January 07, 2025

Understanding Failure Reporting, Cause, and Corrective Action

All businesses have assets. When one of those assets breaks down or fails, you call in maintenance. However, technicians can’t just repair and move on. For a successful program, you need an analysis of the problem.

This article will explore the acronym FRACAS. This stands for Failure Reporting, Analysis, and Corrective Action System. Basically, this system seeks to identify the failure, the cause, and the solution, or the action taken. Let’s look at each of these in turn.

Identifying the Failure

Whatever the problem, you have to identify it. You can use numerous terms for this. Break down. Stops working. Glitch. Malfunction. Broken part. Defective part. Won’t start.

Develop a set of codes to cover the various types of failures. If you use a quality computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), you’ll have a menu item for this. You’ll use these codes on work orders either as a known factor or for the technician to add to the record.

Determining the Cause of Failure

Why did the equipment fail? Example: The production operator’s machine experienced a short circuit. The piece of equipment shut down. The next question: Why was there a short circuit?

You make the repair easily enough, why look for a cause? Answer: Because the underlying reason for the failure may still exist.

Leaking fluid. Internal deterioration. Human error.

That last usually sits atop the list of many failures. The operator ran the machine too fast or too slow. The operator tried to make the machine do something different from its design. The operator ignored safety guards or other measures.

You can trace even a defective part back to a human factor. Lack of inspections on the factory machine that made the part resulted in continued defective products.

Like above, develop a set of cause codes. This addition to the records makes it easier for later analysis.

Before we move to the next part, keep this point in mind. Remember, identifying failure and cause doesn’t necessarily require a lot of investigation. One might understand the problem immediately.

A simple example: Failure = machine shut down. Cause = power outage due to inclement weather. However, just because you know the issue and reason right away does not diminish their importance.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

Taking Corrective Action

What did you do to not only get the machine back to working order but what did you do to resolve the underlying problem?

More training for the operator. Better surge protection. Patch hole. Add more lubrication.

The goal: To ensure the problem doesn’t happen again or severely reduce the chance of recurrence.

Examples of Failure Reporting and Corrective Action in Practice

I’ve listed many examples, but read on for further details.

First Example

Equipment Failure: Machine slowdown means loss of production.

Cause: No replacement of old parts. Note here that you might go further along this line. Determine why anyone from the maintenance team has not replaced these worn-out parts. Perhaps management decided to cut costs.

Action: Adjusting the budget to stock critical parts. Of course, this goes along with the technician actually replacing the old parts.

Second Example

Equipment Failure: Conveyor belt failure in food processing plant.

Cause: Accumulation of food particles and debris on the conveyor belt. This led to increased friction and strain on the system.

Action: Increased preventive maintenance cleaning.

How to Build an Effective Failure Reporting, Cause, and Corrective Action System

What can you do to have a successful Failure, Cause, Action program?

1. As mentioned above, develop the different codes for each. Keep them simple.
2. Train your employees on how to use these codes. This could mean training them in the CMMS in which you invest.
3. Review historical records to look for trends.
4. Quality review maintenance work.
5. Evaluate or review your regular maintenance program. PMs can spot potential problems and resolve them before they turn into major issues.
6. Accept feedback and have discussions with technicians regarding maintenance tasks.
7. Communicate with asset operators. Show them minor PMs they can complete. Help them to identify problems and causes.

Strengthen Your Maintenance Strategy with FRACAS

Part of maintenance management success means you take proper care of your assets. Preventive maintenance goes a long way to reducing downtime and failures.

When failures do occur, go after the reason. As seen above, you may have to go back two or more steps to find the cause behind the cause.

Document everything. Review the data to improve your maintenance strategy.

Use a CMMS for organizational benefits.

MAPCON / 800-922-4336