RPN — Risk Priority Number

In plain English

Risk Priority Number is a numerical score used in FMEA to prioritize risks based on severity, occurrence, and detection.

RPN helps decide which risks deserve attention first.

Higher number = higher priority.

It combines:

how bad the failure is

how likely it is

how easy it is to detect

What they actually mean

RPN often creates false precision.

Two very different risks can end up with the same number.
And teams sometimes chase the math instead of the meaning.

RPN is a guide — not a decision-maker.

Example