What is the purpose of a functional failure analysis in RCM?

The purpose of a functional failure analysis in Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is to identify and assess failures that affect system performance. This analysis is a crucial part of RCM as it helps organizations understand how various failure modes can impact the overall functionality and reliability of a system. By identifying specific types of operational failures, organizations can better plan maintenance activities, develop effective reliability strategies, and ensure that systems operate efficiently and safely.

Through functional failure analysis, maintenance teams can evaluate not just the failures themselves, but the consequences of these failures on system operations. This understanding allows for prioritization of maintenance efforts and can lead to improvements in system design and operation to mitigate potential failures.

In contrast to the other options, constructing new systems is not the primary goal of functional failure analysis since the focus is on existing system performance and reliability. While reducing overall maintenance costs is a beneficial outcome that can result from effectively managing identified failures, it is not the direct purpose of conducting the analysis itself. Evaluating employee performance does not relate to the focus of functional failure analysis, which centers on system performance rather than personnel.