Comments on: Planning for Failure: HOQ vs. FMEA

By: Jim Bent

Jim Bent — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:10:45 +0000

Very interesting and enlightening article. This put things in perspective. I felt I was totally “getting it” until the last sentence about the QFD methodology generally incorporated FMEA as an INITIAL step. Do you mean that literally, as in, FMEA would be the first tool used? Seems to me that one would use HOQ before FMEA. Can you clarify this for me?

By: Peter Wolfe

Peter Wolfe — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:29:14 +0000

Jim,

Thank you so much for your comments. I think, however, that you may have misread my closing statements above. I indicated that FMEA was an “integral” step for many QFD practitioners, not an “initial” step. You are correct in assuming that an HOQ would generally be constructed before an FMEA.

Thanks again,
Peter

By: carlos alberto scapin

carlos alberto scapin — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:29:09 +0000

very interested

By: Ramesh Rao

Ramesh Rao — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 01:21:53 +0000

This is an excellent article, putting the first things first and also, smashing a few myths and cherished beliefs along the way.
I can see the depth of QFD a lot more clearly now. I am a 6-Sigma BB using QFD as a DFSS tool but rarely along with FMEA.
It now appears to me that the initial HOQ would be a dynamic document with inputs from the FMEA excercise continuously being fed into the required product characteristics and hence both HOQ and the FMEA needs to be done together!
Please comment on my understanding.
Thanks for the enlightenment!

By: Govindasamy

Govindasamy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:58:36 +0000

All the infomrations here are very useful for me in a practical approachments to find the quality of a pruoduct. Also for my MBA study

Thanks a lot

Govind

By: RAVI TIWARI

RAVI TIWARI — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:00:57 +0000

All the information and guidelines provided are found to be very useful by us as “Quality Engineering & Management” Students as wellas our related industry experts.

A GOOD APPROACH .
THANX

RAVI TIWARI
ME Quality Engg Management-BIT Mesra

By: Sergio

Sergio — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 20:05:09 +0000

As you say - failing to plan leads to failure. But how can one incorporate alternative contingency plans into an MSProject or other device.

I commonly talk to students about “preventive failure planning”. That is given a complete plan - determine all of the things that could cause you to fail. Then once identified, create alternative plans or branches to overcome this.

Is there any software that will enable setting alternative contingency plans ?

By: Maha Hassan

Maha Hassan — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:32:08 +0000

it is very interesting and useful.
thanks

By: Sree

Sree — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 02:11:58 +0000

Very useful article to understand the concept and differences.Thank you.

By: Vikas

Vikas — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:15:48 +0000

Extremelly useful.

By: Puneet Tandon

Puneet Tandon — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:34:14 +0000

I am persuing the BB and this explained difference in FMEA and QAD is certainly woth clearing the doubts for me and all students of these practicing tools.

By: Michael Wirtz

Michael Wirtz — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:40:54 +0000

I hope what everyone will recognize is that the FMEA, Control Plan, Specifications, SPC, and the QFD should work together. A QFD and process map helps explore potential links between parameters at every level and how they impact product performance. Once the QFD is populated, the FMEA should be used to assess risk. Part of assessing risk is to explore and validate cause and effect (and interactions) through DOE/Regression. This is a short term and long term event. So start to populate those control plans and build your specification and SPC/RFC process. The continuous DOE or regression analysis you do over time will help your product line support mature and ensure that all of your controls/Specs are meaningful, accurate, and have impact. Failure to do any of this analysis breeds ineffective process and supply chain controls that inevitably lead to waste and profit loss.

By: Chilunga Puta

Chilunga Puta — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:31:24 +0000

Thank you for clarifying the terminology and utility of FMEA and HOQ. Very helpful.

By: sudoku

sudoku — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:58:19 +0000

Oh my goodness! an incredible article dude. Thanks Nevertheless I’m experiencing subject with ur rss . Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anybody getting similar rss drawback? Anybody who is aware of kindly respond. Thnkx

By: srujana

srujana — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 11:57:26 +0000

Very Good article.I got a clear idea regarding the tools usage.Thx

By: Nirmala

Nirmala — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:37:32 +0000

It’s realy gave me the exact idea, when and where the tools to be used. The usage of right set of tool also the most important. Here the author mentioned some people are using HQO for causal analysis. I was also have some confusion how the HQO will help us to mitigate the failures. Now I have cleared that the tool more appropriate to understand the relationship between the customer requirement and proess.

Realy very very useful comments to understand everyone.

By: Raja

Raja — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:04:33 +0000

Useful. Clarified the sublte difference of QFD & HOQ.

By: Saranathan

Saranathan — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 12:07:19 +0000

Request author to share the information on QFD2, QFD3 and QFD 4 also. Am yet to see one such posting taking the people through all the four. With that the understanding of QFD will be complete atleast at the beginner level.
Awaiting the reply