Failure Modes and Effects Analysis
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) is a systematic, proactive risk management methodology used to identify potential failure modes in a system, process, design, or service, assess their causes and effects, and prioritize actions to mitigate risks. It involves analyzing components or steps to determine how they might fail and the impact of those failures on overall performance, safety, or reliability. FMEA is widely applied in engineering, manufacturing, healthcare, and software development to prevent defects and improve quality.
Developers should learn and use FMEA when designing or maintaining critical systems, such as safety-critical software, medical devices, or high-availability applications, to proactively identify and address vulnerabilities before they cause failures. It is particularly valuable in agile or DevOps environments where continuous improvement and risk reduction are priorities, helping teams prioritize bug fixes, enhance testing strategies, and comply with regulatory standards like ISO 9001 or FDA requirements.