FMEA provides developers with a structured methodology for identifying the potential effects of failure on a system, before the event occurs. This is differentiated from a Root Cause Analysis (RCA), in that the RCA is conducted post-event.

An FMEA procedure can document the potential impact and causes of failures in a particular function, and the method by which the failure would be detected. A quick guide to FMEA for IoT product manufacturers can be found at the following link: https://www.isixsigma.com/tools-templates/fmea/quick-guide-failure-mode-and-effects-analysis/.