Software Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (SFMEA) is a structured approach aimed at identifying and evaluating potential failure modes within a software system, assessing their effects, and prioritizing them based on their severity, occurrence probability, and detectability.
FMEA originated in the field of engineering and was initially used in manufacturing processes. However, its application has been extended to software development, recognizing the need to anticipate and mitigate software-related risks.
The benefits of employing software FMEA are considerable. For example, Software FMEA provides a proactive strategy for risk management by systematically analyzing potential failure modes before they manifest as issues in the final product.
By identifying these failure modes early in the development process, development teams can take preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of defects and failures, ultimately enhancing the software’s overall quality and reliability.
Today, FMEA involves structured brainstorming to analyze potential failure modes in software, rate and rank the risk to the software and take appropriate actions to mitigate the risk.
This process is useful for several reasons such as:
- Improve software quality
- Reduce cost of quality (CoQ)
- Reduce cost of poor quality (CoPQ)
- Improve on defect density
Software FMEA can be performed at system level and at network element/component level.
Experts in this field contend that earlier detection of defects is a paradigm change, but may not be obvious to software managers or leaders. Consequently, with results from a software FMEA, software matter personnel are armed with information that can help convince senior leaders and management to commit to making necessary adjustments in software before it is released to the public.
This process is used to improve software quality, reduce Cost of Quality (CoQ), Cost of Poor Quality, (CoPQ) and defect density.
Software FMEA can result in significant cost savings by detecting defects early that would have otherwise been detected in the test phases or by the customer.
Studies show that the later a defect is detected, the more the cost – up to $70,000 per defect.
Want to learn more? Tonex offers Software FMEA, a 2-day course where participants learn all the steps, techniques, and tools necessary to develop and execute a software FMEA.
Participants will also learn how to perform software reliability failure modes and root causes associated with the standards, interface design, detailed design and code, vulnerabilities, corrective actions, serviceability, applicability, and processes.
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.