A score calculated by multiplying severity, occurrence, and detection ratings to prioritise risks in FMEA.
RPN helps teams compare failure modes and decide where to focus improvement resources.
It is a staple output of FMEA analysis sessions used in manufacturing and service industries.
Calculating RPN
Each failure mode receives a severity rating for customer impact, an occurrence rating for likelihood, and a detection rating for control effectiveness.
Multiply the three ratings to obtain RPN. It is a ranking aid, not a measured probability of failure, and identical RPN values can represent different risks.
Using RPN wisely
Teams should look beyond the numeric score to understand underlying risks and consider severity on its own when safety is involved.
High-risk items flow into CAPA plans that assign owners and timelines.
Use the customer-required method. AIAG & VDA FMEA uses Action Priority rather than RPN as its prioritization method.
Key takeaways
- RPN prioritises failure modes based on severity, occurrence, and detection.
- Context matters: teams shouldn’t rely on the number alone.