Failure mode and effects analysis in the service sector to increase customer satisfaction: Technical service application in medical devices

In this study Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) technique, which firms frequently apply in quality improvement processes, is examined. FMEA technique aims to identify errors in design, process and service before they occur or at least minimize their effect. In other words, FMEA is a common technique of improvement and development in order to identify and eliminate potential nonconformities existing in a system. FMEA is a process that continues to be used throughout the life cycle of a product. This technique is a way to prevent product and process problems before they occur. FMEA is a method that prioritizes the types of errors that will provide the greatest positive effect on the whole system in case of any action, rather than working on all types of errors coming to the firm. Because collecting data for all the failures takes a lot time and labor. Pre-screening at the initial stage of the FMEA and compiling data on only those parts that are determined to be important will increase the effectiveness of the technique. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if there is a difference in significance level of the failures when evaluated separately from firm point of view and customer point of view. It has been observed that there are significant differences in the related values when the FMEA technique was applied separately from firm point of view and customer point of view.