P12311 Risk Assessment
MSD Project Risk Assessment
ID / Risk Item / Effect / Cause / Likelihood / Severity / Importance / Action to Minimize Risk / Owner1 / Team runs out of time / Project is not completed / Poor Project Planning / 2 / 3 / 6 / Create a Schedule / Team
2 / Parts Arrive Late / Schedule is delayed / Unreliable Vendor / 1 / 1 / 1 / Constant Communication with vendor / Team
3 / Technology requires a lot of technical knowledge for upkeep / Teams will not be able to easily use chamber to test their products / Choice of technology / 2 / 1 / 2 / Research easiest technology usable / Team
4 / Requirements change during project / Project will not be able to change in time / Redesign required / 1 / 2 / 2 / Verify deliverables with customer / Team, Guide, Customer
5 / Teammates do not do assigned work / Team will need to do the work of the teammate / Laziness/ not enough time/ over ambitious expectations / 3 / 1 / 3 / Ask for help from team when needed / Team, Guide
6 / Teammates do not arrive prepared / Team will be delayed and work will be postponed / Laziness/ not enough time/ over ambitious expectations / 3 / 1 / 3 / Assign tasks that have a high likelihood of being completed / Team
7 / Miscommunication among teammates / Will lead to confusion and could hurt project / Poor communication / 3 / 1 / 3 / Make sure to explain every detail/ ask questions / Team
8 / Inability to contact the customer or guide / May miss vital information and requirements / Poor communication / 2 / 2 / 4 / Keep constant information flow with the customer and guide, weekly meetings / Team, Guide, Customer
9 / Customer needs not clear / Lead to solving an issue that doesn’t exist / Poor communication / 2 / 2 / 4 / Set up meetings and communicate often / Team, Customer
10 / Arguments between teammates / Will hurt team morale and cause conflict between members / Poor communication / 1 / 1 / 1 / Have group focused and group leader aware / Team
12 / Project scope too large / Project not completed on time / Project improperly scoped / 3 / 3 / 9 / Project scope assignment completed week 1 / Team, Guide
13 / Parts ordered too late / Schedule is delayed / Long lead parts not identified and ordered on time / 1 / 2 / 2 / Long lead parts identified and ordered / Team
14 / Design doesn’t meet needs / Project failure/ customer unhappy / Improper needs flow down to Engineering Specs / 2 / 3 / 6 / Systems Design Review includes discussion of Needs to Specs flow down / Team
15 / Design not executed to Engineering Specs / 2 / 3 / 6 / Detailed Design Review includes verification of Engineering Specs (Calculations) / Team
16 / Necessary technology not available for budget allocated / Concept cannot be built / Inadequate concept assessment / 2 / 3 / 6 / Concept selection includes technology availability criterion / Team, Guide
17 / Project goes over budget / Project will not be completed / Poor planning / 3 / 3 / 9 / Cheapest solutions and materials will be researched / Team
18 / Setup is too difficult / Customer will not use it / Poor design / 3 / 2 / 6 / Make user interface as easy as possible/ create instruction manual / Team
19 / Spectrum Analyzer does not interface with Labview / Product will not be usable in system / Poor planning / 1 / 1 / 1 / Spectrum Analyzer compatibility will be researched before being bought / Team
20 / Reflecting signals within chamber / Inaccurate test results / Poor design/ lack of absorbent material / 1 / 1 / 1 / Place more absorbing material at points with high reflection/ run tests / Team
21 / RF leakage from door seal / Inaccurate test results / Poor planning / 1 / 1 / 1 / Use smooth metal on metal contacts/ if there is leakage, document the amount / Team
22 / Motor arm shaft reflects signal / Reflected signals cause inaccurate test results / Poor design / 1 / 1 / 1 / Cover arm with absorbing material / Team
23 / Data is not collected in the correct time frame / Inaccurate results / Poor communication between Labview and Microcontroller / 2 / 1 / 2 / Make sure there is good communication, test for accuracy / Team
24 / User error / System does not operate correctly / Lack of training/ tool understanding / 3 / 3 / 9 / Write instruction manual with step-by-step instructions for proper usage / Team
25 / Chamber does not simulate Far Field conditions / Customer need not met / Poor calculation / 2 / 3 / 6 / Calculations/ tests to ensure far field conditions hold up / Team
26 / Poor precision of motor rotation / Measurements will not be a smooth curve / Poor part choice / 2 / 2 / 4 / Research motor characteristics before buying / Team
27 / Size of chamber insufficient / Measurements incorrect / Poor design / Calculations proving chamber size requirement completed before design / Team
28 / Motor Arm wobbles when turned with stepper motor / Antenna can become dislodged, measurements not accurate / Stepper motor jerks when It starts and stops / 3 / 3 / 9 / Ensure antenna is secure / Team
29 / Motor Arm needs time to settle after movement / Antenna could be moving while measurements are being taken / Stepper motor jerks when It starts and stops / 3 / 3 / 9 / Factor in settling time, put a delay before taking measurements / Team
30 / Cables wrap around motor arm / Motor arm could get caught / Cable wraps around when motor arm rotates / 3 / 3 / 9 / Have motor arm rotate opposite way when it returns to home position / Team
31 / Home position not repeatable / Measurements will not be repeatable / Home position cannot be locked / 3 / 3 / 9 / Ensure home position can be locked into same position / Team
32 / Antenna Cannot be Mounted on Chamber Wall / Antenna Not Useable and Possible Leakage Through Wall / Antenna Not Fastened Correctly, Hole Through Wall / 2 / 3 / 6 / Brainstorm Different Ways to Attach Antenna / Team
Likelihood scale / Severity scale
1 - This cause is unlikely to happen / 1 - The impact on the project is very minor. We will still meet deliverables on time and within budget, but it will cause extra work
2 - This cause could conceivably happen / 2 - The impact on the project is noticeable. We will deliver reduced functionality, go over budget, or fail to meet some of our Engineering Specifications.
3 - This cause is very likely to happen / 3 - The impact on the project is severe. We will not be able to deliver, or what we deliver will not meet the customer's needs.
“Importance Score” (Likelihood x Severity) – use this to guide your preference for a risk management strategy
Prevent / Action will be taken to prevent the cause(s) from occurring in the first place.
Reduce / Action will be taken to reduce the likelihood of the cause and/or the severity of the effect on the project, should the cause occur
Transfer / Action will be taken to transfer the risk to something else. Insurance is an example of this. You purchase an insurance policy that contractually binds an insurance company to pay for your loss in the event of accident. This transfers the financial consequences of the accident to someone else. Your car is still a wreck, of course.
Accept / Low importance risks may not justify any action at all. If they happen, you simply accept the consequences.