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Prerequisites

Before allocating functions, ensure you have:
  • Created your system element hierarchy (System → Subsystem → Component)
  • Defined functions using the Function work item type
  • Opened the appropriate FMEA Risksheet or PowerSheet configuration

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Steps

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1. Navigate to the Functions PowerSheet

  1. Open the Design space from the sidebar
  2. Select the subsystem functions sheet for your target subsystem (e.g., “ECU Processing Subsystem - Functions”)
  3. Locate the function you want to allocate in the function list
If you have many functions to allocate to the same element, use the PowerSheet’s multi-row selection (Shift+Click) to select multiple functions, then set the allocation once for all selected rows.

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2. Set the Allocated Element

  1. Click the Allocated Element cell in the function row
  2. Select the target system element from the picker dropdown
  3. The allocation creates an allocatedTo link role between the function and system element
  4. Save the PowerSheet to commit the allocation
Functions should be allocated to system elements at the same or one level lower in the hierarchy. For example, a subsystem-level function can be allocated to a subsystem or component element, but not to the parent system element. This ensures FMEA analysis remains scoped to the correct decomposition level.

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3. Verify Allocation in System Structure Navigator

  1. Navigate to Reports → System Structure Navigator
  2. Expand the system element hierarchy tree
  3. Verify that your function appears under the allocated element
  4. Check that the function count matches your allocations
diagram

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4. Use Allocations in FMEA Analysis

Function allocations enable subsystem-scoped FMEA analysis:
  1. Open a component DFMEA Risksheet (e.g., “System-on-Chip (SoC) - Component DFMEA”)
  2. The Function column picker automatically filters to show only functions allocated to this component
  3. Create failure mode rows and select from the filtered function list
  4. The assesses link role connects each failure mode to its parent function
Function allocation directly supports AIAG-VDA FMEA’s Structure Analysis (Step 1). The hierarchy System Element → Function → Failure Mode maps to AIAG-VDA’s Focus Element → Element Function → Failure Mode structure columns.

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Allocation Patterns

PatternUse CaseExample
1:1 AllocationFunction realized by single component”Execute collision detection algorithm” → System-on-Chip (SoC)
1:N AllocationFunction distributed across multiple elements”Provide power supply” → Power Management IC + Voltage Regulator + Battery Interface
N:1 AllocationMultiple functions in one component8 functions → ECU Processing Subsystem
Hierarchical AllocationFunction allocated at subsystem level, sub-functions at component level”Sensor Fusion” (Subsystem) → “Calibrate Camera” (Camera Module), “Calibrate Radar” (Radar Module)

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Common Pitfalls

Functions without allocations will not appear in component-level DFMEA Risksheets. Use the System Structure Navigator to identify functions missing the allocatedTo link. Orphaned functions typically indicate incomplete functional decomposition or missing system elements.
Allocating a function to an element in a different subsystem breaks the hierarchical scoping model. For shared functions (e.g., power distribution across subsystems), create duplicate functions scoped to each subsystem or use a shared “Common Functions” subsystem.

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Verification

You should now see:
  • ✅ Functions appear under their allocated system element in the System Structure Navigator
  • ✅ DFMEA Risksheet function pickers filter to show only allocated functions for each component
  • ✅ Traceability coverage bars in the Design space dashboard show Function → System Element allocation percentage

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See Also