Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System
FRACAS is a closed-loop process for recording failures, analyzing causes, assigning corrective actions, and verifying that reliability improves.
What this term means in maintenance
FRACAS is a closed-loop process for recording failures, analyzing causes, assigning corrective actions, and verifying that reliability improves.
Purpose of FRACAS
FRACAS turns individual failure records into a controlled reliability-improvement process.
A typical loop includes:
- Report the failure
- Classify the event
- Preserve evidence
- Analyze the cause
- Define corrective action
- Assign responsibility
- Implement the action
- Verify effectiveness
- Share learning
- Close the record
Practical example
A motor bearing fails repeatedly on one conveyor. The failures are linked, operating conditions are reviewed, misalignment is confirmed, the base is corrected, and later vibration trends verify improvement.
Information quality
FRACAS depends on consistent:
- Asset identity
- Failure date
- Failure mode
- Operating context
- Action taken
- Cause
- Downtime
- Parts used
- Corrective action
- Effectiveness evidence
FRACAS and CMMS
A CMMS can provide work-order and asset-history data, while the FRACAS process provides the investigation, action ownership, and closed-loop learning.
Common mistake
Collecting failure reports without assigning and verifying corrective actions creates a failure database rather than a corrective-action system.
Related concepts
Related maintenance terms
Keep exploring connected CMMS, reliability, and maintenance planning terms.
Root Cause Analysis
Root cause analysis is a structured investigation used to identify the underlying conditions that allowed a failure or problem to occur and determine actions that reduce recurrence.
Corrective and Preventive Action
Corrective and Preventive Action, or CAPA, is a controlled process for correcting a problem, removing its causes, and preventing recurrence or similar future problems.
Failure Code
A failure code is a controlled classification used to record how an asset or component failed in a consistent, reportable way.
Glossary FAQs
- What does FRACAS stand for?
FRACAS stands for Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System.
- What makes FRACAS closed loop?
Failures are recorded, analyzed, assigned actions, implemented, checked for effectiveness, and formally closed.
- Can a CMMS support FRACAS?
Yes. It can provide asset, work-order, failure, downtime, parts, and action records needed by the process.