When properly conducted , product and process FMEAs should lead to:
Confidence that all risks have been identified early and appropriate actions have been taken
Priorities and rationale for product and process improvement actions
Reduction of scrap, rework , and manufacturing costs
Preservation of product and process knowledge
Reduction of field failures and warranty cost
Documentation of risks and actions for future designs or processes
By way of comparison of FMEA benefits and the quality lever, Figure 6.2 may help.
In essence, one may argue that the most important benefit of an FMEA is that it helps identify hidden costs, which are quite often greater than visible costs. Some of these costs may be identified through:
Customer dissatisfaction
Development inefficiencies
Lost repeat business (no brand loyalty)
High employee turnover
And so on