Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (FRACAS)

Failure Reporting and Corrective Action System (FRACAS) is a crucial tool utilized across industries to manage and address failures and issues within systems, equipment, and processes. It serves as a structured approach for identifying, documenting, analyzing, and resolving failures to improve reliability, safety, and efficiency. FRACAS plays a pivotal role in asset management by providing valuable insights into the performance and condition of assets, enabling organizations to proactively address issues and optimize asset lifecycle management strategies.

What Is A FRACAS?

FRACAS operates as a structured framework for organizations to continuously improve their products or systems. The process begins with the reporting of failures, where detailed information about the issues is documented.

A thorough analysis is conducted to identify the root causes of the failures. This analysis is crucial for understanding why the failures occurred and determining effective corrective actions. Implementing these corrective actions helps prevent the recurrence of similar issues, contributing to enhanced product or system reliability.

FRACAS, as a proactive approach, fosters a culture of learning from failures, allowing organizations to refine their processes and make informed decisions to ensure the ongoing success and quality of their products or systems.

Created and employed by the United States Department of Defense groups in 1985, a FRACAS is a systematic process that includes the following stages

1. Failure Reporting (FR)

All issues or faults associated with a system, equipment, or process are formally reported using a standard form called a failure report or defect report. This report should specify the failed asset, symptoms of the failure, testing and operating conditions, and the time when the failure occurred.

2. Analysis (A)

Conduct a root cause analysis to determine what caused the failure. This involves identifying the underlying reasons behind the issue.

3. Corrective Actions (CA)

Once the cause of the failure is identified, implement and validate corrective (or preventive) actions to avoid similar failures in the future. Document any changes made to ensure consistency and standardization.

How To Implement FRACAS?

Implementing FRACAS – A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 – Creating the Failure Report

FRACAS initiation begins with generating a failure report, capturing details about an asset’s failure or any concerns in a product or process. This involves collaboration across various departments within your organization, including technical support, lab test results, manufacturing, field issues, and engineering.

The report content varies based on industry, processes, and compliance needs. During this phase, it’s crucial to clearly define the type of information to include, such as the incident’s date and time, the discoverer of the issue, the person conducting the report, incident details and steps, corrective actions taken, and suggestions for preventing recurrence. The emphasis is on real-time logging of issues in the FRACAS system, accessible to all team members.

Step 2 – Analysis

Following the logging of failure reports, the next step involves a comprehensive analysis of the issue. This phase is adaptable to your organization’s needs and is typically conducted by a team lead or engineer. The analysis aims to identify the root cause of the failure and formulate a solution. This thorough evaluation is essential to determine the best course of action in addressing the issue.

Step 3 – Corrective Action

The final stage in FRACAS revolves around resolving the identified issue and formally closing it out. Having determined the root cause, the team implements corrective actions to rectify the problem.

Verification of the success of these actions is crucial before closing out the incident in the system. Closing each failure report is imperative for maintaining the integrity of the closed-loop FRACAS system. This meticulous process ensures that issues are not only addressed but that lessons learned contribute to ongoing improvements in product or process reliability.

How Is The FRACAS Workflow Carried Out?

The FRACAS (Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System) workflow involves a series of steps within a closed-loop process, guiding the journey from identifying an initial incident to its resolution. The specific steps in the FRACAS workflow can vary among organizations based on internal procedures, evolving needs, and accumulated lessons. Here’s a detailed example of a FRACAS workflow, as it might unfold in a manufacturing context

Step 1 – Entry

Detection of a failure initiates the FRACAS process. In this instance, a seized bearing prompts the entry of the incident into the FRACAS system.

Step 2 – Assign

The team lead allocates the issue to a member of the maintenance team for investigation. The maintenance team discovers that the bearing fatigue is a result of misalignment.

Step 3 – Fix

Further exploration into the machine’s work history reveals instances of improper assembly, leading to soft foot, misalignment, and loose connections. Root cause analysis determines that the current bearing defect stems from shaft misalignment, caused by deficiencies in the maintenance team’s skills due to inadequate training.

To address this, the maintenance team assigns a properly trained member to handle machine alignment and implements a mandatory training session for all team members on alignment procedures. Additionally, a step-by-step alignment process guide is posted near the machine.

Step 4 – Verify

The maintenance supervisor restarts the machine, employing vibration analysis to check for any alignment issues.

Step 5 – Closeout

If the machine operates without issues, the failure is officially closed out in the FRACAS system.

This example illustrates a fundamental FRACAS process within a manufacturing setting. It’s worth noting that various industries may adopt alternative methodologies, such as the 8Ds (8 Disciplines), particularly in the automotive and aerospace sectors.

The 8D process encompasses eight steps, including team establishment, problem description, repair, root cause determination, corrective action definition and implementation, recurrence prevention, and team recognition for their efforts. Understanding and implementing these workflows contribute significantly to the efficiency and reliability of products or systems in diverse industrial contexts.

In summary, adopting the FRACAS workflow proves to be instrumental in asset management and maintenance planning. By systematically addressing failures, analyzing root causes, and implementing corrective actions, organizations can enhance the reliability and longevity of their assets.

The closed-loop nature of FRACAS fosters continuous improvement, ensuring that lessons learned from each incident contribute to refining maintenance strategies. This structured approach not only minimizes downtime but also promotes proactive maintenance planning and scheduling. Through FRACAS, organizations cultivate a culture of learning from failures, paving the way for sustained operational efficiency and the prolonged performance of critical assets.

To sum up, incorporating the FRACAS workflow is crucial for effective asset management and maintenance planning. By systematically addressing and learning from failures, identifying root causes, and implementing corrective actions, organizations can improve the reliability and lifespan of their assets.

Consider enrolling in Maintenance Planning and Scheduling training with PetroSync, where our course delves into the comprehensive FRACAS method as part of the training outline. At PetroSync, we prioritize technical depth and practicality, ensuring that you gain not only theoretical knowledge but also the practical skills needed for effective maintenance planning and scheduling.

Credit: Vecteezy