Controls

Controls are resources that are available for use throughout the project. This means that:

When you edit a control, either through the FMEA or through the Resource Manager, changes made in one place are reflected anywhere else the control is used.
While you can delete a control from an FMEA, it is still available as a resource and can be used for other analyses in the project as long as it remains in the Resource Manager. Resources that are in use cannot be deleted.
The software will display a warning if you try to save a control with the same description as another control that already exists in the project.
- If the current control should be identical to one that already exists (same description, same user-defined fields, etc.), it is recommended to use the Add Existing Controls or Replace with Existing commands to place another instance of the existing resource into this location. You can also copy/paste a control from one location to another.
- If any of the properties will be different (e.g., different control type), you must use a separate resource. In this case, it is recommended to use a more specific description that will be unique within the project, but it is not required.

What's Changed? In Version 8, the ability to treat controls as resources that can be shared throughout the project replaces the Linked Controls functionality that was used in previous versions. The new approach makes it easier to create and maintain controls, as you can do so even when you are not working in the FMEA. You can also delete a control but still have it available for use in other places without having to recreate it.

To add a control to the FMEA, select the cause with which it is associated or click the Controls node under that cause and choose FMEA > FMEA Records > Controls.

Note: The Controls node will be available only if the Enable Controls for Causes option is selected for the current interface style.

To insert a new control above the selected control, choose FMEA > FMEA Records > Controls > Insert Control.

To add an existing control resource to a specific place in the current FMEA, choose FMEA > FMEA Records > Controls > Add Existing Controls to open the Select Resource window, where you can select any existing control in the project. As with other resources, if you edit/update any instance of the resource, all instances of that resource will be updated automatically.

You can also replace a control with another existing control resource by choosing FMEA > FMEA Records > Controls > Replace with Existing to open the Select Resource window and select an existing control.

To edit an existing control in the project, either edit it directly in the worksheet view or use the properties window. To open the properties window, select the control and choose FMEA > FMEA Records > Controls > Edit Control or double-click the control in the hierarchy or filtered view.

Control Window

The appearance of the Control window varies depending on where the control is used and where the window is opened from.

If you open the Control window from an FMEA, it will have the Ribbon used in FMEA record properties windows.
If you open the Control window from the Resource Manager, no Ribbon will appear.

Note: The fields that are enabled in the interface and the options available in configurable drop-down lists will depend on the interface style settings that have been defined for the current project. You can choose Project > Management > Configurable Settings > Interface Style to open the Edit Interface Style (This Project) window and change the settings for the current project. You can also use the Number of Controls in Worksheet View option to determine how to display the controls in the worksheet view: either as two separate columns based on the control type or combined into the same column.

In the Control area, the following fields may be available:

Control Description: A control that is currently in place to reduce or eliminate the risk associated with each potential cause of failure.
Short Description: A shortened (50 character maximum) version of the control description. You are not required to enter any text in this field; if you do not, the system automatically uses text based on the Control field.
Control Type: Allows you to select the type of the control from the drop-down list. The available options will be determined based on the interface style. By default, the options are Detection, which indicates controls that will help to detect the failure before it reaches the end user, and Prevention, which indicates controls that will help to prevent the failure from occurring.