Failure Mode and Effects Analysis is a design evaluation procedure used to identify potential failure modes and their effect on system performance, to identify actions to eliminate or mitigate the risk associated with the identified failure modes, and to document the process. In the FMECA, there is an additional assessment related to the failure mode's severity and probability of occurrence. The so called Criticality Analysis (CA).

Both types of analyses begin with general information concerning design concepts, past history, concept diagrams, and potential risks.