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1 Day Failure Modes Effects Analysis (FMEA) Training
Course
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Our research shows that design and code reviews are often ineffective.
That’s because of 2 reasons:
-
The review is not focused on the
root causes and failure modes that are most likely to affect the
particular software system being developed.
-
The review is wasted because people
are looking for types of defects that aren’t visible just from
looking at a static view of the code.
We have researched
more than 300 software root causes/failure modes and identified when
they are the most visible in the lifecycle. Some are most visible
during the requirements phase, some during design, some during code
reviews and some during testing.
Software FMEAs are
a great way to improve the efficiency of any review. There are 6
viewpoints for the software FMEA. The interface SFMEA focuses on
the interfaces between software/software and software/hardware.
The Functional viewpoint focuses on the requirements at the software
CSCI level. The detailed SFMEA focuses on the classes or modules.
There are different defects that apply to each of these viewpoints.
Additionally, defects may be introduced because of how the project is
managed, how the software is maintained and how it is installed and
used. |
Below is a categorization of the failure
modes and how many of each category are applicable to each type of product and
process FMEA. For example, timing is a general failure mode category.
There are 2 timing failure modes that are applicable for an interface FMEA, 2
that are applicable for a functional FMEA and 2 that applicable for a detailed
FMEA. In this class the students will filter the list of applicable failure
modes even further to those that apply to their application.
|
Types of failure modes |
Interface |
Functional |
Detailed |
Production |
Maintenance |
Installation |
|
Functionality |
|
6 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Timing |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
Sequences/order |
1 |
5 |
4 |
|
|
|
|
Logic (other than exception handling) is incorrect |
|
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13 |
|
|
|
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Incomplete, incorrect, corrupt, invalid data domains |
7 |
7 |
10 |
|
|
|
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Incompatibility |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
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Erroneous or missing error messages |
14 |
5 |
11 |
|
|
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Incorrect Algorithms/computations |
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
Memory management |
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
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Client/server synchronization |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
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Web based failure modes |
|
24 |
|
|
|
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I/O |
|
|
6 |
|
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Database |
|
28 |
|
|
|
|
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Human error or misuse |
|
22 |
22 |
|
|
|
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Security |
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
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Network communications |
|
6 |
|
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Software can't install or update properly |
|
25 |
|
|
3 |
|
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Insufficient domain knowledge by software engineers and testers |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
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Insufficient/missing development and testing practices |
|
|
|
57 |
|
|
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Insufficient software lifecycle activities/management |
|
|
|
16 |
4 |
|
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Inadequate source/version/change control |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
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Insufficient/incorrect user documentation |
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|
|
|
|
6 |
|
Insufficient/incorrect installation/support documentation |
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|
|
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1 |
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Software is written for wrong end user type |
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|
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2 |
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Software is too difficult to use productively |
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|
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2 |
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Insufficient help desk support |
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6 |
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Software workarounds don't exist or aren't documented |
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|
|
|
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2 |
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Insufficient support training |
|
|
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|
1 |
|
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Total |
27 |
132 |
90 |
74 |
21 |
12 |
Course Outline
Topic |
Expected duration |
Software FMEA |
|
Introduction -
statement of goals for class and schedule |
15 mins |
We will discuss the process for executing a software FMEA
with managed resources and schedule. This process will be executed for
the 6 types of software FMEAs (interface, functional, detailed, production,
maintenance, installation)
- Plan resources
- Brainstorm failure modes applicable to this type
of FMEA and this application. A complete list of all failure modes
that apply to this type of FMEA will be a starting point. By the
end of this step, the failure modes that are applicable to this
application will be identified.
- For each failure mode
- Assess probability
- Identify effects of each failure mode
- Identify severity of each failure mode
- Identify any applicable corrective actions
- Identify any detection monitors
- Identify any compensating provisions
- Identify failure mode equivalence (consolidate the failure modes)
- Using the FMEA to improve the product within schedule and resource
demands
|
1 hour |
Break |
15 mins |
How to perform a
software interface FMEA. Interface FMEAs analyze failure modes between
software, firmware and hardware. Class exercise - The
entire FMEA process will be executed from step 1 to step 5. |
90 mins |
How to perform a
software functional FMEA. Functional FMEAs are performed at the top software
architectural level (CSCI). Class exercise - The entire FMEA process will be executed from
step 1 to step 5. |
60 mins |
| Lunch break |
1 hour |
How to perform a
software detailed design FMEA. A detailed design FMEA is performed on the
design or code. Class exercise - The
entire FMEA process will be executed from analyzing resources to improving the product. |
90 mins |
| How to perform a production
process FMEA. A production process FMEA analyzes the failure modes related
to how people produce the software product. It's possible for the
requirements, design and code to be working, but for the software to be
unusable because there is no source control. Class exercise - The
entire FMEA process will be executed from analyzing resources to improving the product. |
90 mins |
| How to perform a maintenance
process FMEA. A maintenance process FMEA analyzes the failure modes related
to how people support the software once it is deployed. The focus is
on failure modes that would cause previously functional software to stop
functioning. Class exercise - The
entire FMEA process will be executed from analyzing resources to improving the product. |
60 mins |
| How to perform an
installation process FMEA. An installation process FMEA analyzes the failure
modes related to an end user's or system installation. For example,
the software could be working properly but the installation of it might
fail. Or the end user may have an incorrect user's manual and be
unable to use the software. Class exercise - The
entire FMEA process will be executed from analyzing resources to improving the product. |
60 mins |
Closing, Q & A |
30 mins |
| Optional second day for on site courses.
The second day is spent doing FMEAs on your product and process with the
guidance of the instructor. |
1 day |
About the Instructor
Ann Marie Neufelder is the founder of SoftRel, LLC. She started this
business
in 1992 to provide training, software and services in the area of software reliability.
Ann Marie has measured software reliability at more then 75 organizations in the
defense/aerospace/semiconductor/medical industries. She has a patent pending on a method
for estimating software defects prior to development of the software. In addition to
predicting software defects, Ann Marie has also spent the last 2 decades developing
software, managing software engineers and software testers, performing software fault tree
analyses, failure modes effect analyses, reliability versus cost analysis, test coverage
estimation, root cause analyses and code inspection efficiency. Ann Marie is the author of
"Ensuring Software Reliability". She has taught more then 2000 engineers about
software reliability, engineering and testing.
Copyright, SoftRel, LLC 2011. This page may not be
copied in part or in whole without written permission from
Ann Marie Neufelder
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