No / This paper describes a study made into the application of PFMEA in a sample of suppliers to an automotive manufacturing company in the UK. The objectives of the research were to study the concerns and inhibitors that PFMEA users have, establish how the effectiveness could be determined, evaluate PFMEA use as a problem prevention technique and to recommend best practice. The research methodology included the use of interviews, workshops and questionnaires involving 150 quality approved suppliers. Conclusions were drawn to show that the PFMEA technique has its limitations, caused by a number of issues. Recommendations for overcoming these limitations of the PFMEA process are presented.

Based on the R&D roadmap, market demand, supply chain framework, economy of scale, clientele distribution, and manufacturing strategies of medium and small-size Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) industry in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China, this thesis aims to explore the possibility of Taiwanese medium and small-size LCD manufacturers in acquiring global ODM & OEM contracts, and identify the competitive advantages and disadvantages of a case company - TPO. By using the Porter¡¦s five force model and the SWOT analysis, we have found the following: 1. Technology research and development: The case company does not have a clear road map. As jobs are roughly defined and randomly delegated among R&D and production units, they cannot be effectively coordinated to meet future market demands. 2. Product development: The speed of product development and problem-shooting does not meet the requirements of ¡§time to market¡¨, which has caused the recent loss of major customers. 3. Supply chain: The case company has not established long-term partnerships with its material suppliers and supplier selection is primarily based on low unit price instead of in strong commitment to elevate capability or improve quality. 4. Production specialty and cost: The production facilities of the case company are widely distributed in ChuNan, NanJing, Shanghai, and Osaka-Kobe. The overall production costs are higher than its rivals and the back-end production capacity does not meet customer requirements in price and quantity. 5. Quality management: Most long-term clients of the case company are located in Taiwan or China. Lack of direct international experiences, the case company has not been able to meet the high quality requirment of the global tier one players. In this thesis, the following directions are suggested: 1. To enhance labor quality in China: The quality of its Chinese labor force should be elevated to shorten production processes for cost reduction. 2. To upgrade supply chain management by taking advantage of direct flights between the Taiwan and China: With reduced costs in transportation and inventory brought by direct cargo flight, the case company can adopt the strategy to ¡§manufacture in the vicinity of end-market¡¨. 3. To use vertical integration or horizontal alliance in its supply chain to improve its cost structure: By enhancing cooperation and job delegation among its group members and/or OEM providers, the case company can effectively lower the investment costs and inventory impairment risks. 4. To increase the economic scale of its production facilities: Each production facility should be assigned for a specialized production line to make the best economic scale. For instance, Shanghai Fab specializes in car appliances and NanJing Fab in non-Automotive LCD and Avionics LCD products, while Chunan Fab is mainly for the production of the front-end aerospace products. 5. To elevate the overall quality awareness: Quality management should be adopted from the very beginning of product design and specification. Meanwhile, DFMEA and PFMEA should be persisted for overall quality improvement.

Det finns en trend mot snabbare marknadsintroduktioner inom fordonsindustrin, vilket kräver tids- och kostnadseffektiva produktutvecklingsprocesser samtidigt som det sker ett kontinuerligt arbete för att förbättra kvaliteten på produkterna. Kvalitetsavvikelser på artiklar är kostsamma, leder till kassationer och miljöbelastningar, innebär säkerhetsrisker och försvårar planeringen inom tillverkningsorganisationer. För en hållbar tillväxt inom fordonsindustrin har den ideella organisationen Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) tagit fram den internationella kvalitetsstandarden IATF 16969. En del i att uppfylla IATF 16969 är att använda sig av Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), där riskhanteringsmetoden Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) ingår. Process-FMEA (PFMEA) är en variant av FMEA som används vid kvalitetssäkring av tillverkningsprocessen. Studien syftade till att undersöka hur fordonstillverkare på ett framgångsrikt sätt kan tillämpa PFMEA vid artikelintroduktioner och produktionsförändringar. För att uppfylla syftet utfördes en fallstudie där styrkor och brister med nuvarande arbetssätt kartlades. Detta gjordes via 28 intervjuer vid två av Scanias bearbetande senheter, intervjuer med fem andra stora fordons- och komponenttillverkare samt en observationsstudie av tolv utförda PFMEA:or vid Scania. Resultatet från studien bekräftade gap mellan teoretisk framställning av PFMEA och praktisk tillämpning. De gap som identifierades gäller vilka avgränsningar som görs, användningen av risktalet, i vilka situationer PFMEA används som beslutsunderlag, processtödens uppbyggnad, avsaknaden av systemstöd, hur PFMEA ska itereras, brist på en standardiserad inlärningsprocess och sammankopplingen mellan relaterade verktyg. För respektive gap presenteras sedan framgångsfaktorer i rapporten. I avslutande rekommendationer framhölls vikten av att utgå från organisationens förutsättningar, strategi, mål och framtida vision vid tillämpning av PFMEA. Det behövs standardiserade inlärnings- och arbetsprocesser i enlighet med Lean samt tydliggöras hur informationsöverföringen mellan PFMEA, Design-FMEA, Design For Manufacturing-arbetet, styrplan, flödesschema och avvikelsesystem ska ske. Vidare rekommenderades framtagning av kravspecifikation för ett digitalt stödsystem i syfte att möjliggöra enklare och mer tidseffektiv informationsöverföring och erfarenhetsåterföring inom organisationen. Avslutningsvis antas kunskapsbidraget från studien vara av störst intresse för artikeltillverkare inom fordonsindustrin. Vid andra organisatoriska förutsättningar än vid Scanias tillverkande enheter, bör särskild uppmärksamhet ägnas åt rekommendationerna för arbetsprocesser, avvikelsesystem och organisationsstruktur. / There is a trend towards faster market introductions in the automotive industry, which requires time and cost effective product development processes at the same time as there is a continual effort to increase the quality of the products. Deviations in the quality of components are costly, lead to scrapping and environmental burdens, involve safety risks and complicate planning within manufacturing organizations. For sustainable growth in the automotive industry, the non-profit organization Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) has developed the international quality standard IATF 16969. A part of complying with IATF 16969 is the use of the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), which includes the risk management method Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Process-FMEA (PFMEA) is a variant of FMEA used for quality assurance of the manufacturing process. The study aimed to investigate how vehicle manufacturers can successfully  apply PFMEA for introductions of components and changes in the production. To fulfill the purpose, a case study was conducted where strengths and shortcomings with current working methods were mapped. This was done by 28 interviews at two of Scania's manufacturing units and interviews with five other major vehicle and component manufacturers, as well as an observational study of twelve PFMEA:s performed at Scania. The results from the study confirmed gaps between existing research regarding PFMEA and the practitical application. The gaps identified concern the delimitations made, the use of the risk priority number, the situations in which PFMEA is used as a basis for decisions, the structure of process support, the lack of system support, how PFMEA should be iterated, lack of a standardized learning process and the connection between related tools to PFMEA. For each gap, success factors are presented in the report. In general, the importance of starting from the organisation's conditions, strategy, goals and future vision when applying PFMEA was emphasized. There is a need for standardized learning and work processes in accordance with Lean and clarification about how the information transfer between PFMEA, Design-FMEA, Design For Manufacturing, control plan, flowchart and deviation system should take place. Furthermore, the development of RFQ material for a digital support system was recommended in order to enable simpler and more time-efficient information transfer and lessons learned within the organization. In conclusion, the knowledge contribution from the study is assumed to be of greatest interest to part manufacturers in the automotive industry. In other organizational conditions than at Scania's manufacturing units, special attention should be paid to the recommendations for work processes, deviation systems and organizational structure.

Denna kvalitativa fallstudie syftade till att undersöka hur riskanalysmetoden Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA) tillämpas och anpassas till pappers- och massaindustrin för att proaktivt hantera processrisker. Studien baserades på antagandet att Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) och Verband der Automobilindustries (VDA) PFMEA-metod från år 2019 även kan användas för en process där virke omvandlas till träflis. Data samlades in genom litteraturstudier, observationer, företagsdokument, intervjuer och workshops med processexperter. Processrisker analyserades med AIAG och VDAs PFMEA-metod och tematisk analys användes för att identifiera lämpliga anpassningar av metoden. Utifrån deltagande roller och tidsåtgången för PFMEA-aktiviteter analyserades även resurser för en PFMEA. Resultatet visade att AIAG och VDAs PFMEA-metod är tillämplig för en process där virke omvandlas till träflis, förutsatt att bedömningskriterierna för allvarlighetsgrad anpassas och fiskbendiagram, 5-varför och felträdsanalys inkluderas för en strukturerad analys av grundorsaker. Totalt identifierades 36 feltillstånd, varav grundorsaksanalyser prioriterades för fyra som hade effekter med en allvarlighetsgrad åtta eller högre. För prioriterade feltillstånd identifierades elva grundorsaker för vilka åtgärder kunde rekommenderas. För att genomföra analysen under en 16-veckorsperiod uppskattades kostnaden till cirka 212 571 kr i arbetstidskostnader. Studien visar att AIAG och VDAs PFMEA-metod är en strukturerad metod för att analysera processrisker även inom pappers- och massaindustrin, om anpassningar görs av bedömningskriterier och metoder för grundorsaksanalys inkluderas. Budgeteras kvalificerad personal kan en PFMEA genomföras inom 16 veckor på en process där virke omvandlas till träflis. / This qualitative case study aimed to investigate how the Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA) methodology can be applied and adapted to the pulp and paper industry for proactive management of process risks. The study assumed that the Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) och Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) PFMEA method from year 2019 could also be utilized for a process that transforms timber into wood chips. Data were collected through literature reviews, observations, company documents, interviews, and workshops with process experts. Process risks were analyzed using the AIAG and VDA PFMEA method, and thematic analysis was applied to identify suitable adaptations of the method. Resources required for a PFMEA were also analyzed based on the roles of the participants and the time for conducting PFMEA activities. The results revealed that the AIAG and VDA PFMEA method is applicable to a process that transforms timber into wood chips, provided that the severity assessment criteria are adjusted and fishbone diagrams, 5-why analysis, and fault tree analysis are included for a structured examination of root causes. A total of 36 failure modes were identified, where root cause analysis was prioritized for four failure modes exhibiting effects with a severity rating of eight or higher. Eleven root causes were identified for the prioritized failure modes for which recommended actions could be proposed. The estimated cost of labor for conducting the analysis over a 16-week period was approximately 212 571 SEK. This study demonstrates that the AIAG and VDA PFMEA method is a structured approach for analyzing process risks, even within the pulp and paper industry, if adjustments are made to the severity assessment criteria and methods for root cause analysis are included. With the allocation of sufficient resources and qualified personnel, a PFMEA can be completed within a 16-week timeframe for a process involving the conversion of timber into wood chips.