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Failure reporting system is required at the start of EMD (Engineering & Manufacturing Development).
Alarms: Failure reporting system requirements are not
imposed on subcontractors.
Government-furnished equipment is exempted from failure reporting system.
Escapes: Ensure at post-award conference that the required failure reporting systems include government-furnished equipment (GFE) and are a requirement in all subcontracts.
Benefits: Elimination of failure modes
at the subsystem level will result in decreased system level test
times.
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Failure review board is established.
Alarms: Technical experts from each functional area
are not included on failure review board.
Failure review board is composed entirely of junior members.
Escapes: Contractor and government review and approve failure review board membership to ensure adequate representation.
Benefits: Failure review board will make technically
sound recommendations that can be promptly accepted.
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Cost-effective failure analysis is based on frequency of occurrences.
Alarms: Failures are classified as random and are not analyzed. Failure analysis is only required when repetitive failures occur.
Escapes: Analyze all failures to identify failure cause and corrective actions, as necessary.
Benefits: Design weaknesses will be eliminated
early.
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All failures are required to be closed out.
Alarms: No specific time limit is established for failure close-out. Verification of corrective actions as part of close-out criteria is not required.
Escapes: Close out all failures within 30 days. Verify corrective actions or reopen failure reports.
Benefits: Corrective actions will be timely and effective.
"Failure Reporting Systems Best Practices: How to Avoid Surprises in the World's Most Complicated Technical Process. Department of the Navy; Reliability, Maintainability, and Quality Assurance Directorate (NAVSO P-6071), March 1986, pp. 5-7 to 5-12.
