RisikoPrioritätszahlen

RisikoPrioritätszahlen, often abbreviated as RPN, are a quantitative measure used in risk management, particularly within methodologies like Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA). The RPN is calculated by multiplying three factors: Severity (S), Occurrence (O), and Detection (D). Severity assesses the potential impact of a failure, Occurrence estimates the likelihood of that failure happening, and Detection considers the probability of the failure being detected before it reaches the customer or causes harm.

The formula for calculating the RPN is RPN = S x O x D. The resulting number provides a relative ranking of different failure modes. A higher RPN generally indicates a more critical risk that requires prioritized attention and mitigation efforts. The scales used for Severity, Occurrence, and Detection typically range from 1 to 10, although other scales may be employed depending on the specific FMEA process.

The primary purpose of the RPN is to help teams focus their resources on the most significant risks. By identifying and quantifying these risks, organizations can develop targeted action plans to reduce their likelihood or impact. It is important to note that while RPN is a useful tool, it has limitations. The subjective nature of the assigned scores and the potential for different combinations of S, O, and D to yield the same RPN value mean that it should be used in conjunction with expert judgment and other risk assessment techniques.