Configuration Overview
The DFMEA Risksheet implements a three-level hierarchical structure that mirrors the automotive design decomposition hierarchy:
Users can expand and collapse levels to navigate the analysis tree. The collapseTo property on Level 2 aggregates severity and risk control counts upward to the Failure Mode level, enabling drill-down analysis from high-level risks to root cause details.
Hierarchical Data Structure
| Property | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
| hierarchyDefinition.levels | array | [0, 1, 2] | Three-level hierarchy: System Element (0), Failure Mode (1), Cause (2) |
| hierarchyDefinition.controlColumn | string | ”systemElement” | Column used to group and expand/collapse Level 1 items |
| hierarchyDefinition.zoomColumn | string | ”failureMode” | Column that defines Level 2 grouping for navigation |
| hierarchyDefinition.collapseTo | string | ”failureMode” | Clicking drill-down cells navigates to Failure Mode level |
| hierarchyDefinition.showAllLevels | boolean | true | Display all hierarchy levels in initial view |
Column Groups and Organization
The DFMEA configuration organizes columns into semantic groups that correspond to AIAG-VDA FMEA analysis phases:
Identification Phase Columns
| Column | Type | Field | Description |
|---|
| systemElement | itemLink | (system Element ID) | Level 1: Links to systemElement work item via ‘assesses’ role. Shows component/subsystem being analyzed. |
| failureMode | string | description | Level 2: Descriptive title of failure mode (e.g., “Sensor reads zero”). Defines collapseTo target for grouping causes. |
| causeOfFailure | string | causeOfFailure | Level 3: Root cause description (e.g., “Power supply disconnected”). Multiple causes per failure mode. |
| effectOfFailure | string | effectOfFailure | Effect on customer or downstream system (e.g., “AEB system does not activate”). |
Severity Assessment Columns
| Column | Type | Field | Enum | Description |
|---|
| failureModeSeverity | enum | failureModeSeverity | 1-10 | AIAG-VDA Severity scale: 1=no effect, 10=catastrophic. Does not change between initial and final ranking. |
| severityDefinition | string | (custom field) | — | Narrative explanation of why this severity rating was assigned. |
In DFMEA, Severity represents the inherent severity of the failure mode. It does not improve with risk controls—only Detection and Occurrence ratings change after mitigation. This differs from PFMEA, where severity similarly does not decrease.
Occurrence (Likelihood) Assessment Columns
| Column | Type | Field | Enum | Description |
|---|
| preFailureOccurrence | enum | preFailureOccurrence | 0-10 | AIAG-VDA Occurrence scale before controls: 0=<1 in million, 10=>1 in thousand. Reflects design failure probability. |
| preventionControl | string | preventionControl | — | Design feature or control that prevents the cause from occurring (e.g., “Overvoltage protection circuit”, “Redundant sensor”). |
| postFailureOccurrence | enum | postFailureOccurrence | 0-10 | Occurrence rating after prevention controls implemented. Updated during “Verify Controls” phase. |
Detection (Controllability) Assessment Columns
| Column | Type | Field | Enum | Description |
|---|
| preDetection | enum | preDetection | 0-10 | AIAG-VDA Detection scale before controls: 0=certain to detect, 10=cannot detect. Reflects design verification ability. |
| detectionControl | string | detectionControl | — | Design feature or verification method that detects failure before reaching customer (e.g., “Self-test during startup”, “Built-in diagnostics”). |
| postDetection | enum | postDetection | 0-10 | Detection rating after detection controls implemented. Updated during verification phase. |
Special Characteristics Classification
| Column | Type | Field | Renderer | Description |
|---|
| designSpecialCharacteristic | enum | designSpecialCharacteristic | badge | Classification: SC (Safety Critical) or CC (Critical Characteristic). Rendered as styled badge with orange background for SC, red for CC. Indicates IATF 16949 special characteristic status. |
Risk Priority (Action Priority) Calculation
| Column | Type | Formula | Description |
|---|
| preActionPriority | computed | JavaScript | Pre-mitigation Action Priority (H/M/L) calculated from initial S/O/D. Formula: High if Sev≥9 OR (Sev≥5 AND Occ≥4) OR (Sev≥6 AND Occ≥4 AND Det≥5); Medium if Sev≥5 OR Occ≥4 OR Det≥6; else Low. |
| postActionPriority | computed | JavaScript | Post-mitigation Action Priority (H/M/L) using original Severity but updated Occurrence and Detection ratings. Same threshold logic as preActionPriority. |
Action Priority Decision Matrix
The Action Priority formula implements the automotive risk prioritization methodology:
| Action Priority | Severity Range | Occurrence Range | Detection Range | Color |
|---|
| High (H) | 9-10 (any O/D) | 7-10 (S >= 7) | — | #f8eae7 (Red) |
| High (H) | — | — | 7-10 (S >= 7, O >= 4) | #f8eae7 (Red) |
| Medium (M) | 5-8 (O >= 4) | 4-6 (S >= 5) | 4-6 (S >= 5) | #fff3d2 (Yellow) |
| Low (L) | 1-4 (any O/D) | 1-3 (any S) | 1-3 (any S/O) | #eaf5e9 (Green) |
Risk Control Management
| Column | Type | DataType | Relationship | Description |
|---|
| riskControls | task | task | mitigates | Expandable sub-rows showing riskControl work items linked via ‘mitigates’ relationship. Each risk control shows ID, title, and status. Users can create, assign, and track mitigation tasks directly from the failure mode row. |
| riskControlStatus | string | (from task) | — | Status of risk control (e.g., “Open”, “In Progress”, “Verified”, “Closed”). Inherits from riskControl work item status field. |
Traceability Columns
| Column | Type | Link Role | Rendering | Description |
|---|
| upstreamSystemFMEA | multiItemLink | causes | Velocity template | Upstream System FMEA failure modes that this design failure traces back to. Shows item title, module, and description. Used during “Link Upstream SFMEA” phase. |
| downstreamFailures | multiItemLink | causes (backLink) | Velocity template | Downstream design failures caused by this root cause (reverse direction traceability). Appears in full view for root cause analysis. |
| requirementsTraceability | serverRender | (via risk control) | Velocity template | Design Requirements and System Requirements linked to risk controls that mitigate this cause. Implements traceability chain: Cause → Risk Control → Requirement → Test Case. Verifies ISO 26262 design requirement coverage. |
Progressive Workflow Views
The DFMEA Risksheet provides nine named views that guide users through the seven-step AIAG-VDA FMEA workflow, with column visibility adjusted at each phase:
| View Name | Step | Purpose | Key Columns Visible | When to Use |
|---|
| 1. Identify Failure Modes | 1-2 | Define system elements, failure modes, and effects | systemElement, failureMode, effectOfFailure, severityDefinition | Initial FMEA kickoff: identify all potential failure modes for each design component |
| 2. Initial Risk Ranking | 3 | Assign initial S/O/D ratings | failureMode, failureModeSeverity, preFailureOccurrence, preDetection, preActionPriority (colored) | Rate likelihood and detectability of each identified failure mode |
| 3. Link Upstream SFMEA | 4 | Connect to System FMEA causes | failureMode, upstreamSystemFMEA, effectOfFailure | Map Design FMEA failures to their root causes in System FMEA analysis |
| 4. Define Mitigations | 5 | Design risk controls and prevention/detection methods | failureMode, causeOfFailure, preventionControl, detectionControl, riskControls | Define design features and verification methods that reduce occurrence or improve detection |
| 5. Verify Controls | 6 | Update O/D ratings after controls implemented | causeOfFailure, postFailureOccurrence, postDetection, postActionPriority (colored) | Re-assess failure likelihood and detectability with new design controls in place |
| 6. Final Risk Evaluation | 7 | Review residual risks and determine adequacy | failureMode, postActionPriority (colored row headers), designSpecialCharacteristic, riskControlStatus | Confirm that all high-priority residual risks have approved risk controls |
| 7. Risk Summary | 7 | High-level overview for reporting | failureMode, postActionPriority (row headers), designSpecialCharacteristic | Generate summary tables and reports of final risk assessment |
| Default | — | General-purpose view | All core columns (hierarchy, S/O/D, AP pre/post) | Ad-hoc browsing and analysis |
| Full View | — | Complete configuration | All columns including traceability, requirements, upstream/downstream links | Detailed analysis and comprehensive verification |
| No Up/Down Risks | — | Hide traceability columns | All columns except upstreamSystemFMEA, downstreamFailures | Simplified view when traceability not needed for current task |
Cell Decorators and Visual Encoding
The DFMEA configuration applies visual styling to highlight risk levels and special characteristics:
Action Priority Cell Color Coding
// Pre-Mitigation AP Decorator
cellRenderer: function(value) {
if (value === 'H') return '<div style="background-color: #DC143C; color: white; padding: 8px; border-radius: 4px;"><strong>H</strong><br/><small>High</small></div>';
if (value === 'M') return '<div style="background-color: #FF8C00; color: white; padding: 8px; border-radius: 4px;"><strong>M</strong><br/><small>Medium</small></div>';
if (value === 'L') return '<div style="background-color: #4CAF50; color: white; padding: 8px; border-radius: 4px;"><strong>L</strong><br/><small>Low</small></div>';
}
| Priority | Color | Meaning | Response |
|---|
| H (High) | Red (#DC143C) | Immediate attention required | Must implement prevention and detection controls before design release |
| M (Medium) | Orange (#FF8C00) | Monitor and plan | Implement controls if feasible; track residual risk |
| L (Low) | Green (#4CAF50) | Acceptable risk | No action required; document rationale |
Special Characteristic Badge Rendering
| Class | SC/CC | Color | Background | Usage |
|---|
| SC Badge | Safety Critical | Orange text (#ff8c00) | Light orange (#ffe0b2) | Design characteristics whose failure could result in ASIL D hazard. Requires enhanced development assurance per ISO 26262. |
| CC Badge | Critical Characteristic | Red text (#c62828) | Light red (#ffcdd2) | Design characteristics subject to IATF 16949 special process control. Requires statistical monitoring and capability validation. |
- Red row header → postActionPriority = H (residual High priority)
- Orange row header → postActionPriority = M (residual Medium priority)
- Green row header → postActionPriority = L (residual Low priority)
This visual design enables rapid scanning of the entire DFMEA to identify components with high residual risk.
| Property | Type | Default | Description |
|---|
| name | string | ”Design FMEA” | Configuration name displayed in risksheet selector |
| description | string | ”AIAG-VDA Design FMEA with ISO 26262 traceability” | Configuration description and scope |
| version | string | ”3.0” | Configuration version for tracking updates |
| standardsReferenced | array | [“AIAG-VDA FMEA”, “ISO 26262”, “IATF 16949”] | Standards implemented by this configuration |
Velocity Template Examples
Upstream System FMEA Traceability Rendering
#set($causes = $item.getLinksByRole("causes"))
#if($causes.size() > 0)
#foreach($cause in $causes)
<div style="margin: 4px 0;">
<strong>$cause.getWorkItem().getId()</strong>:
$cause.getWorkItem().getDescription()
<small>($cause.getWorkItem().getModule().getName())</small>
</div>
#end
#else
<em style="color: #999;">Not traced to SFMEA</em>
#end
Requirements Traceability Chain Rendering
#set($riskControls = $item.getLinksByRole("mitigates", true))
#foreach($rc in $riskControls)
#set($requirements = $rc.getTarget().getLinksByRole("linkedWorkItems"))
#if($requirements.size() > 0)
<strong>Requirements:</strong>
#foreach($req in $requirements)
<div style="margin: 4px 0;">
$req.getWorkItem().getId(): $req.getWorkItem().getTitle()
</div>
#end
#end
#end
Configuration Integration Points
Work Item Types Referenced
The DFMEA configuration creates and links to these work item types:
- failureMode (Level 2) — Design failure mode description and effects
- systemElement (Level 1 link) — Component or subsystem being analyzed via ‘assesses’ link
- riskControl (task column) — Mitigation action linked via ‘mitigates’ role
- sysReq, desReq (traceability) — Requirements linked through risk controls
- testCase (verification) — Test cases linked to requirements (indirect through risk control chain)
Enum References
The configuration validates data entry against these enumerations:
failureModeSeverity — AIAG-VDA Severity (1-10)preFailureOccurrence, postFailureOccurrence — AIAG-VDA Occurrence (0-10)preDetection, postDetection — AIAG-VDA Detection (0-10)designSpecialCharacteristic — SC/CC classification
Custom Fields Required
| Field | Type | Purpose |
|---|
| causeOfFailure | string | Root cause description at Level 3 |
| effectOfFailure | string | Customer-visible effect of failure mode |
| preventionControl | string | Design feature preventing cause occurrence |
| detectionControl | string | Design feature or verification detecting failure |
| designSpecialCharacteristic | enum | SC/CC classification per IATF 16949 |
Versioning and Maintenance
The DFMEA configuration is versioned and maintained according to the TestAuto2 solution lifecycle:
Current Version: 3.0
Last Updated: February 2026
Compatibility: Polarion 2023 M1 and later; Nextedy Risksheet 2.5+
Related Pages:
