The PFMEA is a living document - When should it be reviewed?

PFMEA Review

I know that the PFMEA is a living document. I know that it should be reviewed at some freq.
It would be interesting to know what procedure some of you have implemented for this.
Do you review with every ENC? Do you gather the core team quarterly? Is it just if there is a process change?
Have you implemented a Continuous Improvement/ RPN Reduction Program of a sort?
What if there were some other potential failures that aren't being addressed. How would you convince the team that we need ongoing input. How do I make this a living document?

Thanks,

When to review a FMEA

A Output on a process map that has gone wrong becomes a Failure mode on a FMEA, so when ever a process has given you a reason for reject it is a time to improve and update your process and PFMEA

Whenever you make a change to the process, whenever there is a failure (as noted above), and you really need to review stable processes at some interval. Be it a year, six months, monthly, whatever works for you and your process/product, just in case you can find some improvement areas. Make your system work for you.

You can take another tack and satisfy another TS requirement. There are companies who Pareto-ize the RPN's and tackle the top 5 -10 hitters annually in an effort to Continually Improve processes and make them more robust.

This approach would require an annual review at minimum, but with the improvement activity being effective, there are other areas of the FMEA that will come under scrutiny from time to time during the process.

This approach also works best for companies with set product lines where long runs and same production is the norm. Companies that are essentially large Job-Shops would be better to look at Family FMEA's to maximize the impact and also form the basis for Preventive actions being carried throughout the plant on similar processes.

In a nutshell. . . review them as often as you can. . .you get out what you put in.

As PFMEA coordinator at my plant (automotive tier 1), our PFMEAs are "living documents" through cross-functional reviews and response to ongoing changes.

I monitor ongoing changes like:
- new programs and part drawing (blueprint) changes,
- process changes (continuous improvement, corrective actions), routing changes,
- customer concerns, closure of recommended actions, etc.
Minor updates are made as needed and submitted for review and control plan update.

Cross-functional meetings are held almost weekly, rotating between areas and processes. All current processes are covered annually, actual timing being flexible and prioritized. New programs are addressed before PPAP.

Regular meetings help keep FMEAs in the awareness of our quality and manufacturing engineers. Attendance by a production person is beneficial for FMEA content and communication back to the floor. By rotating the topics and requiring only key people to attend (but not closed to others), the meetings aren't too burdensome. The updated PFMEA is submitted for review to attendees and other interested persons and the feedback may prompt more changes.