Quality Digest - Relearning the FMEA: AIAG-VDA FMEA

The AIAG-VDA FMEA has updated the AIAG FMEA document that had been used in industry since the 1960s. The AIAG FMEA document is one of the five Core Tools (APQP, FMEA, SPC, MSA and PPAP) that have been popular in many industries including Automotive, Aerospace, Medical Devices, and many others. The FMEA and Core Tools Standards are commonly called the blue books for the color of their cover and have been widely used in industry. There are two popular formats of FMEA, the one used by AIAG (Automotive Industry Action Group) and, in Germany, the one used by VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie). Recently, to standardize the two different FMEA methods, a team worked on harmonizing both methods into a single handbook. The result is the newly released AIAG-VDA FMEA.

This new AIAG-VDA FMEA follows a seven-step process for both DFMEA and PFMEA. Additionally, the AIAG-VDA DFMEA links the system, sub system, and component, or in other words it links the failure mode in the element of focus with the customer or system at the higher level and the component or supplier at the lower level. In the PFMEA, the Process Flow is replaced by a structure analysis.

Omnex has been involved in teaching and developing both AIAG and VDA DFMEAs and PFMEAs for many years. In fact, writers of the AIAG-VDA FMEA 1st edition and FMEA 4th edition standards are involved with Omnex’s roll out of the AIAG-VDA FMEA training including writing and training courses.

Presented: Chad Kymal

Chad Kymal is the CTO and founder of Omnex Inc., an international consulting and training organization headquartered in the United States. After graduating from the General Motors Institute, Chad spent a number of years working at General Motors and KPMG before joining Omnex. Over the course of Chad’s successful career, he has served on the Malcolm Baldrige Board of Examiners and has received numerous quality achievement awards, including the Quality Professional of the Year award by the American Society for Quality (ASQ) Automotive Division in 2005.

In addition to his bachelor’s degree from GMI, Chad holds both a master’s degree in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Michigan and an MBA Cum Laude from the University of Michigan. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi. Chad is the President of Omnex Systems, a software provider of ISO 9001, 14001 and 27001 management systems including risk tools such as FMEA and Control Plans. Omnex software is used globally by organizations such as Bose, Micron, NXP, Valeo and others.

Chad both developed and teaches auditor training for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 / ISO 45001, as well as an Integrated Management Systems Lead Auditor training course where all three standards are combined in a single audit. Chad is the founder of AQSR, a global registrar that routinely provided integrated audits in QMS, EMS, and OHSMS. Chad is also on the ISO/TC 176, ISO/TC 207, PC283 committees for ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management), ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management) and ISO 45001 (Health and Safety Management Systems. Omnex has been working in the Automotive industry for 30 years and Omnex principals been active in writing different automotive standards including QS 9000, ISO/TS 16949, Semiconductor Supplement, APQP, FMEA and Core Tools. Chad conducted the first world-wide witness audit for QS 9000 a predecessor to IATF 16949. He is the author of seven books and more than 100 papers including several on integrated management systems.

Chad and Greg Gruska discovered the linkages between the Process Flow, PFMEA, Control Plans and Work Instructions in the 1980s, which led to the Omnex methodology for PFMEA and Omnex’s AQuA Pro Software.

Speaker

Chad Kymal

Chad Kymal is the CTO and Founder of Omnex Inc. He is the author of seven books and more than 100 papers including several on integrated management systems. Chad is currently on the writing committees for several standards including TC 22/ SC 32/WG 8 for ISO 26262 (Functional Safety), ISO/TC 176 for ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management), ISO/TC 207 for ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management), and PC283 for ISO 45001 (Health and Safety Management Systems). He founded and was the CEO of an Automotive registrar for over 10 years and is familiar with conducting audits, being witnessed for audits, and also evaluating auditors and assessors. He authored and teaches a course for 3rd Party Auditors for Automotive Registrars on behalf of International Automotive Certification Bodies Association (IACBA). This course explains how 3rd Party Auditors audit IATF 16949 in an environment that includes ASPICE, Functional Safety and Product Cybersecurity. He is currently rolling out the course to global 3rd Party Auditors for IATF 16949. Chad has spent over 20 years in system, hardware and software development in various capacities. He assesses and works in automotive system, hardware and software for Agile, ASPICE, and Functional Safety ISO 26262. Chad is also currently an intacsTM certified Principal Assessor for Automotive SPICE.