracked in a visible log Management reviews overdue actions #### Links and maintenance **Items:** **Text:** Control plan includes the controls listed in the PFMEA **Critical:** true Special characteristics match drawings and the control plan **Text:** FMEA is updated after customer complaints, scrap trends and process changes **Critical:** true FMEA is reviewed at least annually even without change Records link to part number and revision in PLM or ERP Previous revisions are retained and obsolete copies removed **Scoring Note:** Count the items you can answer yes to. Fix every unchecked critical item before the FMEA goes to a customer or auditor. ## Content **Intro:** A good FMEA review looks beyond whether the form is filled in. It checks that the failure logic holds, ratings are consistent, actions are real and the document stays linked to the control plan. Use this checklist before a customer submission, internal audit or design gate. **Sections:** #### How to use the checklist **Body:** Open the FMEA and the process flow side by side and go through the groups in order. Tick each item you can verify from the documents, not from memory. Mark gaps and note owners. The critical items are the ones that most often cause audit findings or customer rejection: missing steps, causes written as modes, ratings that lack evidence and unclosed severity 9 and 10 lines. Run the review with someone who did not write the FMEA. **Bullets:** - Review with the flow diagram and control plan open - Sample at least ten lines in depth - Trace three actions from open to verified evidence - Record findings and re-review after fixes #### What reviewers should look for **Body:** Start with scope and flow completeness, since all later quality depends on it. Then test the failure chains: can each cause actually produce the stated mode and effect? Check ratings against the agreed scale and against data such as scrap, returns or capability studies. Finally follow the thread into actions and the control plan. An FMEA with perfect formatting but no connection to the real process is the commonest hidden failure. #### Reading your score **Body:** A high yes rate with all critical items passed means the FMEA is ready for review. Many unchecked critical items suggest the FMEA was written as a paperwork exercise and needs a team session. If only the links group fails, the FMEA may be sound but disconnected from the control plan and routing. Prioritise fixes by effect on customers: safety lines, then special characteristics, then the rest. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Typical findings include copied FMEAs not adapted to the new part, detection ratings based on inspection that is not actually performed, and RPN arithmetic that does not match the ratings. Another is an FMEA that is never updated after a customer complaint. Keep a living document, review it in each quality meeting, and tie updates to corrective action closure so lessons are captured permanently. **Cta:** If you want FMEA, nonconformance and ERP records reviewed together, Netray can discuss a read-only data review. The checklist is free and stands alone. **Faq:** #### Who should review an FMEA? **Answer:** Someone independent of the author, ideally a quality or reliability engineer with process knowledge, plus a representative from production. Customer or auditor reviews come on top of the internal review. #### How often should an FMEA be reviewed? **Answer:** At least annually, and whenever there is a design or process change, a customer complaint, a nonconformance trend or a new customer requirement. Treat the FMEA as a living record. #### What are the most common FMEA audit findings? **Answer:** Missing process steps, causes written as failure modes, unsupported ratings, high severity lines without action, and a control plan that does not match the PFMEA are the most frequent. #### Does this checklist work for AIAG-VDA FMEAs? **Answer:** Yes. The items cover scope, structure, function and failure analysis, ratings and action tracking, which apply to both the older format and the seven step AIAG-VDA method. ## Search terms fmea review checklist, pfmea audit checklist, fmea checklist, dfmea review checklist, fmea quality check, how to review an fmea, fmea audit questions, fmea best practices checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json