(57n) How Software Fmecas Benefit the Overall Reliability of Critical Systems

Benefits – Performing software FMECAs using techniques that enable software components to be assessed alongside hardware components which help to identify hidden failure modes.

Summary – Failure Modes Effects and Criticality Analysis is a specific methodology aimed at identifying potential failure modes and their effects on a system (locally and globally). This methodology is well defined through various standards. In recent years, there has been a major shift from addressing all stages of the hardware component life cycle to equally including software reliability. The Software FMECA methodology uses techniques that enable software components to be assessed alongside hardware components using a common risk criticality calculation matrix. This paper would focus on new requirements (e.g. API 16D, etc.) for Software FMECAs and provide guidance on how to approach software alongside hardware in FMECAs of software dependent control systems in the Process Industry. In addition, the paper will highlight the benefits of SFMECAs (identification of unforeseen software consequences of hardware failure modes, improving the reliability of software dependent system, reducing costs by discovering design failures early in the life cycle phases, etc.).