ANALYSIS OF FACTORS INFLUENCING THE QUALITY ENHANCEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT OF PFMEA 4.0 MATURITY LEVEL

Abstract

The Process Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (PFMEA) is a highly useful analytical quality management tool for assessing potential failure modes and risks that may arise in the production process. In the automotive industry, PFMEA is mandatory, and its use is prescribed by the IATF 16949:2016 standard and related procedures. Regarding the manufacturing process itself, PFMEA plays a crucial role in ensuring process reliability. However, numerous limitations, such as financial constraints, workforce availability, technical conditions, skills, and knowledge, can significantly impact the effectiveness of PFMEA implementation. For this reason, modern industrial practices strive for a higher degree of PFMEA automation, minimizing human errors and reducing subjectivity in assessments, which is in line with the principles of Industry 4.0. The objective of this study is to evaluate and rank the factors influencing PFMEA improvement and the potential achievement of PFMEA 4.0, based on relevant criteria, to determine which factors pose the greatest challenges and are the most difficult to address in practice. For this purpose, a combined Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) approach was used. The research was conducted in collaboration with PFMEA team leaders from three automotive industry companies operating in Serbia.