posted 08 July 1998 10:20 AM               

A new message, "FMEA," was posted on the Cayman Systems ISO / QS 9000 Forum
by Shailesh Patel on Tuesday,
7 July 1998, at 9:57 a.m.

The message reads as follows:

-------------------------

Is it mandatory to use and comply to AIAG's FMEA manual? Can I use other
FMEA manual like Ford's FMEA handbook for PFMEA and DFMEA and comply to
it? I am looking for other's experience in this regard since during our
QS9K audit one of the auditor insisted on refering to AIAG's manual only.

-------------------------

Hi,
I think that you can find the answer to your question by looking up the following Handbooks :

1) "Quality System Requirements" QS-9000
On page 1 : Introduction/Approch, the sentence :
"...The word, 'shall' indicates mandatory requirements.
The word, 'should' indicates a preferred approch ..."

2) "Potential Failure Mode and Effects Analysis FMEA" (Reference
Manual).
On the FOREWORD chapter you can read :
"...Accordingly, this manual and format, which is approved and endorset
by
Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, SHOULD be used by suppliers
implementing
FMEA techniques into their design/manufacturing processes..."

3) "Advanced Product Quality Planning and Control Plan APQP"
About both design FMEA Checklist on page 64 and for process FMEA on
page 78
the question 1 asks if you have had performed the analysis according to
QS-9000's
requirements or not.
So I think it is possible to follow the second chance ... do you agree?

By the way. When I wrote the procedures for performing the FMEA in my
factory, I suggested
to use QS-9000 requirements. But according to the wishes of the Customer
we can follow
other forms too. In any case it is mandatory to agree with FMEA's
checklists.