Reverse FMEA – What You Need To Know

On Dec. 7, 2021, Ford Motor Co. updated its IATF 16949—“Customer specific requirements” (CSR), which requires the use of reverse FMEAs (RFMEA) on new equipment (“tooling”). The first sentence of the reverse FMEA requirement reads: “Organizations are required to have a process in place that ensures all new launches complete an RFMEA event once the equipment is installed and running.” The goal of Ford is to reduce tooling risk due to improper new tooling usage.

As one might expect, within weeks of Fords CSR release, FMEA trainers were offering RFMEA training classes for as much as $895 for a two-day class. Many FMEA trainers are presenting webinars that are designed to promote their RFMEA training. If their RFMEA training teaches the concepts presented in the webinars, it will not lead to the results Ford is looking for. Even more importantly, if you have a new tooling quality management system that is compliant with published automotive standards, you are very likely already implementing an “RFMEA” equivalent process that will deliver the results Ford is looking for. You only have to present documentation you already have and identify it as your “Reverse FMEA” process.

This webinar will explain what the Reverse FMEA process is (there is no “Reverse FMEA” form to fill out) and why Nathan Stroud, Ford Global STA Six Sigma, stated, “This is a process that many of you probably already do.”