AIAG VDA Harmonisation - Interview with the Chairman of the Working Group
The AIAG VDA harmonisation is a central topic for FMEA and risk management in 2019. While the VDA guidelines were valid in Europe until now, the evaluation pursuant to the AIAG Manual was required primarily in America. As a result of intensive discussions, the transatlantic working group FMEA Harmonisation AIAG and VDA has now developed a uniform methodology description. At our 14th FMEA Forum in Osnabrück, Hans-Joachim Pfeufer (head of the German Working Group FMEA Harmonisation AIAG and VDA) and Oliver Kukuk (member of the VDA Working Group) offered initial insights. In the interview, they answer pivotal questions on the importance of harmonisation for FMEA, on concrete changes for OEMs and on the major discussion points in the working group.
New offer with seminars and webinars on VDA AIAG harmonisation from mid-June
Our FMEA experts have put together a comprehensive range of seminars and webinars to inform the FMEA managers and project managers in the companies about the most important innovations within the scope of AIAG VDA harmonisation in the short run and in detail.
The event starts mid-June and the period of deadline for registration has begun to run. The online webinars on AIAG VDA harmonisation / FMEA methodology description will take place on June 12, 13 and 14, 2019.
Common methodology description of AIAG VDA saves time and effort
Prior to the VDA AIAG harmonisation, suppliers who produce their parts for North American and German automobile manufacturers were obligated to develop and submit their FMEAs based on both methodology descriptions. Among other things, this quite significant additional effort related to the uniform evaluation tables for probability of occurrence, detection and the significance of error sequences, is to be brought to an end with the help of the uniform methodology description. "Everything becomes more uniform", as Pfeufer emphasises in the video. Kukuk mentions that the RPN is no longer a part of the methodology owing to a crucial change. This led to a change in risk analysis and assessment as well as the evaluation catalogues.
Backdrop: FMEA VDA AIAG Harmonisation
The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) is the common association of interests of the German automotive manufacturers and suppliers. The Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) is a kind of supreme quality guardian in the North American automotive industry. As part of the FMEA VDA AIAG harmonisation process, the two associations have published a joint draft for a globally standardised FMEA method description for the first time. We are talking about the so-called yellow volume draft (AIAG and VDA Failure Mode and Effect Analysis FMEA Handbook), which is available as a download in German at the VDA (https://vda-qmc.de/publikationen/gelbdrucke). The English version can also be obtained free of charge from AIAG after registration (https://www.aiag.org/store/quality/publications)